Core Required Courses
Technical communication courses are offered from both the Department of English and the School of Communication and at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The 20 available seats for each class are divided among the four course listings. If an individual listing for a course appears full, students should contact the instructor because there may be seats available from other sections of the same course.
ENGL/JOUR 4810/8816 Digital Literacies for Technical Communicators
This course addresses emerging issues about digital literacies such as the rhetoric of technology, technological competency, technology and information ecologies, critical awareness of technology and human interactions, judicious application of technological knowledge, user-centered design and technology, networking and online communities, ethics and technology, and culture and technology. (Prequisites: ENGL 1600, SPCH 1000: graduate standing)
ENGL/JOUR 4830/8836 Technical Communication
Technical Communication introduces students to the field of technical writing. Students will study the development of print and electronic genres common to industry settings, the design and production of technical documents, the writing processes and work practices of professional technical writers, and the roles of technical writers in organizational contexts.
ENGL/JOUR 4850/8856 Information Design for Technical Communicators
This course introduces students to a variety of strategies for integrating visual and textual elements in ways that make a technical document accessible to lay audiences. Instruction will focus on creating a balance among design theory, application of theory, and practical experience with individual and collaborative projects as well as how technical writers use and readers process such information through a document’s design. Students will develop the professional judgment necessary for making stylistic choices appropriate for communicating technical information to a lay audience and the skill to implement those choices.
ENGL/JOUR 4870/8876 Technical Editing
This course introduces students to the roles and responsibilities of technical editors: the editorial decision-making processes for genre, design, style, and production of technical information; the communication with technical experts, writers, and publishers; the collaborative processes of technical editing; and the techniques technical editors use during comprehensive, developmental, copyediting, and proofreading stages.
Electives (Choose one)
ENGL/JOUR 4890/8896 Capstone Course in Technical Communication
In this capstone course, students will extend foundational skills learned in previous technical communication courses. Students’ will demonstrate their competency of the technical documentation process in organizational environments, the issues important to the technical communication profession, and the practices of writing and creating complex technical documents for specific purpose and audience.
SPCH 8156 Communication Training and Development Skills
This course exposes students to the process of designing communication training workshops/programs. It provides students, especially those who are prospective trainers and/or consultants, experiential and cognitive knowledge about needs assessment, adult learning, communication training topics research, objectives writing, module design, interactive delivery methods, and program evaluation. Prereq: Graduate majoring in communication or permission of instructor.
SPCH 8196 Computer-Mediated Communication
Computer-Mediated Communication addresses emerging issues of virtual communities, identity, civic life and participation, online relationships, collaborative work environments, digital networks, gender/race/class issues, legal and ethical considerations of technology, and commodification of mediated communication Prereq: Graduate student standing or permission of instructor.
SPCH 8536 Cross-Cultural Communication
The intent of this course is to examine the concepts of cross-cultural communication. Theory and research are integrated with applications, and necessary skills are identified and developed. Prereq: Graduate student standing or permission of instructor.
