Writing, Design, and Technical Communication, B.A.

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About the Writing, Design, and Technical Communication Bachelor’s Program

The Writing, Design, and Technical Communication B.A. can be taken onsite or online.

The Bachelor of Arts in Writing, Design, and Technical Communication will provide a broad liberal arts background and intensive training in the principles and practices of technical communication. It will prepare students for careers as technical communicators, editors, grant writers, website developers, information architects, and publications managers in a variety of professional domains, including publishing, education, government, health care, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. It also will prepare students for graduate education in technical communication as well as in law, business, science, and medicine.

The Writing, Design, and Technical Communication program requires 120 semester credit hours consisting of the core curriculum, 33 hours in a major field, and a required minor.

Requirements

I. 2000-Level

ENGL 2311 - Introduction to Technical Writing 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 2312 - Texts and Technologies that Change the World 3 Semester Credit Hours

II. 3000-Level

One of the following:

ENGL 3366 - Style in Technical Writing 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 3371 - How Language Works 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 3373 - How Syntax Works 3 Semester Credit Hours

Four of the following:

(Note: ENGL 3366 may be used only once.)

ENGL 3360 - Issues in Composition 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 3362 - Rhetorical Criticism 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 3363 - Introduction to Scientific Writing 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 3365 - Professional Report Writing 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 3366 - Style in Technical Writing 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 3367 - User Experience Research 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 3368 - Designing for the Web 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 3369 - Information Design 3 Semester Credit Hours

III. 4000-Level

ENGL 4380 - Professional Issues in Technical Communication 3 Semester Credit Hours

Three of the following:

ENGL 4360 - Studies in Composition 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 4363 - Issues in Science Writing and Rhetoric 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 4365 - Special Topics in Technical Communication 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 4366 - Technical and Professional Editing 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 4367 - Designing Instructional Materials 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 4368 - Digital Content Management Strategy 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 4369 - User Experience Design 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 4378 - Internship in Technical Communication 3 Semester Credit Hours

Communication Literacy

Students pursuing a degree in technical communication will engage with communication and literacy in a range of contexts. In order to complete the breadth of communication literacy contexts required for the profession, students will choose from courses in five different communication literacy categories:

Workplace Literacy: ENGL 4380 and ENGL 2311
Rhetorical Literacy: (Choose One) ENGL 3362 or ENGL 3363
Technological Literacy: (Choose One) ENGL 3367 , ENGL 3368 , or ENGL 3369
Linguistic Literacy: (Choose One) ENGL 3366 or ENGL 4366
Cultural Literacy: ENGL 2312

Sample Curriculum

First Year

Fall

ENGL 1301 - Essentials of College Rhetoric 3 Semester Credit Hours
American History 3 Semester Credit Hours
MATH or Logic 3 Semester Credit Hours
POLS 1301 - American Government 3 Semester Credit Hours
Social and Behavioral Sciences 3 Semester Credit Hours *

Total: 15

Spring

ENGL 1302 - Advanced College Rhetoric 3 Semester Credit Hours
Oral Communication 3 Semester Credit Hours *
American History 3 Semester Credit Hours
Mathematics 3 Semester Credit Hours
Creative Arts 3 Semester Credit Hours *

Total: 15

Second Year

Fall

ENGL 2311 - Introduction to Technical Writing 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 2312 - Texts and Technologies that Change the World 3 Semester Credit Hours
English Literature (2000-level) 3 Semester Credit Hours
Life & Physical Sciences 4 Semester Credit Hours *
Foreign Language (2000-level) 3 Semester Credit Hours

Total: 16

Spring

ENGL 3366 - Style in Technical Writing 3 Semester Credit Hours
POLS 2306 - Texas Politics and Topics 3 Semester Credit Hours
Life & Physical Sciences 4 Semester Credit Hours *
Foreign Language (2000-level) 3 Semester Credit Hours
Elective 1 Semester Credit Hour

Total: 14

Third Year

Fall

ENGL 3362 - Rhetorical Criticism 3 Semester Credit Hours
OR
ENGL 3367 - User Experience Research 3 Semester Credit Hours
OR
ENGL 3368 - Designing for the Web 3 Semester Credit Hours
Language, Philosophy, and Culture Electives 6 Semester Credit Hours *
Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
Minor Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
Personal Fitness and Wellness Elective 1 Semester Credit Hour

Total: 16

Spring

ENGL 3360 - Issues in Composition 3 Semester Credit Hours
OR
ENGL 4360 - Studies in Composition 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 3363 - Introduction to Scientific Writing 3 Semester Credit Hours
OR
ENGL 3369 - Information Design 3 Semester Credit Hours
Creative Arts Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours *
Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
Minor Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
Personal Fitness and Wellness 1 Semester Credit Hour

Total: 16

Fourth Year

Fall

ENGL 3365 - Professional Report Writing 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 4366 - Technical and Professional Editing 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 4367 - Designing Instructional Materials 3 Semester Credit Hours
OR
ENGL 4369 - User Experience Design 3 Semester Credit Hours
OR
ENGL 4378 - Internship in Technical Communication 3 Semester Credit Hours
Minor Electives 6 Semester Credit Hours

Total: 15

Spring

ENGL 4380 - Professional Issues in Technical Communication 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 4365 - Special Topics in Technical Communication 3 Semester Credit Hours
OR
ENGL 4368 - Digital Content Management Strategy 3 Semester Credit Hours
OR
ENGL 4378 - Internship in Technical Communication 3 Semester Credit Hours
Social and Behavioral Sciences / Minor 3 Semester Credit Hours
(Select a course for the minor that also satisfies the Social and Behavioral Sciences core requirement.)
Minor Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
Elective 1 Semester Credit Hour

Total: 13

Total Hours: 120

* Select from the university’s Core Curriculum .

Multicultural Requirement

To satisfy the 3-hour multicultural requirement , select from the university’s multicultural list a course that also satisfies either the Language, Philosophy, and Culture, Creative Arts, or Social and Behavioral Sciences core requirement.

Foreign Language

A student must complete 6 hours at the sophomore level or above in a single language. The prerequisite for all sophomore language courses is credit for the freshman level. This credit can be determined through a credit by examination. The score attained on the exam will determine whether the student is placed in a second-year course, a 5-hour review course, or in some cases the first or second semester of a beginning (first-year) language course. See Arts & Sciences General Degree Requirements for further explanation.