MSTC Degree Requirements

The Master of Science in Technical Communication requires a minimum of 33 semester credit hours. This includes a choice of final experience tracks. All students must complete a graduation portfolio the semester they intend to graduate.

Courses taken for theory, application or research requirements cannot count for dual credit as an elective. Students may take TCOM 6360 Special Topics course twice for elective credit, provided the topics and learning outcomes differ.

Degree Requiremen​​​ts

Required Core Courses - 6 H​​ours

• TCOM 5304 Foundations of Professional & Technical Communication
• ENG/TCOM 5317 Rhetorical Theory & Criticism

Theory Courses - 3 Hou​rs

• TCOM 5330 Visual Design Theory
• TCOM 6310 Intercultural and World Communication
• TCOM 6312 Ethical and Legal Dimensions of Communication
• TCOM 6322 Instructional Design
• TCOM 6328 Hypermedia Theory and Design

Application Courses - 3 ​Hours

• TCOM 5325 Advanced Medical Writing
• TCOM 5330 Visual Design Theory
• TCOM 5340 Project Management
• TCOM 6303 Public Relations and Media Management
• TCOM 6310 Intercultural and World Communication
• TCOM 6312 Ethical and Legal Dimensions of Communication
• TCOM 6318 Stylistics and Editing
• TCOM 6322 Instructional Design
• TCOM 6324 Writing in the Professions Using Plain Language
• TCOM 6328 Hypermedia Theory & Design
• TCOM 6331 Grant Writing for Nonprofit Management
• TCOM 6380 Field Experience in Professional Writing and Technical Communication

Research Courses -​ 3 Hours

• TCOM 5325 Advanced Medical Writing
• TCOM 6310 Intercultural and World Communication
• TCOM 6330 Usability Research
• TCOM 6350 Research Methods in Technical Communication

Electives - 12 Ho​​urs

• TCOM 5325 Advanced Medical Writing
• TCOM 5330 Visual Design Theory
• TCOM 5340 Project Management
• TCOM 6303 Public Relations and Media
• TCOM 6310 Intercultural and World Communication
• TCOM 6312 Ethical and Legal Dimensions of Communication
• TCOM 6318 Stylistics and Editing
• TCOM 6322 Instructional Design
• TCOM 6323 Communications and Technology
• TCOM 6324 Writing in the Professions Using Plain Language
• TCOM 6328 Hypermedia Theory & Design
• TCOM 6330 Usability Research
• TCOM 6331 Grant Writing for Nonprofit Management
• TCOM 6350 Research Methods in Technical Communication
• TCOM 6360 Special Topics in Technical and Professional Communication
• TCOM 6380 Field Experience in Professional Writing and Technical Communication

Students may also petition to add no more than two  graduate courses to this list from the following options:

• ENG 5327 Teaching College Writing Practicum
• ENG 6301 Composition Pedagogy
• ENG 6319 Language Development and Variation: Implications for Educators
• CJ 6320 Research Design and Methods
• CJ 6321 Quantitative Analysis in Criminal Justice
• MATH 5309 Business Statistics

Final Experience (complete one of the following options)
Students with a GPA below 3.0 will not be permitted to enroll in TCOM 6391, TCOM 6392, TCOM 6094, or TCOM 6099. Students with a GPA below 3.0 are permitted to enroll in TCOM 6390 if they are concurrently enrolled in another credit-bearing MSTC course.

• 6 hours in Thesis Track: after having completed at least 15 semester credit hours in the MSTC program, complete TCOM 6390 Direct Research and TCOM 6391 Thesis.
• 6 hours in Capstone Track: after having completed at least 15 semester credit hours in the MSTC program, complete TCOM 6380 Field Experience and TCOM 6392 Capstone Project.
• 6 hours in Exam Track: after having completed at least 18 semester credit hours in the MSTC program, complete an additional elective from the list of courses enumerated under the “Electives” area, above, TCOM 6390 Directed Research, and TCOM 6094 Final Comprehensive Examination, during which the student must pass a test based on a reading list distributed prior to the examination.
• 6 hours for Seminar Paper Track: after having completed at least 18 semester credit hours in the MSTC program, register for TCOM 6095 Graduate Seminar Paper and complete six semester credit hours of additional electives that require seminar papers from the list of courses enumerated under the Electives area, above.

Graduate​​ Portfolio

• TCOM 6099: Technical Communication Graduate Portfolio