Technical and Business Writing

Overview

Technical and business writing programs prepare people to write and edit papers on specialized topics in science, business, and technology.

Technical and business writing programs include topics such as:

Drafting, editing, and revising documents
Grant proposal writing
Technical manual writing
Essay writing
Grammar and paragraph construction
Editing and proofreading
Web writing
Publishing in print and electronic media

Schools

Community colleges and other two-year schools offer associate degree programs in technical and business writing. An associate degree usually takes two years to complete. After earning an associate degree students can transfer to a college or university for further study.

Many colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in technical and business writing. These might be offered through an English program with an emphasis on writing and composition. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

Several universities offer graduate degrees in technical and business writing. In most cases, technical and business writing is offered as a concentration of English or rhetoric and composition programs. A master's degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree. Doctoral (PhD) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master's degree.

See schools that offer this program.

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Program Admission

You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Computer Science and Programming
Graphic and Printing Communication
Integrated Science
Journalism
Marketing
Science Technology and Engineering
Second Language

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and good test scores.

Additional requirements at some schools include:

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Subject Test in English
Undergraduate degree in English with an emphasis in composition
Portfolio of writing samples
Personal statement
Letters of recommendation

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

This program typically includes courses in the following subjects:

Abstracts
Business Plan Writing
Composition Theory
Computer Technology and Applications
Conference Papers and Presentations
Document Design
Foundations of Technical Communication
Editing and Proofreading
Grammar
Interviews
Movie Reviews
Professional Letters and Memos
Resumes and Cover Letters
Technical Editing
Technical Manuals
Technical Reports
Web Writing
Writing Reports and Proposals

Graduate Program Courses

Graduate study in technical and business writing typically includes:

Required courses
Thesis (master's degree)
Preliminary exams (doctoral degree only)
Dissertation and dissertation defense (doctoral degree)

Things to Know

Technical writers who intend to publish on the Internet or want to write help components for software programs need to learn some programming and become proficient using various presentation software programs.

Most technical and business writing programs are part of English departments.

Many programs encourage you to focus on a scientific area, such as computer science or engineering. This means that you not only take writing courses but science courses as well. This gives you the knowledge necessary to explain difficult concepts to others in manuals and other technical documents.