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Introduction to Technical Communication

The course Introduction to Technical Communication is designed to introduce students to the key skills required of professional technical communicators. These skills include:

• Project planning and analysis
• Content development, using both visual and written communication
• Organizational design
• Editorial review
• Content management
• Production and delivery

By the end of the course, students will be familiar with the processes technical communicators follow every day at work.

Overview

• Location: Online
• Format: Self-paced within deadlines set by instructor
• Duration: 8 weeks
• Tuition: $655
• Can be applied to: Technical Communication Certificate

Upcoming Offerings

The course is offered at various times throughout the year. The upcoming offerings include:

• Start Date: Tue, Jan 13, 2026
  • Schedule: Tue, Jan 13 - Mon, Mar 9 (self-paced within deadlines)
  • Location: Online
  • Instructor: Felicia Rubright
  • Cost: $655.00
  • Seats Available: 24
• Start Date: Tue, May 12, 2026
  • Schedule: Tue, May 12 - Mon, Jul 6 (self-paced within deadlines)
  • Location: Online
  • Instructor: -
  • Cost: $655.00
  • Seats Available: 25
• Start Date: Tue, Sep 8, 2026
  • Schedule: Tue, Sep 8 - Mon, Nov 2 (self-paced within deadlines)
  • Location: Online
  • Instructor: -
  • Cost: $655.00
  • Seats Available: 25

What you will learn

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• List the nine core competencies of technical communication
• Discuss document planning and project scheduling strategies
• Use standard document development methodology to write and produce effective, user-focused technical documents
• Apply collaboration techniques to produce online or print documentation deliverables
• Organize and present technical information effectively, both in print and online
• Apply plain language principles to communicate clearly with the broadest range of users
• Employ design principles to create print and online documents that make it easy for readers/users to find and use information
• Recognize and recall the product and process terminology used by technical communicators

How you will learn and be evaluated

• Prepare to spend 6–10 hours per week on coursework
• Expect reading and other assignments on a weekly basis
• Plan to access the course at least once every few days to keep up with your work and group assignments Students will be evaluated on:
• Assignments
• Participation in discussions

Learning Materials

Course fees do not include textbooks. The required textbook is:

• Johnson-Sheehan, Richard. Technical Communication Today , 7th Edition. Pearson, 2024. Recommended reading:
• The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th or 18th Edition. University of Chicago Press, 2017 or 2024.

Technical Requirements

For online courses, students will need:

• A computer with audio and microphone that is connected to the internet
• Microsoft Word or other word processing software that can create PDF files
• High-speed internet access
• Adobe Acrobat Reader Students should be comfortable with the following MS Word and/or Google Docs functions:
  • Using Paragraph styles
  • Working with headers and footers
  • Tracking changes and accepting or rejecting changes
  • Inserting a table of contents, media
  • Sharing documents

English Language Requirements

To succeed in this course, students will need an advanced level of written and spoken English. The recommended minimum IELTS scores are:

• Overall band score minimum 6.5
• No band below 6.0
• Writing band score minimum 8.0 If students are unsure whether their English language skills are sufficient, they are recommended to complete the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with the above minimums.