Technical and Professional Writing

College of Humanities
Dean: Nancy McDermid

Technical and Professional Writing Program
HUM 414
415-338-7025
E-mail: tpw@sfsu.edu
Director: Louise Rehling

Programs

 B.A. in Technical and Professional Writing

Minor in Technical and Professional Writing

Certificate in Technical and Professional Writing

Program Scope

Technical and professional writers are in demand to link ideas, technologies, and products with people who need to understand those developments or to use them. The Technical and Professional Writing Program can prepare students for that critical communications role through major, minor, and certificate programs.

Technical and professional writers work in almost every field of industry and public life, including high-technology industries, business, government, and research, and non-profit organizations. These career writers not only write and edit many types of documents in different media, but they also sometimes manage documentation and communication projects.

To be best prepared for success in such work, students will need to start with strong writing skills, then learn how to adapt them for the workplace and for changing technology and employment needs. Students will also need an intellectual framework for continuing professional growth and responsibility throughout their careers.

TPW students will combine TPW courses--which expose them to workplace forms, methods, and issues--with interdisciplinary electives that further develop related communications skills and attitudes. Students also can target a potential employment interest: majors choose a specialized concentration (the subject matter focus); minors and certificate students can use TPW studies to complement their education and experience in other fields.

After completing the TPW program, students can begin their writing careers with important accomplishments and advantages: an academic degree or certificate in the field, improved and focused skills, an understanding of professional expectations for writers, and a portfolio of relevant writing samples.

Career Outlook

Depending on the student's choice of subject matter focus and/or skills electives, s/he would be prepared for an entry level job as a writer, editor, desktop publisher, and/or communications manager producing technical manuals or training materials, reports or proposals, promotions or publicity, and so on.

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING

Courses for this program are listed in alphabetical sequence (consult Index for page reference).

Core Courses

									Units
TPW 400	Fundamentals of Technical and Professional Writing		3
TPW 402	Professional Editing						3
TPW 500	Desktop Publishing for Professional Writers			3
TPW 600	Individual and Team Writing					3
TPW 695	Internship in Technical and Professional Writing		3
Any other TPW-prefix course (except TPW 698)				3

Subject Matter Focus

 
Courses selected either from a single department
in a communications track or technical track 
described below, or from a single interdisci-
plinary program or theme.						18
Communications Track Options
 
Courses selected from any one of these 
departments: Design and Industry, 
Instructional Technologies, Speech and 
Communication Studies, Journalism, or 
Broadcast and Electronic Communication 
Arts.
Technical Track Options
 
Courses selected from any department in 
Science and Engineering, any department 
in Business, or any TPW coordinator-
approved department in Health and 
Human Services.
Interdisciplinary Track Options
 
Courses selected from any interdisciplinary 
program or independently developed 
theme that is approved by the TPW 
coordinator as relevant for technical or 
professional writing.

Skills Electives

 
Units selected from among the courses listed below			9

Total for major								45
NOTE: Any TPW-prefix courses already counted for the core or chosen for the subject matter focus are not eligible as skills electives.

Skills Electives

All courses listed here are three units unless otherwise noted:

TPW Electives
TPW 460		Grantwriting
TPW 510		Writing Technical Documentation and Procedures
TPW 530		Writing for On-Line Presentation
TPW 590		Advanced Topics for Technical and Professional Writers
TPW 600		Individual and Team Writing (elective for minor/certificate)
Communications Fundamentals
 
ENG 416		Junior Composition or
ENG 419		Advanced Composition for Teachers
SPCH 351	Public Speaking (4)
SPCH 366	Persuasion (4) or
SPCH 365	Argumentation and Debate (4)
Editing and Production
 
BECA 660	Television Center News I
CW 640		Transfer Literary Magazine
DAI 326		Graphic Reproduction Technology I
DAI 470		Portfolio Presentation (1)
ENG 657		Grammar and Rhetoric of the Sentence
JOUR 330	Editing
Graphic Design
 
DAI 323		Industrial Visuals
DAI 423		Applied Graphic Design
DAI 626		Microcomputer Applications in Graphic Communication Technology
JOUR 450	Publication Design and Graphics
Training/Non-Print Media
 
]
BECA 670	Writing for Interactive Electronic Media
CINE 354	Short Format Screenwriting
EDT 619		Computer Graphics for Instructional Media
EDT 625		Instructional Video Production
EDT 627		Computer Applications in Instruction
SPCH 530	Communication in Organizational Training
Specialized Writing
 
BECA 370	Writing for the Electronic Media
BECA 560	Radio and Television News Writing
CIS 560		Science Writing
CLAR 497	Writing for Museums, Galleries, and Other Cultural
		Institutions (also ANTH 497)
DAI 523		Advertising Design and Graphics Industry (2)
JOUR 300	Reporting
MKTG 432	Public Relations
MKTG 630	Advertising Campaigns

MINOR/CERTIFICATE IN TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING

 The minor and certificate requirements are the same. For minors: a maximum of six units of course work in the minor may be double counted for the major. For certificates: a minimum additional 56 units of transferable college work is required. For both: a maximum of twelve transfer units is allowed, with TPW coordinator's approval.

Courses for this program are listed in alphabetical sequence (consult Index for page references).

Core Courses

									Units
TPW 400		Fundamentals of Technical and Professional Writing	3
TPW 402		Professional Editing					3
TPW 500		Desktop Publishing for Professional Writers		3
TPW 600		Individual and Team Writing or
TPW 695		Internship in Technical and Professional Writing or
TPW 698		Supervised Writing Project				3
Any other TPW-prefix course (except TPW 698)				3

Total units for core							15

Skills Electives

 
Courses selected from the skills electives
courses listed under the B.A. program.					9

Total for minor/certificate						24
NOTE: Any TPW-prefix courses already counted for the core are not eligible as skills electives.