Overview

This may sound like something you would only do as an English major, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Many schools treat Technical Writing as a unique discipline, often more closely linked to a communications or business major rather than English.


Technical Writing students master the craft of writing for specific markets and industries. The business and scientific worlds, in addition to needing scientists and businessmen, also need people who can effectively translate their jargon into layman’s terms. How does aggregate demand shape a market based on a Keynesian economic theory? And how can CO2 chemical emissions deplete the ozone layer? Technical Writers are invaluable because they make the news of the business and scientific communities accessible to the rest of us.


Drawing on some of the classic tenets of English, such as sentence structure and organization, technical writing goes one step further. With many universities offering Technical Writing laboratories complete with state of the art hardware, Technical Writing bridges the gap between literature and business.

SAMPLE CURRICULUM

  • Advanced Expository Writing

  • American Literature

  • English Literature

  • Graphic Capabilities for the Technical Writer

  • Science and the Lay Reader

  • Survey of Technical and Scientific Literature

  • Technical Documentation I-III

  • Techniques of Technical Publication

  • Theories and Techniques of Literature

  • Theory and Practice of Technical Writing


HIGH SCHOOl PREPARATION

In addition to reading and writing extensively, get a little editing experience under your belt. High school newspapers and internships are a great way to get hands-on experience. The more you know about a specific field, such as medicine or computer technology, the faster you’ll be able to put your writing skills to use. Classes in English and history requiring lots of closely critiqued essays will prove their worth in college.