Technical Communication Certificate: Courses

To complete work for the Certificate in Technical Communication, students must complete at least 24 credits, with a minimum of 9 credits in technical proficiency courses and a minimum of 15 credits in technical communication courses. Please remember to check other TCC graduation requirements as you plan your certificate course work.

Since students complete most of the technical proficiency courses as part of their general curriculum in the sciences or engineering, no general sequence is suggested for these courses. However, TCC students are encouraged to take the technical communication courses in the general sequence suggested in the course flowchart.

Course Descriptions provide additional details about each of the courses listed below.

Technical Proficiency Courses: 9 credits

A minimum of one course each from three areas:

1. Mathematics/Statistics
   Courses must be chosen from the approved list
2. Computer Science
   Courses must be chosen from the approved list
3. Management/Economics/Business
   Courses must be chosen from the approved list

Technical Communication courses: 15 credits

1. Required EPD Courses (4 credits)
   • EPD397 Technical Communication (3 credits)
   • EPD 497 Technical Editing (1 credit)
   • Graduate students can substitute EPD 597 (Professional Communication) for EPD 397. ECE students can apply 2 credits of the EPD 397 course toward their ECE 350 course requirement (consult with your ECE adviser).
2. Technical Communication Internship (required, 1 credit)
   • EPD 398 Technical Communication Internship
     This course, completed in conjunction with the Technical Communication Internship, can be repeated for an additional credit which will count toward elective courses in technical communication from EPD. Also, this course can be substituted with a special project completed as an Independent Study course.
3. Elective Courses in Technical Communication From EPD (7 credits minimum)
   • EPD 151 Technical Information Resources, 1 cr.
   • EPD 265 Teams in the Engineering Profession, 1 cr.
   • EPD 275 Technical Presentations, 2 cr.
   • EPD 374 Intermediate Technical Japanese, 3 cr.
   • EPD 392 User Manuals and Software Documentation, 2 cr.
   • EPD 395 Computer-Assisted Publishing, 3 cr.
   • EPD 690-1 Special Topics: The Wisconsin Engineer magazine, 1 cr. (up to 2 credits count toward elective courses in technical communication from EPD)
   • EPD 690-2 Special Topics: Web Design: Theory and Application, 3 cr.
   • EPD 690-LC (Dean's Leadership Council), 1 cr.

   Additional courses:

   • Independent Study courses: Special credits in Technical Communication (EPD 399, 499).
   • EPICS courses: Students who enroll in the College's EPICS program receive partial credit toward the TCC, either as elective courses from EPD or as elective courses from outside EPD. Two credits of EPICs courses count for 1 credit toward the Technical Communication Certificate as either EPD electives or as electives outside EPD. Likewise, three or more credits of EPICS courses count for two credits toward the Technical Communication Certificate.
4. Elective Courses in Communication From Outside EPD (3 credits minimum)
   • Courses must be chosen from the approved list.
   • Substitution of courses substantively equivalent to those listed will be considered by the Technical Communication Curriculum Committee. Students must submit requests for substitution with supportive material before beginning the course.
   • EPICS courses: Students who enroll in the College's EPICS program receive partial credit toward the TCC, either as elective courses from EPD or as elective courses from outside EPD. Two credits of EPICs courses count for 1 credit toward the Technical Communication Certificate as either EPD electives or as electives outside EPD. Likewise, three or more credits of EPICS courses count for two credits toward the Technical Communication Certificate.