MTSC Curriculum
Required Course Descriptions
- Introduction to Technical and Scientific Communication (ENG 692)
- Introduction to Rhetoric (ENG 602)
- Technical and Scientific Editing (ENG 693)
- Organizational Communication (COM 619)
- Technical and Scientific Writing (ENG 694)
- Information Design(ENG 697)
- Linguistics for Technical and Scientific Communicators (ENG 695)
- Managing Technical and Scientific Communication Departments, Publications, and Policies (ENG 696)
- Internship in Technical and Scientific Communication (ENG 701)
Sample of full-time MTSC schedule
First Year
Fall Semester
- Introduction to Technical and Scientific Communication
(English 692) - Introduction to Rhetoric
(English 602)* - Technical and Scientific Editing
(English 693)* - Organizational Communication
(Communication 619)
Spring Semester
- Technical and Scientific Writing
(English 694) - Information Design
(English 697) - Elective
- Elective/Supplement
Summer
- First Summer Session: Possible plans of study include graduate electives, supplementary courses, independent study, or internship. Students can take up to 6 hours per session.
- Second Summer Session: Possible plans of study include graduate electives, supplementary courses, independent study, or internship. Students can take up to 6 hours per session.
Second Year
Fall Semester
- Linguistics
for Technical and Scientific Communicators
(English 695)* - Managing Technical
and Scientific Communication Departments, Publications, and Policies
(English 696)* - Elective
- Elective/Supplement
Spring Semester
- Internship
in Technical and Scientific Communication
(ENG 701)
* Half-semester course (7.5 weeks)
Introduction to Technical and Scientific Communication (ENG 692)
In this course, you are introduced to a variety of problem-solving strategies for technical and scientific communication. The course also introduces you to principles of effective writing and includes practice in writing short reports, proposals, and other documents in technical and scientific fields. Finally, the course introduces you to the word-processing, graphics, and page design technology used by professional communicators.
4 Credit Hours
Introduction to Rhetoric (ENG 602)
In this course, you’ll study traditional and modern methods for analyzing a communication situation and design strategies for solving problems inherent in that situation. You’ll then apply these methods to problems involving the communication of technical and scientific information.
2 Credit Hours
Technical and Scientific Editing (ENG 693)
This course addresses the roles, responsibilities, and practices of the editor of technical and scientific communications. You’ll learn how to establish effective relationships with authors, edit manuscripts to make them clear to readers or consistent with the policies of an organization, mark copy for typesetters, edit online, and create and use style guides.
2 Credit Hours
Organizational Communication (COM 619)
In this course, you’ll study ways of analyzing and improving the performance of an organization’s communication. You’ll learn about the flow of information through the organization by applying communication principles to interpersonal, small group, and presentational situations. You’ll also investigate individually selected topics through independent research assignments.
3 Credit Hours
Technical and Scientific Writing (ENG 694)
In this course, you’ll practice specific skills for designing, developing, and evaluating technical and scientific communications in different media. The course includes projects in documentation and electronic media design, for example, online help, hypertext, or multimedia. A strong emphasis is placed on professional development.
4 Credit Hours
Information Design (ENG 697)
In this course, you will focus on principles, theories, and production techniques for creating effectively designed documents in different genre and media. You will gain experience with planning, designing, and producing information graphics for particular situations and audiences. Strategies and techniques introduced in this course will include designing page layouts with thumbnails and grids, selecting appropriate typefaces and colors, and using professional desktop publishing tools for page layout and pre-press production. Projects usually include developing long print documents, such as handbooks, and electronic documents, such as professional websites or online help. The projects you do all semester will culminate in a final project--an electronic portfolio of your work that you can distribute to prospective employers.
4 Credit Hours
Linguistics for Technical and Scientific Communicators (ENG 695)
This course focuses on the fundamental principles of language and linguistics and how to analyze the uses of language in scientific and technical professions. In this course, you’ll investigate language features shared by professional disciplines and study the language practices of the specific professional communities in which you will work.
2 Credit Hours
Managing Technical and Scientific Communication Departments, Publications, and Policies (ENG 696)
This course addresses the responsibilities of people who manage technical and scientific communication systems, including in-house communication departments, independent companies, organization-wide information policies, professional journals, and other publications. By reading, speaking with practicing managers, and analyzing case studies, you’ll learn about the strategies used by managers of such systems.
2 Credit Hours
Internship in Technical and Scientific Communication (ENG 701)
While working full-time as a technical and scientific communicator, you will have a supervised opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in your course work to real communication problems. You will work for a business, government, or non-profit organization under the guidance of an appropriate mentor.
1-12 Credit Hours; minimum 6, maximum 12