• Prepare for a career in editing
• Enhance your professional writing and editing skills
• Earn a recognized credential

• Complete the 6 required courses plus 15 hours of optional courses (119 hours)
• Can be completed within 3 semesters up to a maximum of 3 years

Professional Editing students are recommended to sign up for an online subscription to Chicago Manual of Style. Subscribe online.

Refer to your Confirmation of Registration for specific course information, including required textbooks.  Course manuals are provided on Blackboard, 3 days prior to class start. Students are required to bring a print or digital copy to class.  Textbooks may be purchased independently or through the Campus Store.

Required Courses

Editing Fundamentals
Discover the fundamentals of professional editing and the skills and standards common to all editors. Learn why editing matters and how editing skills can be developed and refined. Be introduced to different kinds of editing (copy editing, style editing and structural editing).

No textbook required.

Subject (for registration): Communications

Writing and Editing for Digital Media
The rapid growth and evolution of digital media has presented tremendous opportunities and new challenges for writers and editors. Be introduced to principles, strategies and techniques for writing and editing relevant, compelling content for various digital media platforms.

No required textbook.

Subject (for registration): Communications

Comprehensive Editing: Style, Structure and Design
Understand how style, organization and visual design work together. Make decisions by considering documents from the reader’s perspective. Using practical examples from print and online documents, tackle comprehensive editing challenges.

Recommended: Complete Editing Fundamentals before beginning this course.

Required Textbooks and Resources:  Structural Editing: Meeting Professional Editorial Standards Toronto: Editors' Association of Canada. Purchase directly from the Executive Director, John, by emailing executivedirector@editors.ca or by calling toll-free 866-226-3348. $42 (incl. GST).

Williams, J. M., & Colomb, G. (2017). Style: lessons in clarity and grace (12th ed.). Boston: Pearson   

Textbooks may be purchased independently or through the Campus Store.

Subject (for registration): Communications

Editing Portfolio
Once you have completed all the other courses in this certificate, create a portfolio of work samples that demonstrate your ability to carry out copyediting, proofreading and comprehensive editing with proficiency and ease. Bring to class a range of documents that you want to include in your portfolio.

Required Textbook: Editors' Association of Canada . Stylistic Editing: Meeting Professional Editorial Standards, Part 3. Toronto: Editors' Association of Canada.

Purchase through the Campus Store.

Subject (for registration): Communications

Optional Courses

Choose a minimum of 15 hours

Foundations of Technical Communication
Explore the discipline of technical writing and enhance your writing techniques to meet the demands of today’s marketplace. Study the concepts involved in technical writing, including audience analysis, document organization, and grammar and writing skills to create clear, concise, correct and cohesive communications. Apply these through practical exercises.
Recommended co-requisite: Advanced Microsoft Word for Writers and Editors

Subject (for registration): Technical & Business Writing

Advanced Microsoft Word for Writers and Editors
Develop intermediate skills to create professional looking documents. Learn how to use features and templates to create and format documents with more complex layouts, including styles, tables, pictures and objects, columns, numbering, headers and footers, tables of contents and templates.
Recommended co-requisite: Foundations of Technical Communication
Strongly recommended: Microsoft Word Levels 1 and 2 (available here)

Subject (for registration): Computers - Word Processing

Margaret Chandler BA, MEd

Margaret is a teacher, author, and editor.  She teaches business writing, grammar and style, and editing courses at Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary and delivers customized workshops to many other clients.  She also provides writing and editing services through her company, Green Fuse Inc.

Margaret enjoys sharing her passion for the English language and helping people become better writers. Students appreciate the strategies and resources that she provides to make the writing process more efficient and pleasant.  She's also excited about her recently published book Good Writing Is Good Business:  Your go-to guide to confident, stylish and correct writing, which is a practical and comprehensive resource for all writers.

Michelle Lomberg

Michelle is a freelance editor and writer with over 25 years' experience.  Her portfolio includes substantive editing, copy editing, and proofreading of K-12 and higher-education resources, trade books and marketing materials, and she is the author of 19 educational books for young readers.  She has worked for clients across Canada. 

Michelle holds a bachelor's degree with first-class honours in English and a master's degree in environmental design.  In addition, she is certified by the Editors' Association of Canada in structural and stylistic editing.  She has been teaching in the Professional Editing Certificate program since 2015. 

Richard Erlendson

Dr. Richard Erlendson has the distinction of serving as a long-time professor in both the Faculty of   Business and Communication Studies and the Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension at MRU.  In both faculties, he has taught professional writing, editing, reporting, design, publishing and visual communication.  He is a career journalist and photojournalist, and has received the Canadian Word Award  for magazine writing.  Richard is also a recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award at MRU.  He holds both a masters and doctorate from the University of Alberta with undergrad degrees in journalism and education.