TC 100, Community Service, 1 cr, 1 cl hr
Proposing and then reporting in writing on a semester-long community service activity with any nonprofit organization. To be graded S/U. May be repeated for credit. (Same as SVC 100)

TC 101, Orientation to Technical Communication, 1 cr, 1 cl hr
Guest speakers introduce speakers to the myriad activities and career paths of technical communicators.

TC 151, Introduction to Visual Communication, 3 cr, 3 lab hrs
Principles of document and page design. Presentation of ideas through tables, charts, graphs, illustrations, and photographs. Use of computers in design and production. Presentation of final design project to technical communication students and humanities department faculty.

200-Level Technical Communication Courses

TC 202, Elements of Editing, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisites: ENGL 112; TC 151
Description of types and levels of editing. Responsibilities of editors. Use of editing and proofreading symbols, usage guides, style guides, and style sheets. Production aspects of editing. Practice in online and hard copy editing of short manuscripts.

TC 211, Rhetoric and Advanced Composition, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisites: ENGL 112; TC 151
Application of rhetorical principles to a variety of writing projects (essays, memoranda, proposals, and reports) done individually and in groups.

TC 251, Practicum, 1 3 cr, variable class format
Practical experience in support skills for the technical communicator. Possible subjects of individual practice are photography, technical illustration, computer graphics, video-taping, print media, layout and design, and project management. The course may be repeated for credit whenever the topic changes. Visiting lecturers from industry will present some topics.

TC 260, Usability, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Survey of the theory and practice of usability. User interface research, user testing, and reports and recommendations for increasing usability. Designing, administering, and reporting user testing. Analyzing user needs and confirming that documents meet those needs.

300-Level Technical Communication Courses

TC 302, Article Writing, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisite: ENGL 112
Researching, writing, and marketing publishable articles on scientific or technical subjects for general audiences. Practical, legal, and ethical aspects of freelance writing.

TC 321, Internship, 3 cr
Prerequisites: TC 202 and 211 and consent of instructor
Work during a school term or the summer in a technical communication field, such as writing, gathering data, or production work, for an on- or off-campus publications agency. Appointments must be approved in advance by the instructor if credit is to be received. Students will produce a report about their internship program.

TC 341, Advanced Grammar, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisite: ENGL 112
Intensive review of syntactical structures of the English language, using comparative examination of traditional and transformational approaches to grammar.

TC 351, Advanced Visual Communication and Document Design, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisites: TC 151 and junior or senior standing in the Technical Communication program or consent of instructor
Advanced problems in document design, emphasizing the integration of text and graphics. Theories of color, perception, layout, typography.

TC 361, Online Information Design, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisites: TC 202 and 211 or consent of instructor
Evaluation and design of computer-based information, primarily focusing on hypertext and hypermedia. Includes discussion of theories of information design and technology. Final project requires design, completion, and presentation of an online text.

TC 371, Publications Management, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisites: TC 202 and 211 or consent of instructor
Theory and practice of meeting managerial responsibilities. Topics include communication in organizations, management and supervision, project management, technology and professional communication, legal and ethical issues, and contract employment.

TC 381, Studying Organizational Cultures, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisites: TC 202 and 211 or consent of instructor
Learning the practice and process of participant observations within the cultures of organizations. Exploring the differences within cultures and writing those observations as narratives. To be taken with Service/TC 100.

400-Level Technical Communication Courses

TC 402, Advanced Technical Editing, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisites: TC 202 and 301
Working with full-length drafts, the course applies theory to problems in evaluating and designing documents, dealing with writers in different organizational settings, and using English as an international language. Course includes a research project and presentation.

TC 411, Persuasive Writing: Proposals, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisites: TC 202 and 211, or consent of instructor
Theory and practice of producing proposals, sales literature, application letters, résumés, and other documents that promote the interest of individuals or organizations in industry and government. Topics in psychology, rhetoric, and advertising may be considered. Students gain practical experience in design, writing, and illustrating promotional texts, particularly technical proposals.

TC 420, Readings in Rhetoric and Communication, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisites: TC 211 and senior standing in the Technical Communication program
Reading and discussion in classical and modern rhetoric, discourse and communication theory, and related fields. Taught as a seminar with students presenting papers. Research leading to proposal for TC 422, Senior Thesis.

TC 421, Instructional Writing: Manuals, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisites: TC 202 and 211, or consent of instructor
Theory and practice of the production of manuals and other instructional documents in industry and government. Writing, illustrating, and management are studied. Students gain practical experience in developing materials for users: tutorial, overview, maintenance, and reference manuals.

TC 422, Senior Thesis, 3 cr, 3 cl hrs
Prerequisite: TC 420
Initiation, production, and presentation (oral and written) of an original research project in technical communication.

TC 491, Directed Studies, 1 3 cr, as arranged
Prerequisites: TC 202 and 211, or consent of instructor

Minor in Technical Communication