Mar 28, 2024  
2014-2015 Undergraduate Academic Catalog 
    
2014-2015 Undergraduate Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Technical Communication, B.A. or B.S.


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Program Director

Dr. Nadya Shalamova
Office: GM-202
Phone: (414) 277-2331
Email: shalamova@msoe.edu

The field of technical communication is a logical extension of the rapid growth in technology. Individuals in this field creatively express ideas and accomplishments of industry, business and other institutions through a variety of instructional and procedural materials, business and grant proposals, Web and multimedia tools. Consequently, individuals in this field have aptitude and education in both the humanities and the sciences and are able to relate readily to people on many levels.

The degree in technical communication at MSOE is designed to provide students with:

  • a core liberal arts education in humanities and social sciences.
  • courses in the major area which will allow students to design and produce both written documents and oral presentations for business, industry and other institutions.
  • literacy in basic engineering, business, mathematics, physical science and computers.

Program Educational Objectives

The primary objectives of the program are to produce graduates who are able to:

  • develop, design and distribute written documents and oral presentations conveying technical material for business, industry and other institutions.
  • understand communication theory in order to assist business, industry and other institutions with developing management tools related to the flow of information within an organization.
  • act as a link between the expertise of technical personnel and the needs of the various audiences of industry, business and other institutions.
  • pursue graduate study in areas related to communication.

Potential employment in a wide variety of fields is available to graduates of the program because of the scope of the degree. Typical employment opportunities for graduates include engineering firms, government, information technology, hi-tech manufacturing, financial, pharmaceutical, medical device industries, public relations firms and mass media (television or radio).

The bachelor of arts degree requires five quarters of a foreign language.

View Annual Student Enrollment and Graduation Data

Technical Communication B.A. Model Full-time Track - V4.8*


Year One


Total: 16 lecture hours - 0 lab hours - 16 credits

Total: 16 lecture hours - 2 lab hours - 17 credits

Total: 13 lecture hours - 6 lab hours - 16 credits

Year Two


Fall


Total: 15 lecture hours - 0 lab hours - 15 credits

Winter


Total: 15 lecture hours - 2 lab hours - 16 credits

Spring


Total: 15 lecture hours - 0 lab hours - 15 credits

Year Three


Total: 15 lecture hours - 4 lab hours - 17 credits

Total: 16 lecture hours - 2 lab hours - 17 credits

Total: 16 lecture hours - 4 lab hours - 18 credits

Year Four


Total: 17 lecture hours - 2 lab hours - 18 credits

Winter


Total: 15 lecture hours - 0 lab hours - 15 credits

Spring


Total: 16 lecture hours - 0 lab hours - 16 credits

Note:


1 Students may receive a BS degree by substituting 15 technical elective credits for the required foreign language. The difference between the BS and BA degrees in Technical Communication is that students in the BA program take 15 credits of a foreign language in place of 15 credits of technical electives.

2 There are 18 credits of electives in the B.A. in Technical Communication program, which must be taken as follows:

  • 12 credits from the field of humanities and social sciences: 6 credits from the humanities, 6 credits from the social sciences.
  • 3 credits from management systems.
  • 3 credits of technical communication elective credits (includes EN 432 - Business Communication  and TC 495  courses).

3 This course can be substituted with BE 1000 .

Transfer students who have completed 36 quarter or 24 semester credits or more are expected to complete OR 301  Transfer Student Orientation or OR 307S  Transfer Orientation Seminar.

* Students in the Air Force ROTC may take the following substitutions in the above program: AF-300 and AF-302 for Technical Electives; AF-301 for SS 461 ; AF-400 for SS 471 ; AF 4142  for SS 455 ; and AF-402 for MS 331 . Other AF courses must be taken in addition to the above program and do not count as electives.

Technical Communication, B.S. Model Full-time track - V4.8


Year One


Year Two


Total: 15 lecture hours - 0 lab hours - 15 credits

Total: 15 lecture hours - 2 lab hours - 16 credits

Total: 15 lecture hours - 0 lab hours - 15 credits

Year Three


Total: 14 lecture hours - 6 lab hours - 17 credits

Total: 15 lecture hours - 2 lab hours - 16 credits

Total: 14 lecture hours - 4 lab hours - 16 credits

Year Four


Total: 18 lecture hours - 0 lab hours - 18 credits

Winter


Total: 18 lecture hours - 0 lab hours - 18 credits

Spring


Total: 16 lecture hours - 0 lab hours - 16 credits

Note


 

1 There are 33 credits of electives in the B.S. in Technical Communication program, which must be taken as follows:

  • 12 credits from the field of humanities and social sciences (HU/SS): 6 credits from the humanities, 6 credits from the social sciences.
  • 3 credits from management systems.
  • 3 credits of technical communication elective credits (includes EN 432 - Business Communication  and TC 495  courses).
  • 15 credits from any of the computer science, engineering, engineering technology, science, mathematics, management systems, or technical communication electives.

2 The difference between the B.S. and B.A. degrees in Technical Communication is that students in the B.A. program take 15 credits of a foreign language in place of 15 credits of technical electives.

3 This course can be substitutted with BE 1000 .

Transfer students who have completed 36 quarter or 24 semester credits or more are expected to complete OR 301  Transfer Student Orientation or OR 307S  Transfer Orientation Seminar.

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