Technical Communication Certificate
About the Certificate
- The undergraduate Certificate in Technical Communication is offered by the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI in cooperation with the Department of English, the Department of Communication Studies, and the Society for Technical Communication. The program follows the School’s guidelines for a Class C certificate. A certificate will be presented to those who successfully complete the program of course work.
- Students who earn the Certificate in Technical Communication will demonstrate that they have the core competencies necessary for entry-level positions as technical communicators. They will demonstrate their ability to gather and transform technical information for a variety of audiences. They will design, develop, and edit effective documents using rhetorical principles and current technology.
- Any student formally admitted to the University may be a candidate for the certificate. To receive the certificate, students must have a technical specialty (major, minor, or nine hours of course work), successfully complete nineteen credit hours of required and selected courses, and present a portfolio of work that is judged professionally competent by representatives of the local chapter of the Society of Technical Communication. Courses taken at other universities may be recognized as the equivalent of the required or selected courses and can substitute for 50% of the IUPUI courses. The TCM Coordinator or Director must approve the candidate’s selection of courses.
Certificate Requirements (PDF)
Curriculum
Technical Specialty: 9 credits
A technical or scientific major or minor or technical interest demonstrated by nine hours of courses, including CIT 10600 or 11200 or an equivalent introductory computer course.
Required Courses: 10 credits
- TCM 22000 or 32000 - an introductory technical writing course
- TCM 35000 (Visual Elements of Technical Documents)
- Eng W365 (Theories and Practices of Editing)
- TCM 43500 (Portfolio Preparation)
Selected Courses: 9 credits
- TCM 37000, Comm C401 or Comm C402 - a course in oral presentation of technical material
- TCM 39500 (Independent Study)
- TCM 42000 (Field Experience in Technical Communication)
- TCM 42500 (Managing Document Quality)
- TCM 45000 (Research Approaches for Technical and Professional Communication)
- TCM 49900 (Selected Topics in Technical Communication – variable titles)
- Comm R320 (Advanced Public Communication) or Comm R321 (Persuasion)
- Comm C228 (Discussion and Group Methods) or Comm C380 (Organizational Communication)
- Eng G205 (Introduction to the English Language)
- Eng W315 (Composing Computer-Delivered Text)
- IET 36400 (Total Quality Control)
- Jour J463/J563 (Desktop Publishing) or Jour J390 (Corporate Publications)
- OLS 27400 (Applied Leadership), OLS 37500 (Training Methods) or OLS 47400 (Conference Leadership Training)
Other courses may be approved for a student by the TCM Certificate Coordinator based on a student’s interests and career objectives.
Portfolio
Near the end of their coursework, students will present a professional portfolio, suitable for job hunting, which includes three to five documents of various types that demonstrate a range of skills and competencies. Members of the Indiana Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication will review the portfolio and provide responses.
For career information:
