Learning Outcomes
The English Department has established the following learning outcomes for students completing the professional and technical writing major:
- PTW majors will define, state, and achieve a specific purpose and target audience, recognizing and adjusting for budgetary and timeline constraints.
- PTW majors will create and implement appropriate formats and designs for specific audiences and purposes.
- PTW majors will use a problem-solving approach and a variety of resources to investigate a problem, acquire and assess information, and organize it effectively.
- PTW majors will design documents professionally, using appropriate technological resources, software and hardware, as well as appropriate elements of design.
- PTW majors will evaluate others' writing, accept and implement the recommendations of others in revision and editing. They will edit appropriately, using conventional grammar, spelling, and diction, and they will apply the appropriate style guide.
A major in professional and technical writing requires 63 semester hours, distributed as follows:
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | ||
| Core Competencies | 12 | |
| Writing 1 | ||
| Writing 1 | ||
| Communication Foundations | ||
Mathematics Requirement | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Arts and Humanities | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences (2 courses, one must include a lab) | 7 | |
| Social Science | 6 | |
| Social and Personal Awareness | 6 | |
| General Education Elective / First-Year Experience | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Requirement | 8 | |
| Foreign Language 1550 | 4 | |
| Foreign Language 2600 | 4 | |
| I. The Core (27 s.h.) | ||
| ENGL 3740 | Advanced Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3743 | Professional and Technical Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3744 | Proposal and Report Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3745 | Writing for Online Environments | 3 |
| ENGL 3751 | Readings in Professional and Technical Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3755 | Principles of Linguistic Study | 3 |
| ENGL 4843 | Advanced Professional and Technical Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 4849 | Professional and Technical Editing | 3 |
| ENGL 4899 | Professional and Technical Writing Senior Project | 3 |
| II. Writing and Language Study (12 s.h.) | ||
| Take no more than three courses in any one category. Other courses may be substituted with approval. | 12 | |
| Internship (1-3 s.h.) | ||
| Professional and Technical Writing Internship | ||
| Linguistics | ||
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Advanced Linguistics | ||
| English Grammar | ||
| Selected Topics in Discourse | ||
| Creative Writing | ||
| Fiction Writing Workshop | ||
| Poetry Writing Workshop | ||
| Screenwriting | ||
| Journalism | ||
| News Reporting 1 | ||
| Introduction to Magazine Journalism | ||
| Editorial and Opinion Writing | ||
| News Reporting 2 | ||
| III. Critical Reading (6 s.h.) | ||
| Take any two literature courses in the English department. | ||
| Please note: 2600-level courses may also be counted for GER credit | ||
| IV. Professional Area (18 s.h.) | ||
| Choose one of the five options listed below. 9 s.h. must be at the 3700-level or higher. Appropriate coursework can be found in the departmental programs listed for each area. | 18 | |
Option 1: Publication Design | ||
Option 2: Electronic Document Development | ||
Option 3: Technical/Scientific Writing | ||
Option 4: Organizational Writing | ||
Option 5: Independent Professional Area | ||
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | S.H. | |
| Natural Sciences | 3 | |
| Arts & Humanities | 3 | |
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3 |
| MATH 2623 | Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
| Foreign Language 1550 | 4 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Social & Personal Awareness | 3 | |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations | 3 |
| Foreign Language 2600 | 4 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENGL 3743 | Professional and Technical Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3744 | Proposal and Report Writing | 3 |
| PTW Prof Area crs. (1 of 6) 1 | 3 | |
| Req. II (1 of 4) 2 | 3 | |
| Natural Science/lab | 4 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 3745 | Writing for Online Environments | 3 |
| ENGL 3751 | Readings in Professional and Technical Writing | 3 |
| PTW Prof Area crs. (2 of 6) 1 | 3 | |
| Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Social & Personal Awareness | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENGL 4843 | Advanced Professional and Technical Writing | 3 |
| PTW Prof Area crs. (3 of 6) 1 | 3 | |
| PTW Prof Area crs. (4 of 6) 1 | 3 | |
| 37/48xx Req. II (2 of 4) 2 | 3 | |
| Arts & Humanities | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 3755 | Principles of Linguistic Study | 3 |
| ENGL 4849 | Professional and Technical Editing | 3 |
| PTW Prof Area crs. (5 of 6) 1 | 3 | |
| 37/48xx Req. II (3 of 4) 2 | 3 | |
| 37/48xx Req. III (1 of 2) 3 | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| 37xx or 48xx Req. II (4 of 4) 2 | 3 | |
| 37xx or 48xx Req. III (2 of 2) 3 | 3 | |
| ENGL 3740 | Advanced Writing | 3 |
| Elective 37/48xx | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 4899 | Professional and Technical Writing Senior Project | 3 |
| PTW Prof Area crs. (6 of 6) 1 | 3 | |
| Elective 37/48xx | 3 | |
| Elective 37/48xx | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 12 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120 | |
Notes:
- The Professional Area requires 18SH in various areas; GER courses may be counted toward it.
- Req. II includes 12 upper-division SH in non-PTW classes, including linguistics, journalism, and creative writing.
- Req. III includes any two literature courses in the English department, 2600-level or higher.
Upper-division hours = 48