FAQ for the B.A. in Technical Communication
The Bachelor of Arts in Technical Communication was approved by the State of Texas Board of Regents last Spring, and reviewed and finalized by the State of Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on October 29, 2007.
Here is the overview of the degree that has been published in the University Catalog:
Bachelor of Arts in Technical Communication— majors may specialize in either professional communication or scientific and technical communication, depending on their choice of minor area. The undergraduate advisor for technical communication has a list of suggested minors that reflects these two emphases.
Here are some answers to questions you might have about the new degree:
- What are the requirements for the new degree?
- Do these requirements differ from the previous Specialization in Technical Communication?
- What will my degree say?
- Can I still major in English with a Specialization in Technical Communication?
- What are the required minors?
- How do I switch from English/Tech Comm to Tech Comm?
- When do I need to switch from English/Tech Comm to Tech Comm?
- How do I get advised for the new degree?
- Do I need a new degree plan?
- What if my minor isn't on the list?
What are the requirements for the new degree??
The requirements are essentially the same as those of the specialization in Technical Communication as an English major. You can read about the requirements at the following page:
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/ASENGL.html
Here is the catalog copy:
Bachelor of Arts in Technical Communication
The Bachelor of Arts in Technical Communication will provide a broad liberal arts background and intensive training in the principles and practices of technical communication. It will prepare students for careers as technical communicators, editors, grant writers, website developers, information architects, and publications managers in a variety of professional domains, including publishing, education, government, health care, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. It will also prepare students for graduate education in technical communication as well as in law, business, science, and medicine.
The program requires 120 semester credit hours, consisting of the university general education requirements, 30 hours in a major field plus a required minor in an approved supporting field.
REQUIRED 2000- level COURSE: ENGL 2311 (Counts toward the 12-hour English general degree requirement)
- 3000-level courses
- One of the following: 3366, 3371, 3373
- Four of the following: 3360, 3365, 3366, 33637, 3368, 3369
(Note: 3366 may be used once).
- 4000-level courses
Three of the following: 4360, 4365, 4366, 4367, 4368, 4369, 4378 - Required: 4380
Do these requirements differ from the previous Specialization in Technical Communication?
The requirements for courses are essentially the same as in the specialization. The difference is in the required minor. All persons selecting this degree will be required to have a minor approved from the list of required minors .
What will my degree say?
Your degree will read:
Bachelor of Arts in Technical Communication, Specialization in Professional Communication
or
Bachelor of Arts in Technical Communication, Specialization in Scientific Communication
Can I still major in English with a Specialization in Technical Communication?
Degree candidates who are currently majors in English with a TC specialization may remain in that major. However, no new degree plans will be filed for that major as it is being retired.
What are the required minors?
You can view a list of minors by downloading the following PDF file: Minors.
The reason for these required minors is that technical communication is a process, expertise-oriented major, where the emphasis is on the processes of communication: writing processes, research processes, methods of audience analysis, strategies for making media decisions, and so forth. As such, a requirement for the profession is that you obtain some form of domain expertise: knowledge in a particular area about which you will be writing.
Domain expertise can be obtained mainly by minoring in a specific area while you are at Texas Tech. Your minor, thus, becomes very important to your education because it represents your learning the basics of a field (biology, political science, engineering, social sciences) that you can use as the basis for your career (in medicine, law, information and product development, public policy writing.) Your major is your profession and your minor is your career. Your profession is technical communication, but your career can be with a company where you can apply your domain expertise (a hospital or pharmaceutical company, a law firm, an engineering firm, or local or federal government.)
How do I switch from English/Tech Comm to Tech Comm?
You need to fill out a "Change of Major" form, which you can obtain from the College of Arts and Sciences office, Holden Hall room 102.
When do I need to switch from English/Tech Comm to Tech Comm?
Students in Arts and Sciences may not change their majors in the semester they graduate. The deadline for doing that this semester is December 12. Before you do that you need to do a new degree plan. This only takes a few minutes and can be done in the TC Advising Office, Room 211A.
How do I get advised for the new degree?
Dr. Barker is the advisor for all technical communication majors. His office hours are Wednesdays from 1:00 to 5:00 p. m. and by appointment.
806 742-2500 ext. 237
Do I need a new degree plan?
Yes, you do. Come by the advising office, Room 211A on Wednesdays, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. or make an appointment with Dr. Barker.
806 742-2500 ext. 237
What if my minor isn't on the list?
Minors that are not on the list may be approved by the TC advisor. The minor must meet two requirements: 1) it must be an official minor in the TTU Catalog, and 2) you must be able to get advised for your minor.