Technical Writing (BHA Concentration)
Laura Donaldson, BHA Technical Writing Concentration Advisor (BH 259)
BHA Technical Writing Concentration
(87 units minimum)
The concentration in Technical Writing prepares students to produce clear and effective communication that translates complex scientific and technical information for diverse audiences. Whether students come from writing backgrounds seeking to engage with STEM fields, or from STEM disciplines looking to develop the communication skills employers demand, the degree offers a flexible, individually tailored course of study. Students engage in intensive practice in writing, editing, and user-centered design alongside technical and scientific coursework.
Students can choose to focus their concentration in the Technical Communication (TC) Track or the Scientific and Medical Communication (SMC) Track. The Technical Communication track (TC) prepares students for careers in the rapidly changing field of technology, digital media, and information design. Students learn the fundamentals of visual, verbal, and on-line communication as well as the technical skills needed to design, communicate, and evaluate complex communication systems and to manage the interdisciplinary teams needed to develop them. Students become fluent in both print-based and electronic media across a variety of information genres and learn to design information for a range of specialist and non-expert audiences. The Scientific and Medical Communication track (SMC) is designed for students who seek careers that focus on communication and information design problems in health, science, and medicine. It should appeal to students with interests in the health care professions, science and public policy, patient education, scientific journalism and related fields. Like the TC track, the SMC track is designed to provide both the technical and the communication skills needed to analyze and solve complex communication problems. Students learn the fundamentals of visual, verbal, and on-line communication as well as the technical skills needed to design, communicate, and evaluate complex information systems and to manage the interdisciplinary teams needed to develop them. The Technical Writing concentration advisor can help you design the course selections for that track you choose.
This interdisciplinary curriculum positions graduates for a field defined by ongoing shifts in media, tools, and communication practice. Career paths include technical writing, science and medical communication, UX writing, content strategy, and information design, among others.
Prerequisite Courses
| Units | ||
| 21-111 | Differential Calculus (21-120's prerequisite: 21-090) | 10 |
| or 21-112 | Integral Calculus | |
| or 21-120 | Differential and Integral Calculus | |
| or 21-127 | Concepts of Mathematics | |
| 15-110 | Principles of Computing (required for SMC-track students) | 10 |
| or 15-112 | Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science | |
| (required for TC-track students) | ||
Technical Writing Core Courses (7 courses, 51 units)
| 76-2xx | One Introductory Genre Writing Course (Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry, TV Writing or Screenwriting) | 9 |
| 76-271 | Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing | 9 |
| 76-300 | Professional Seminar | 3 |
| 76-390 | Style | 9 |
| 76-391 | Document & Information Design | 9 |
| 76-487 | Information Architecture & Content Strategy (co-requisite with 76-488) | 9 |
| 76-488 | Information Architecture & Content Strategy Lab (co-requisite with 76-487) | 3 |
Theory/Specialization Courses (3 courses, 27 units minimum)
Complete three courses to deepen your area of specialty in Technical Communication or Scientific and Medical Communication. At least one course must be chosen from among those designated as Recommended Options.
Recommended Options:
| 76-314 | Data Stories | 9 |
| 76-327 | Equity & Communication: Strategies for Institutional Change | 9 |
| 76-375 | Emerging Technologies in Writing | 9 |
| 76-380 | Methods in Humanities Analytics | 9 |
| 76-395 | Science Writing | 9 |
| 76-425 | Rhetoric, Science, and the Public Sphere | 9 |
| 76-474 | Software Documentation | 9 |
| 76-476 | Rhetoric of Science | 9 |
| 76-490 | Digital Rhetorics | 9 |
| 76-494 | Healthcare Communications | 9 |
Additional Options include but are not limited to the following:
| 76-301 | Internship | Var. |
| 76-302 | Communication Support Tutoring Practicum | 6 |
| 76-318 | Communicating in the Global Marketplace | 9 |
| 76-325 | Intertextuality | 9 |
| 76-354 | Watchdog Journalism | 9 |
| 76-366 | Grant and Proposal Writing | 9 |
| 76-372 | News Writing | 9 |
| 76-375 | Emerging Technologies in Writing | 9 |
| 76-384 | Race, Nation, and the Enemy | 9 |
| 76-389 | Rhetorical Grammar | 9 |
| 76-391 | Document & Information Design | 9 |
| 76-475 | Law, Performance, and Identity | 9 |
| 76-481 | Introduction to Multimedia Design | 12 |
| 76-487 | Information Architecture & Content Strategy (co-requisite with 76-488) | 9 |
| 76-488 | Information Architecture & Content Strategy Lab (co-requisite with 76-487) | 3 |
| 76-490 | Digital Rhetorics | 9 |
Electives (1 course, 9 units)
Students with a Technical Writing concentration take one course outside of English to deepen their area of specialty in their track. Students in the TC track typically select courses from business, design, psychology, and social and decision sciences, or HCI. Students in the SMC track select courses from the natural sciences, computer science, math or statistics, or (for example) healthcare-related courses in the Heinz School. Students should work with the Technical Writing concentration advisor to select courses that are meaningful for their track.