The Certificate in Technical Communications provides preparation essential for careers in technical communications. Courses include developing print and online materials, online helps, web sites, and graphics; working within the documentation process as writers, editors, reviewers, designers, and coordinators; exploring industry developments involving single sourcing, content management, and document control; using software applications most in demand by employers to develop portfolio-quality documents; and, most importantly, practicing clear succinct direct writing that is carefully adapted to its intended audience. Coursework in this certificate program can be applied to the Associate of Applied Science degree in Technical Communications.

Please note that there is a great deal of flexibility in this degree. While the composition, speech, math, humanities, and social and behavioral science courses are required, you can substitute any ETWR course for another that you prefer. You can also take any combination of computer and Visual Communication electives that you prefer—even to the exclusion of one or the other.

Semester 1		Hours
ENGL 1301	English Composition I	3xxxx
BCIS 1305 or COSC 1301 or COSC 1300	Business Computer Applications or Personal Computing or Introduction to Computing	3xxxx
+POFT 1329 or Semester II course	Keyboarding and Document Formatting: Word I or Semester II course	3xxxx
	Computer elective2	3-4xxxx
	Visual Communication elective3	3-4xxxx
xx		13-14xxxx

Semester 2		Hours
+ETWR 2472	Book-Length Documents with Adobe FrameMaker	4xxxx
+ITSE 1405	Web Authoring and Publishing: Hypertext, Websites, and Online Helps	4xxxx
+ITSE 1356 or +POFT 2431 or +BMGT 1409	Introduction to XML or Desktop Publishing for the Office: Book-Length Documents with or Information and Project Management: Documentation Process and Content Management	3-4xxxx
ARTC 1402 or +POFT 2359	Digital Imaging I or Records and Information Management III: Indexing and Document Control	3xxxx
+POFT 1307	Proofreading and Editing: Business, Government, and Technical Publications	3xxxx
xx	Visual Communication elective3	3-4xxxx
xx	Capstone Portfolio Examination4	xxxx
xx		27-29xxxx

TOTAL

40-43xxxx

+ Prerequisites: See Course Descriptions.

# Capstone course

1. Students lacking computer skills should take COSC 1300, COSC 1301, or BCIS 1305; students with limited experience with Microsoft Word should take POFT 1329. Students with skills in these areas should take a Semester II course such as ENGL 2311 or ARTC 1402.

2. Students are encouraged to take related sequences of courses focusing on computer networks, databases, operating systems, or programming from Computer Information Technology or Computer Sciences.

3. Students are encouraged to take related sequences of courses focusing on web design, graphics, automated drafting, and multimedia from Visual Communications or Engineering Design Graphics.

4. Students are required to complete the Capstone Portfolio Examination.