Program Description
Most of us have watched films showcasing the workplaces of newspaper editors, English teachers and famous novelists, but not nearly as many know about the dozens of other careers that people with strong writing skills can attain. Companies need people with the ability to craft crisp, clear prose in the newsletters, instruction manuals, scientific magazines and interoffice memos.
Allegheny's
liberal arts education grounds students with excellent communication skills,
while the Technical/Professional writing track provides them with
hands-on experience in the workplace. Technical/Professional Writing students
work with local non-profit organizations to create brochures and newsletters
that will be distributed throughout the community. As students advance
through the program, they can add more writing samples to their job portfolio
through internships and a senior comprehensive project.
Course Requirements
for the Technical/Professional Writing Track include all of the standard
requirements for the English major, plus the following (courses may double
count when appropriate):
- English 208.
- Two of the following courses: English 205, 207, 210, 400, or 402.
- English 502.
- A Senior Project in technical/professional writing.
- A minor
in Natural or Social Science or an interdisciplinary minor. (This is
a College requirement.)
It is recommended that students pursuing the technical/professional writing track also participate in appropriate internships, to be identified in consultation with the student's faculty advisor.
Comp guidelines for tech/prof writing track
Links
Find out about Technical Writing as a field as well as technical writing job opportunities by looking at two content-rich websites:
Searchable archives of a listserv for Technical Communicators, and articles about Technical Communications gathered from all over the web. http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/
The website of the leading organization for professional Technical Communicators; includes a searchable job database, searchable graduate program database, and many other resources. http://www.stc.org
Faculty
