Program

The certificate requires 9 credits.  Students must take WRD 702, but can choose from two of the remaining three courses.  Courses are offered on an accelerated 8 week schedule. 

Courses Offered

  • WRD 702 Professional and Technical Writing (required). This course teaches the genres of professional and technical writing. 
  • WRD 612: Ethical and Legal Issues in Technical Writing. This course teaches the genres of legal writing – briefs, advocacy letters, petitions – by asking students to focus on important legal and ethical issues relevant to their workplace (military personnel file such documents on a regular basis regarding injury, death, lost equipment, policy issues; scientists must address ethical and legal concerns of their work).
  • WRD 614 Visual Rhetoric and Persuasion. This courses teaches the fundamentals of visual expression  - essential to all technical and professional writing -  including document design, video, presentation skills, and the usage of specific visual information tools such as infographics.
  • WRD 704 Technical Editing. This course offers students extensive work in the editing aspects of technical writing which include attention to style, format, grammar, and punctuation.