Program Overview

Scientific, Technical, and Professional Communication Certificate

The undergraduate certificate in Scientific, Technical, and Professional Communication is an interdisciplinary program offered by the School of Writing, Literature and Film and the School of Communication.

Overview

This certificate is available as a standalone program. The core will consist of courses in writing, communications, and new media arts. These courses are production-oriented and focused on writing and communication skills that students will transfer into other work. Electives are divided between course work in these and other fields, including one course from the Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) and up to six credits in upper-division courses in writing and communication. The program is capped by a one-credit course focused on the creation of a portfolio of technical and scientific communication materials that will be valuable for students as they begin their careers.

Learning Outcomes

• Collaborate as a team member on a complex writing and communication project involving several partners and multiple skills, resolving difficulties and differences of opinion.
• Publish in multiple modes, including print, image, video, audio, etc.; generate material appropriate for unique contexts and audiences; produce ethical, public-oriented and user-centered communication.
• Produce known genres and adapt them for unique contexts; understand both structural and cultural aspects of different genres commonly used in professional and public settings.
• Write clear, correct, and stylistically effective prose; edit writing for unique contexts.
• Critique public communication; assess and articulate complex information from subject matter experts to a broader public; analyze and incorporate the needs and well-being of the public.
• Analyze the effectiveness of different messages across media types; adapt messages to different audiences and contexts; employ strategies for persuasion, at appropriate times, for a range of purposes.
• Demonstrate understanding of how communication differs among cultures; identify challenges that arise from these differences; address those challenges ethically, creatively, and effectively.
• Synthesize technical and scientific communication education in a portfolio of professional work; articulate decisions related to portfolio material selection.

Requirements

Course List

• Required Courses:
  • WR 327: Technical Writing (3 credits)
  • WR 362: Science Writing (3 credits)
• Core Courses: Select at least 12 credits from the following:
  • COMM 218: Interpersonal Communication
  • COMM 316: Advanced Persuasion
  • COMM 322: Small-Group Problem Solving
  • COMM 324: Communication in Organizations
  • COMM 326: Intercultural Communication
  • NMC 240: Survey of Social Media
  • NMC 260: New Media Futures
  • WR 201: Writing for Media
  • WR 214: Writing in Business
  • WR 301: Publishing and Editing
  • WR 303: Writing for the Web
  • WR 330: Understanding Grammar
• Writing Intensive Course: Select one WIC course preferably from the primary discipline and major program of study (3-4 credits)
• Electives: Select 6 to 8 credits from the following:
  • AG 351: Communicating Global Agriculture & Natural Resources Issues
  • COMM 402: Independent Study
  • COMM 414: Communication Research Methods
  • COMM 416: Ethnography of Communication
  • COMM 426: Intercultural Communication: Theories and Issues
  • COMM 437: Health Communication
  • COMM 454: Advanced Argumentation
  • COMM 464: Rhetorical Criticism
  • WR 402: Independent Study
  • WR 414: Advertising and Public Relations Writing
  • WR 448: Magazine Article Writing
  • WR 462: Environmental Writing
  • WR 466: Advanced Technical Writing
  • WR 495: Introduction to Literacy Studies
  • WR 497: Digital Literacy and Culture
• Capstone Portfolio:
  • WR 435: Scientific, Technical, & Professional Communication Capstone (1 credit)

Total Credits

The total credits required for the certificate are 30-31.

Certificate Code

The certificate code for the Scientific, Technical, and Professional Communication Certificate is C750.