Technical Communication Concentration
See Also: Introduction to Technical Communication 
| Online Resources: Tech Comm on the Web
Description
The field of technical and professional communication may be defined as "The creative use of language and design to accommodate people and technology-including writing, editing, graphics, and publications management." Students in this concentration receive a solid background in the knowledge and skills required to participate in the writing, editing, and publishing (whether in print or online) of scientific, technical, and professional documents. By taking courses in writing, editing, and publishing, English majors (and other students who may choose to minor in this area) are given the opportunity to develop the basic skills required and to hone those skills to a high level. Students also receive a solid background in the fundamental knowledge areas requisite to the field-for example, the intricacies of audience analysis and adaptation, the dynamics of working with authors, and the rapidly changing principles of good page design.
All students must begin the concentration by taking English 360 (Technical and Professional Writing). Following that, students choose any two of the following three courses: English 460 (Technical Editing), English 462 (Writing for Publication), and English 466 (Writing, Layout, and Production of Technical Documents). In addition, students choose one other course in rhetoric or writing; four courses in literature (two of which must be before 1900, and at least one of those two before 1800); one course in language, theory, cultural, ethnic, or gender studies; and one or more courses in any departmental offering (including criticism, film, folklore, language, literature, rhetoric, and writing). During their senior year, students are encouraged to complete an internship in the field, although that is not a requirement for this concentration.
The field of professional and technical communication offers a variety of rich and rewarding careers. Current data suggest the mean entry-level salary for technical communicators to be $36,800. Because successful completion of this concentration (whether as a major or a minor) involves such a deep and varied engagement with the nature of language in relatively formal settings, students pursuing careers in law and education also find this concentration useful. Other students find that the undergraduate study of professional and technical communication leads them into graduate school-in technical communication, in rhetoric and composition, in literature, in communications, or in information science.
Requirements
- English 360 and any two of the following: 460, 462, 466
- One other course in rhetoric or writing. In addition to those listed in item 1 above, you may choose from the following list: 355, 363, 364, 365, 455, 463, 464, 470, 484, 495, 496
- Four courses in literature, two of which must be before 1900 (listed below), and at least one of those before 1800 (indicated here by asterisks): *301, *401, *402, *404, *405, *406, *409, *410, *411, *412, *413, 414, 415, 416, 419, 420, *431, 432, 433, 435
- One course in language, theory, cultural, ethnic, or gender studies: 301, 302, 331, 332, 333, 371, 372, 422, 443, 471, 472, 474, 475, 476, 479, 485, 486, 490
- One or more courses from any of the department's offerings, including criticism, film, folklore, language, literature, rhetoric, and writing