Technical Communication – Graduate Teaching Certificate

Technical Communication – Graduate Teaching Certificate

About the Graduate Teaching Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Teaching Technical Communication (CTTC) helps students seeking to build their credentials as teachers of technical communication. In particular, it is designed to serve students wishing to retool their English degrees to develop teaching expertise in technical communication and to support international institutions needing to provide faculty and students with instruction in how to teach technical communication.

Strengths

Texas Tech’s Technical Communication and Rhetoric Program offers the following:

• Well-established degree program with professional faculty
• Classification as the representative Master of Art (M.A.) program nationwide
  • See Education in Scientific and Technical Communication: Academic Programs that Work, e.d. Michael L. Keene. Society for Technical Communication, 1997. Chapter 3
• National leadership in computers and writing pedagogy
• Record of student achievement and job placement
• Program culture that emphasizes personal attention
• Award-winning chapter of the Society for Technical Communication

Requirements

The certificate requires a minimum of 15 hours of either online or onsite courses, including two courses in the Theoretical Foundations of Technical Communication and Rhetoric and a third course on Teaching Technical and Professional Communication. Students choose two elective courses in the Technical Communication and Rhetoric program to complete the certificate—one from the advanced theory courses and the other from advanced practice courses.

Table 1 lists the course number, title, description and frequency which course is offered for all required and elective courses in the program:

Required and Elective Courses
Course	Title	Description	Frequency
5371	Foundations of Technical Communication	Theory and practice of technical communication	Annually/Fall
5366	Teaching Technical and Professional Writing	Theory and teaching of technical and professional writing with special attention to developing course objectives, syllabi, and teaching techniques	Annually/Spring
Rhetoric Courses [Choose one (1)]
5361	Introduction to Rhetorical Theory	Classical and modern theories of rhetoric and rhetorical activity	Annually
5364	History of Rhetoric Survey	History and theories of rhetoric with an emphasis on applications to written communication	Annually
Advanced Theory Courses [Choose one (1)]
5365	Studies in Composition Studies in Composition	Consideration of classical and modern theories and research in written composition	At least one course every semester
5368	Studies in Written Argumentation History	Theories of written argumentation
5369	Discourse and Technology	Study of the effects of computer networks and digitally mediated knowledge management on theoretical, practical, and pedagogical notions of discourse and discourse communities
5377	Theoretical Approaches to Technical Communication	Intensive analysis and application of one or more theories of technical communication
5382	Theory and Research in the Written Discourses of Health and Medicine	Current theory and research in the written discourses of health and medicine, focusing on the roles of technical and professional communicators
5384	Rhetoric of Scientific Literature	Study of the role of rhetoric in the context of scientific inquiry
5385	Ethics in Technical Communication	Definitions, philosophies, and applicability of ethics to technical communication problems and solutions
5386	Written Discourse and Social Issues	Study of uses of written discourse in problem solving on social issues involving science or technology
5381	Global Technical Communication	Introduction to theories and practices in global technical communication
Advanced Practice Courses [Chose one (1)]
5372	Technical Reports	Theory and practice of reports and proposals	At least one course every semester
5373	Technical Manuals	Theory and practice of manual development and design
5374	Technical Editing	Substantive editing and design of technical documents
5375	Document Design	Theory and practice of creating comprehensible, usable, and persuasive texts
5376	Online Publishing	Designing and testing online documents to support instruction and information retrieval
5378	Graduate Internship in Technical Communication	Substantial writing and editing experience combined with research
5383	Grants and Proposals	Theoretical issues and practical experience dealing with the genre and process of writing grants and proposals
5387	Publications Management	Strategies of managing processes and knowledge that support publication
5388	Usability Testing	Methods of planning, conducting, and analyzing usability tests

Distance Learning Program

In the distance learning graduate courses, students meet synchronously and asynchronously online rather than in a classroom setting. Graduate distance learning courses are taught as organized courses on the semester schedule. Students are expected to meet course deadlines assigned by the instructor. Students must participate in synchronous class discussions on one designated weekday during the semester. A graduate level course requires a commitment of approximately ten (10) hours per week for participating in group online activities, for reading and working on course projects.

Progression from Certificate to MA or PhD in Technical Communication

All of the courses in the certificate also apply to the MA in Technical Communication or the PhD in Technical Communication and Rhetoric. Students wishing to purse a MA or PhD can apply to continue their studies. Texas Tech is proud to offer its MA and PhD programs both onsite and online. The degrees are identical across all modalities. For more information about the certificate in teaching technical communication, you may contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Beau Pihlaja.

http://www.beaupihlaja.com/uploads/1/6/8/5/16858146/editor/ttuheadshotedit.jpg?1554049965

Dr. Pihlaja has written and published much in the field of Technical Communication and “studies global technical communication and is interested in the ways communication technologies impact intercultural encounters, e.g., in day-to-day interactions via WhatsApp at a multinational company or a digitally connected classroom. Dr. Pihlaja analyzes the impact of digital tools on intercultural collaborations using a variety of research methodologies, including activity theory and actor-network theory, as well as qualitative research methods, e.g., on-site observations and interviews. Dr. Pihlaja received his PhD in Rhetoric and Composition from the Department of English, University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He has experience teaching online in hybrid, synchronous, and asynchronous environments as well as teaching and presenting in international contexts, most extensively in south Asia” https://www.depts.ttu.edu/english/about/people/_faculty/profiles/pihlaja_beau.php .

Applying for the Certificate in Teaching Technical Communication

• Complete the Texas Tech graduate school application procress
• Pay non-refundable $65 application fee
• Complete Graduate Application for Admission form
• Submit Resume/Vitae
• Submit three (3) letters of recommendation
• If applying to an online program, submit Distance Learning Agreement
• Submit 500-700 word essay with the following:
  • Your interest in technical technical communication
  • Any previous experience teaching technical writing
  • An explanation of how the certificate aligns with career goals and objectives; specially how it will advance your career
  • If applicable – if you are currently enrolled in a graduate degree program
    • Explain how completing the graduate certificate requirements complements your degree plan

Deadlines for Application

CTTC applications are reviewed twice a year.