Explore writing and editing through a professional and creative lens, and gain highly transferrable skills essential to a career in writing.
The Certificate IV in Professional Writing and Editing offers you the fundamentals to write and edit professionally.
Working with expert teachers, you will hone your writing skills in fiction and non-fiction, and sharpen your editing skills for publication. You will also learn to write clearly with confidence, as well as craft, design and produce content for target audiences across platforms.
Suited to both full- and part-time students, this certificate gives you broad, transferable writing and editing skills relevant to any creative or professional writing context.
Learn from active professionals who share their insights and skills.
Present your work to an industry practitioner for analysis and critique.
Practise design and experiment on industry-standard software.
All subjects in the Certificate IV in Professional Writing and Editing are delivered in a blended learning mode, requiring both face-to-face and online learning.
Learning activities include lectures, workshops, demonstrations, presentations, project work, practical exercises, and discussion in class and online forums. You benefit from regular feedback from your teacher and from peers in class workshopping. Industry speakers share their specialist knowledge and expertise, and in designated courses provide feedback on your work.
Your assessment tasks are closely linked to work performed by professional writers and editors. You write short stories, flash fiction, articles, reviews, essays, advertising copy, online content, journal entries and more. You edit reports and publications, as well as your own and your peers' fiction and non-fiction writing. You design and produce templates, documents and publications using industry-standard software.
The types of classes you have will depend on the course you’re studying. Classes are offered in various formats designed to provide meaningful engagement with staff, industry and peers and provide for access and use of spaces where learning can be applied and active, including an array of specialised equipment.
Most RMIT courses do not include passive large-scale classes such as lectures, instead the content traditionally provided in lectures is made available online. This may be in the form of readings, videos or other on-demand learning materials. This content will also support the basis of interactive learning that takes place in on-campus classes.
The world is constantly changing, and there are universal skills that can help you adapt to the evolving nature of work and global engagement.
As part of your study experience at RMIT, we provide 6 future-focused RMIT Capabilities:
RMIT Capabilities are built into your course as well as some of our extracurricular experiences. They inform the design and delivery of your learning activities and assessments, so by the time you graduate, you’ll be ready to apply these capabilities in your life and work.
Your teachers are practitioners in the field and bring their industry know-how to your classes.
Drawing on their strong networks, they organise guest speakers to share their specialist knowledge and experiences. In the Write persuasive copy core subject you will present your copywriting to an industry practitioner for feedback.
The design of this qualification has also been informed by an industry advisory committee comprising professional writers and editors, both in-house and freelance.
To achieve this qualification, students must complete 12 subjects (6 core and 6 elective).
The training comprises of 824 hours of structured activities and 546 hours of unstructured activities.
This course is competency-based and has been designed to help you develop the practical skills and knowledge necessary to work effectively in your chosen field. You will learn and be assessed by practising and demonstrating your capabilities, all of which can be readily applied in the workplace.
In addition to the specific vocational skills you build throughout this course, you will also develop a set of essential employability skills, including communication, planning, organising, and problem solving, self-management, initiative and teamwork. These foundational skills will enable you to navigate the world of work, collaborate effectively with others, and successfully get the job done.
This certificate is flexible and modular in design, catering for full- and part-time students. You must complete all 12 subjects to graduate from this qualification.
Core subjects are:
Elective subjects are:
Choose a plan below to find out more about the subjects you will study and the course structure.
If you are holding a temporary visa (other than a student visa) and your visa has a full study entitlement, you may be eligible to apply. For more information, see the international students with other temporary (non-student) visas.
With a writing and editing skill set, your career opportunities are broad.
Work exists in technical writing, corporate writing, writing in digital media, copywriting, creative writing in myriad forms, journalism and publishing. Employment possibilities range from paid positions to freelance work as either a writer or editor.
Specialised skills are in increasing demand, especially in the areas of social media, content management and copywriting. Your software skills, including facility with Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office, are vital for such work.
You need to satisfy all of the following academic (entry) requirements to be considered for entry into this course.
There are no minimum academic entry requirements for this course. Applicants must meet the minimum university entry requirements.
There are no prerequisite subjects required for entry into this qualification.
A selection task is not required for entry into this qualification.
A pathway is an alternative way to get into a course. RMIT's pathways can help you move through different levels of study to reach the qualification you're aiming for, even if you don't meet the requirements for your destination course.
Unfortunately we are currently unable to offer formal pathways into this course. Contact Study@RMIT to discuss your options.
The Certificate IV in Professional Writing and Editing provides credit and guaranteed entry into further study.
