Technical Writing, Minor
The Minor in Technical Writing
Overview
The minor in Technical Writing is offered by the Department of English and available to all undergraduate students, including English majors*. If you wish to declare a minor in Technical Writing, please make an appointment with the English academic advisor, Laura E. Donaldson. For more information, visit our Technical Writing web page.
Double Counting
Students who have a minor in English as well as a primary and/or an additional major in English may not double count any English courses with that minor. Otherwise, up to two courses from the minor may double count with programs outside of the English Department. Courses that meet the various requirements are advertised on a semester-by-semester basis. Full descriptions are available each semester on the Department's Courses web page.
Transfer Courses
Students may transfer in a maximum of one advisor-approved course from an institution outside of Carnegie Mellon University, with the exception of the Required Intro Course and the Core Writing Courses, to count toward a minor.
Courses that meet the various requirements are advertised on a semester-by-semester basis. Full descriptions are available each semester on the Department's Courses web page.
*Students cannot combine Technical Writing majors or minors with Professional Writing majors or minors due to significant course overlap.
Curriculum
Complete 6 courses and a minimum of 54 units.
Required Introductory Course (1 course)9 units
| Required Intro Course | Units | |
| 76-270 | Writing for the Professions | 9 |
| or 76-271 | Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing | |
Two 300-Level Core Writing Courses (2 courses)18 units
| Two 300-Level Core Writing Courses | ||
| 76-373 | Argument | 9 |
| 76-389 | Rhetorical Grammar | 9 |
| 76-390 | Style | 9 |
| 76-391 | Document & Information Design | 9 |
Two (2) 300- or 400-Level "Recommended List" Theory/Specialization Courses18 units*
| Two 300- or 400-Level Recommended List Theory/Specialization Courses | ||
| 76-314 | Data Stories | 9 |
| 76-318 | Communicating in the Global Marketplace | 9 |
| 76-327 | Equity & Communication: Strategies for Institutional Change | 9 |
| 76-366 | Grant and Proposal Writing | 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 |
| 76-481 | Introduction to Multimedia Design | 12 |
| 76-483 | Research Methods in Technical & Professional Communication | 9 |
| 76-487 | Information Architecture & Content Strategy Co-requisite course: 76-488 Information Architecture & Content Strategy Lab (3 units) | 9 |
| 76-488 | Information Architecture & Content Strategy Lab Co-requisite course: 76-487 Information Architecture & Content Strategy (9 units) | 3 |
| 76-492 | Rhetoric of Public Policy | 9 |
| 76-494 | Healthcare Communications | 9 |
One (1) 300- or 400-Level Core or Theory/Specialization Course9 units*
In addition to any of the courses above that have not already been taken, courses include but are not limited to:
| One Additional 300- or 400-Level Core or Theory/Specialization Course | ||
| 76-306 | Editing and Publishing (requires instructor approval) | Var. |
| 76-307 | Advanced Editing & Publishing (requires instructor approval) | Var. |
| 76-325 | Intertextuality | 9 |
| 76-354 | Watchdog Journalism | 9 |
| 76-368 | Role Playing Game Writing Workshop | 12 |
| 76-372 | News Writing | 9 |
| 76-384 | Race, Nation, and the Enemy | 9 |
| 76-393 | Narrative & Argument | 9 |
| 76-415 | Mediated Power and Propaganda | 9 |
| 76-416 | Rhetorics of Race & Empire | 9 |
| 76-427 | Topics in Rhetoric: Audience | 9 |
| 76-455 | The Pittsburgh Review of Books (PRoB) | 9 |
| 76-464 | Creative Nonfiction Workshop | 9 |
| 76-473 | Rhetoric & the Construction of Race | 9 |
| 76-475 | Law, Performance, and Identity | 9 |
| 76-490 | Digital Rhetorics | 9 |
- *
minimum units