Michigan Technological University will award the Certificate in Writing to students who have at least 21 semester hours in courses listed on this proposal and have earned a 2.50 GPA in the certificate program courses. The certificate will be noted on the student's transcript.
Proposal Background
The field of technical communication
has grown to encompass several areas of expertise among practitioners. Although
our undergraduate degrees in this field provide a good, general introduction to
several of these areas, it does not, at present, allow students to develop an
area of expertise. The Certificate in Writing was developed to meet the needs of
students in technical communication who wish to cultivate their talents and
skills in writing and who wish to present themselves on the job market as
specialists in writing and editing. In addition, the certificate can provide
students from other programs an opportunity to supplement their studies with
extra emphasis in writing.
The Scientific and Technical Communication Program in the Humanities Department is restructuring its degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees as we move from quarters to semesters. The Bachelor of Arts degree will give students the option of developing one or more area(s) of expertise in technical communication (media and writing). To recognize their concentrated study in writing, we propose to issue a certificate in writing.
Several colleges offer certificates in technical communication, and the degree requirements tend to require from 15-21 semester hours for completion (Michael Keene, Education in Scientific and Technical Communication: Academic Programs that Work, Society for Technical Communication, 1997, page 128). The proposed certificate in writing is more specialized than such degrees, but it requires approximately the same number of hours.
Objective
The objective of the certificate program is to
give students a clear outline of which courses are required to develop their
writing skills and to assure prospective employers that students have mastered
the skills necessary to work as technical writers and editors.
Significance
Michigan Tech already has nationally
recognized Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs in technical
communication, and we expect to be among the first scientific and technical
communication programs to offer certificates for special emphasis within
technical communication.
By far the largest single need in the field of technical communication is for excellent writers and editors. Students who already have abilities in writing can further cultivate that skill by taking the courses required for this certificate.
The Certificate in Writing will provide an added incentive for high school students who are considering college studies in English or journalism to come to Michigan Tech. We believe this certificate will aid in our recruitment efforts.
Besides these advantages, the certificate will:
Costs and Revenues
The certificate uses courses and
equipment already in place in the Humanities Department. We expect no added
costs.
Non-degree students who take the program would generate additional revenue for the Department of Humanities.
Course Requirements
Students will be required to take 21
semester hours in writing for the certificate. Nine of these hours may be used
to meet the Writing requirement in the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of
Science degrees in Scientific and Technical Communication. See "Curriculum"
below for more details.
Administration
The certificate will be administered by
the Scientific and Technical Communication Committee in the Humanities
Department and by the Director and the Advisor of Scientific and Technical
Communication. If the committee believes changes are necessary, it will
recommend changes to the Humanities Undergraduate Steering Committee, the
Humanities Department, the University Senate, and Provost, as necessary.
Enrollment
We expect several of our majors to sign up
for this certificate. Similarly, students in other majors, especially
engineering, are very much aware of the value of being a good writer, so we
expect the certificate to be draw some students from engineering. However, we do
not plan to increase our course offerings at this time unless we have faculty to
cover such courses.
Fit with other Programs
The Certificate in Writing will
supplement studies for majors in scientific and technical communication. It is a
natural extension, indeed a recognition, of an area that has long been our major
focus in our program, but which now needs special recognition because of the
diversification taking place in technical and scientific communication.
Curriculum
Students must take 21 semester credits in
writing for the certificate. Nine of these credits may be used to meet
requirements in the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees in
Scientific and Technical Communication. Students must maintain a minimum 2.50
average on a 4.0 scale in these courses, and students must earn at least a C in
the class in order for it to count toward the certificate.
HU2110 Creative Writing
HU3120 Technical and Scientific Communication
HU3150 Reading and Writing
HU3605 Grammar and Usage in Society
HU3606 Editing
HU3629 Practical Writing
HU3621 Introduction to
Journalism
HU4110 Advanced Creative Writing
HU4130 Special Topics in
Rhetoric/Composition
HU4628 Reading & Usability in Technical
Communication
HU4634 Advanced Practicum in Scientific and Technical
Communication
HU4670 Technical Communication Projects and Internships
HU4690 Special Topics in Technical Communication
HU4703 Issues in
Communication Ethics
Adopted by Senate: May 10, 2000
Approved by President: May 30,
2000