Dec 11, 2024

2014-2015 Undergraduate Academic Catalog

2014-2015 Undergraduate Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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

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

Fall

EN 131 - Composition 3 credits
MA 126 - Trigonometry 4 credits
MT 1201 - Basic Materials and Processes 3 credits
TC 151 - Theory of Human Communication 3 credits
TC 1111 - Introduction to Technical Communication 3 credits

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

Winter

CH 103 - Principles of Chemistry 4 credits
EN 132 - Technical Composition 3 credits
MA 127 - College Algebra II 4 credits
HU 100 - Contemporary Issues in the Humanities 3 credits
Elective (HU/SS)¹ 3 credits

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

Spring

EG 103 - Technical Drawing and Visualization 4 credits
EN 241 - Speech 3 credits
MS 221 - Microeconomics 3 credits
TC 172 - Desktop Publishing 3 credits
MS 184 - Introduction to Computer Methods/Applications 3 credits

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

Year Two

Fall

HU 440 - Global History I–The World to 1500 3 credits
MS 273 - Web Site Design 3 credits
MS 322 - Macroeconomics 3 credits
MS 361 - Marketing 3 credits
HU 410 - Foreign Language I 3 credits

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

Winter

EN 342 - Group Discussion 3 credits
HU 441 - Global History II–World since 1500 3 credits
PH 113 - College Physics I 4 credits
TC 261 - Research Methods 3 credits
HU 411 - Foreign Language II¹ 3 credits

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

Spring

HU 494 - Creative Thinking 3 credits
MS 331 - Business Law 3 credits
MT 151 - Application of Mechanical Engineering Technology 3 credits
HU 431B - Informal Logic 3 credits
HU 412 - Foreign Language III¹ 3 credits

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

Year Three

Fall

PH 123 - College Physics II 4 credits
TC 321 - Visual Design Techniques 4 credits
TC 453 - Intercultural Communication 3 credits
HU-413 - Foreign Language IV¹ 3 credits
TC 433 - Knowledge Management 3 credits

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

Winter

ET 1520 - Electric Circuits 4 credits
MA 340 - Business Statistics 4 credits
TC 332 - Advanced Technical Writing 3 credits
TC 351 - Organizational Communication 3 credits
HU 414 - Foreign Language V¹ 3 credits

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

Spring

TC 242 - Persuasive Speech 3 credits
TC 342 - Professional Presentation Techniques 3 credits
TC 381 - Marketing Communication 3 credits
TC 452 - Interpersonal Communication 3 credits
Elective (HU/SS)² 3 credits
IE 193 - Computer Applications in Industrial Engineering 3 credits

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

Year Four

Fall

BE 352 - Survey of Biomedical Engineering 3 credits ³
ET 351 - Survey of Communication Circuits 3 credits
HU 432 - Ethics for Professional Managers and Engineers 3 credits
MS 354 - Principles of Accounting 3 credits
TC 432 - Writing and Editing for Publication 3 credits
TC 451 - Mass Communication 3 credits

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

Winter

SS 453 - American Government 3 credits
TC 499 - Technical Communication Internship 6 credits
Elective (TC)² 3 credits
Elective (HU/SS)² 3 credits

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

Spring

OR 402 - Professional Guidance 1 credits
SS 461 - Organizational Psychology 3 credits
Elective (Management Systems) 3 credits
Elective (HU/SS)² 3 credits
SS 415 - Cultural Dimensions 3 credits
MS 4801 - Project Management 3 credits

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

Fall

EN 131 - Composition 3 credits
MA 126 - Trigonometry 4 credits
MT 1201 - Basic Materials and Processes 3 credits
TC 151 - Theory of Human Communication 3 credits
TC 1111 - Introduction to Technical Communication 3 credits

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

Winter

CH 103 - Principles of Chemistry 4 credits
EN 132 - Technical Composition 3 credits
MA 127 - College Algebra II 4 credits
MS 184 - Introduction to Computer Methods/Applications 3 credits
HU 100 - Contemporary Issues in the Humanities 3 credits

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

Spring

EG 103 - Technical Drawing and Visualization 4 credits
EN 241 - Speech 3 credits
HU 431B - Informal Logic 3 credits
MS 221 - Microeconomics 3 credits
TC 172 - Desktop Publishing 3 credits

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

Year Two

Fall

HU 440 - Global History I–The World to 1500 3 credits
MS 273 - Web Site Design 3 credits
MS 322 - Macroeconomics 3 credits
MS 361 - Marketing 3 credits
SS 453 - American Government 3 credits

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

Winter

EN 342 - Group Discussion 3 credits
HU 441 - Global History II–World since 1500 3 credits
PH 113 - College Physics I 4 credits
TC 261 - Research Methods 3 credits
Elective (HU/SS) 3 credits¹

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

Spring

HU 494 - Creative Thinking 3 credits
MS 331 - Business Law 3 credits
MT 151 - Application of Mechanical Engineering Technology 3 credits
TC 242 - Persuasive Speech 3 credits
Elective (HU/SS) 3 credits¹

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

Year Three

Fall

ET 351 - Survey of Communication Circuits 3 credits
PH 123 - College Physics II 4 credits
TC 321 - Visual Design Techniques 4 credits
TC 453 - Intercultural Communication 3 credits
Elective (Technical) 3 credits²

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

Winter

ET 1520 - Electric Circuits 4 credits
SS 461 - Organizational Psychology 3 credits
TC 332 - Advanced Technical Writing 3 credits
TC 351 - Organizational Communication 3 credits
Elective (HU/SS) 3 credits¹

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

Spring

MA 340 - Business Statistics 4 credits
TC 342 - Professional Presentation Techniques 3 credits
TC 381 - Marketing Communication 3 credits
TC 452 - Interpersonal Communication 3 credits
IE 193 - Computer Applications in Industrial Engineering 3 credits

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

Year Four

Fall

BE 352 - Survey of Biomedical Engineering 3 credits
HU 432 - Ethics for Professional Managers and Engineers 3 credits
MS 354 - Principles of Accounting 3 credits
TC 432 - Writing and Editing for Publication 3 credits
TC 451 - Mass Communication 3 credits
TC 433 - Knowledge Management 3 credits

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

Winter

TC 499 - Technical Communication Internship 6 credits
Elective (HU/SS) 3 credits¹
Elective (TC) 3 credits¹
Elective (Technical) 3 credits²
Elective (Technical) 3 credits²

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

Spring

OR 402 - Professional Guidance 1 credits
Elective (Management Systems) 3 credits¹
Elective (Technical) 3 credits²
Elective (Technical) 3 credits²
SS 415 Cultural Dimensions 3 credits
MS 4801 - Project Management 3 credits

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.