To receive the Technical Communication Certificate (TCC), students must complete at least 21 credits, with a minimum of 6 credits in technical proficiency courses and a minimum of 15 credits in communication courses. Your GPA in all communication courses must be 3.0 or above to graduate with the TCC.
Since students complete most of the technical proficiency courses as part of their major curriculum in the sciences or engineering, no general sequence is suggested for these courses. However, TCC students are encouraged to take the communication courses in the sequence suggested in their major flowchart. Please remember to check other TCC graduation requirements as you plan your certificate coursework.
1. Technical Proficiency Courses: 6 credits, with a minimum of one course each from three areas:
- Computer Science (CS 200, 252, 270, 300, 301, 302, or 310; CBE 255, BUS 371)
- Management/Economics/Business (Econ 200-level or above; AAE 300-level or above. Note that Econ 101 is a pre-req for many of the courses that satisfy this requirement.)
For the complete list of courses that can be used to satisfy this requirement, please see the list of Approved Technical Proficiency Courses.
2. Required EPD Courses (4 credits)
- EPD 397 Engineering Communication, 3cr.
- EPD 398 Technical Communication Internship, 1cr.
3. Elective Courses in Communication (8 credits minimum)
EPD instructors offer several courses that students can take to fulfill the elective courses requirement for the TCC. These courses include the following:
- EPD 275 Technical Presentations, 2 cr.
- InterEgr 413: Current Issues in International Engineering
Additionally, independent study courses (EPD 399 and EPD 499) may be arranged with individual instructors; up to 2 credits may count towards the TCC.
Finally, there is a lengthy list of elective courses offered by departments across the University that students may also use towards their elective courses in communication. For the complete list of courses that can be used to satisfy this requirement, please see the list of Approved TCC Program Communication Electives.
Note: These EPD courses DO NOT COUNT TOWARDS the TCC:
- EPD 654: Teaching Science and Engineering
- EPD 690: Core Competency in Sustainability
- EPD 690: ATE Powertrain
- EPD 690: Essential Skills for Engineering Productivity
4. Course with Communication Emphasis in your Major Field (3 credits minimum) Typically Senior Design or Capstone Course.
For a list of courses that can be used to satisfy this requirement, please see the list of Approved Senior Capstone Courses.
Other senior-level courses that contain a strong communication component and/or feature thematic discussions of technology and science may be used for this requirement upon request. Students must submit requests for substitution with supporting material, usually a course syllabus, before beginning the course.