The Associate of Applied Science degree 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.

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.

Note: To see catalog descriptions for courses that are in the major, move your mouse pointer over the ETWR and ENGL course titles below.

Use the online form to keep track of your progress toward your TCM Certificate and to show the program coordinator.

Semester 2		Hours
+ENGL 2311	Technical & Business Writing	3xxxx
ETWR 1374	Graphics for Business, Government and Technical Information	3xxxx
	Computer elective3	3-4xxxx
	Visual Communication elective4	3-4xxxx
	Social & Behavioral Science elective1	3xxxx
xx		15-17xxxx

Semester 3		Hours
+ETWR 2472 or +ETWR 2476	Book-Length Documents with Adobe FrameMaker or Book-Length Documents with MS Word	4xxxx
+ETWR 2473	XHTML and CSS for Information Specialists	4xxxx
+ETWR 1377 or +ETWR 2374	Indexing and Document Control or Online Helps and Help-Authoring Tools	3xxxx
	Visual Communication elective4	3-4xxxx
xx		14-15xxxx

Semester 4		Hours
+ETWR 2478 or +ETWR 2477	XML and Structured Authoring for Information Specialists or Documentation Process and Content Management	4xxxx
+ETWR 2379	Editing Government, Business and Technical Information	3xxxx
	Business & Technical Communications Elective5	3-4xxxx
	Computer elective3 or Visual Communication elective4	3-4xxxx
xx	Capstone Portfolio Examination6	xxxx
xx		13-15xxxx

TOTAL

63-71xxxx

+ Prerequisites: See Course Descriptions.

# Capstone course

1. Select from the appropriate section of the General Education Course List.

2. Students lacking computer skills should take COSC 1300, COSC 1301 or BCIS 1305; students without experience with Microsoft Word should take POFT 1329.

3. Students are encouraged to take related sequences of courses focusing on computer networks, databases, operating systems, or programming from the Computer Information Technology and the Computer Science departments.

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

5. Select from Business & Technical Communications courses.

6. Fourth semester capstone requirement - Portfolio Examination.