Credit, recognition of prior learning, professional experience and accreditation from a professional body can reduce the duration of your study by acknowledging your earlier, relevant experience.
Credit and exemptions will be assessed consistent with the principles of the RMIT Credit Policy.
Credit may reduce the duration of your study by acknowledging your earlier, relevant study experience.
When you are submitting an application, please indicate that you want to be considered for credit and provide detailed course syllabus (also known as course outline), outlining volume of learning, course content and weekly topics, learning objectives/outcomes, assessment types and their weightings, and reference to the learning resources such as prescribed textbooks and recommended readings.
The tuition fees you will pay depends on your eligibility for government subsidies.
Not sure which fee type applies to you? Learn more and check your eligibility.
Fees are adjusted on an annual basis and these fees should only be used as a guide.
You may be eligible for a fee concession if you hold a valid Commonwealth Health Care Card, Pensioner Card, or Veteran's Gold Card, or are enrolled in the Asylum Seeker VET program. Find out more about fee concessions.
| Item | Description | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fee student pays
The total tuition fee you will be charged for a full-fee place
|
The total tuition fee you will be charged for a full-fee place
|
$12,000.00 |
| Student services and amenities fee (SSAF)
Based on 2026 cap of $373 per calendar year
|
Based on 2026 cap of $373 per calendar year
|
$373.00 |
| Material fees
Total cost of material fees associated with this course |
Total cost of material fees associated with this course
|
N/A
|
| Estimated total cost to you
Includes all fees listed above |
$12,373.00 |
The tuition fees shown include the Victorian Government contribution. This amount is reflected in your fees and is paid directly to RMIT by the Government: $ per nominal hour ($ total).
| Item | Description | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fee student pays
Tuition fees after government subsidy
|
Tuition fees after government subsidy
|
$7,000.00 |
| Student services and amenities fee (SSAF)
Based on 2026 cap of $373 per calendar year
|
Based on 2026 cap of $373 per calendar year
|
$373.00 |
| Material fees
Total cost of material fees associated with this course |
Total cost of material fees associated with this course
|
N/A
|
| Estimated total cost to you
Includes all fees listed above |
$7,373.00 |
The tuition fees shown include the Victorian Government contribution. This amount is reflected in your fees and is paid directly to RMIT by the Government: $8.80 per nominal hour ($6,644.00 total).
| Item | Description | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fee student pays
Concession rate applied
|
Concession rate applied
|
$1,400.00 |
| Student services and amenities fee (SSAF)
Concession rate applied
Concession rate applied
|
Concession rate applied
|
$75.50 |
| Material fees
|
N/A
|
|
| Estimated total cost to you
Includes all fees listed above |
$1,475.50 |
The tuition fees shown include the Victorian Government contribution. This amount is reflected in your fees and is paid directly to RMIT by the Government: $12.66 per nominal hour ($9,558.30 total).
| Item | Description | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fee student pays
Tuition fees exempt for eligible students in a government subsidised place
|
Tuition fees exempt for eligible students in a government subsidised place
|
$0.00 |
| Student services and amenities fee (SSAF)
Based on 2026 cap of $373 per calendar year
|
Based on 2026 cap of $373 per calendar year
|
$0.00 |
| Material fees
Total cost of material fees associated with this course |
Total cost of material fees associated with this course
|
N/A
|
| Estimated total cost to you
Includes all fees listed above |
$0.00 |
The tuition fees shown include the Victorian Government contribution. This amount is reflected in your fees and is paid directly to RMIT by the Government: $8.80 per nominal hour ($6,644.00 total).
Generated on 25 June 2026 | RMIT University's Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Code is 3046 | Payment and refund information
VET Student Loan cap for Certificate IV in Professional Writing and Editing (C4439): $
Any tuition fees above the cap must be paid upfront to RMIT by their due date. Caps are indexed annually by the Commonwealth Government. Eligibility applies.
Learn about eligibility for VSL|
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$ per nominal hour ($ total).
Choose the specific course plan to see relevant fee information:
VET Student Loan cap for (): $
Any tuition fees above the cap must be paid upfront to RMIT by their due date. Caps are indexed annually by the Commonwealth Government. Eligibility applies.
Learn about eligibility for VSLRMIT awards more than 2000 scholarships every year to recognise academic achievement and assist students from a variety of backgrounds.
RMIT awards more than 2000 scholarships every year to recognise academic achievement and assist students from a variety of backgrounds.
Use our Frequently Asked Questions to learn about the application process and its equity access schemes, find out how to accept or defer your offer or request a leave of absence, discover information about your fees, refunds and scholarships, and explore the various student support and advocacy services, as well as how to find out more about your preferred program, and more.
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