Requirements
The Technical Writing Program, offered in collaboration by the English department of the College of Liberal Arts and the Computer Science department of the College of Science and Mathematics, is a four-semester sequence of courses that culminates in an internship. For matriculated students, completion of the program is recorded on official University transcripts. Non-matriculated students receive a certificate of completion from the Program.
Admission
The program is designed for matriculated undergraduate students, working toward the BA or BS degree in any department of the University. Persons interested in the Program who are not matriculated students should consult the program director. Applicants to the program must submit for evaluation two graded essays, at least five pages each, to the director. The level of writing required for the program is “professional” in quality. Program students must satisfy placement test and prerequisite requirements for all courses, in particular, placement requirements for CS 110, Introduction to Computing.
Courses
The following courses are required:
- ENGL 308: Professional Editing (strongly recommended), or ENGL 306: Advanced Composition, or ENGL 307: Writing for the Print Media (prerequisite: ENGL 102 and one of either ENGL 200, 201, or 206).
- CS 110: Introduction to Computing (prerequisite: MATH 140 or a satisfactory score on the appropriate placement examination; contact the Computer Science department for exam schedules).
- CS 210: Intermediate Computing with Data Structures (prerequisite: CS 110 or 155L or CS program director’s permission).
- CS 240: Programming in C (prerequisite: CS 110 or 155L or CS program director’s permission)
- One elective approved by the program director, typically an independent study course, registered under either the English department or the Computer Science department, in which students serve as technical writers for either CS 410, Introduction to Software Engineering, or CS 682 or 683, graduate-level Software Development Laboratory. These electives are offered in collaboration with the Computer Science and English faculty. Students meet weekly with an English faculty member for the study of software technical writing.
- ENGL 476 Technical Writing Internship, a course based on an internship arranged by the student with the collaboration of the program faculty and approved by the program director.
Transfer Credit Policy
Two courses may be transferred into the program.
Program Director
Neal Bruss, 617-287-6713, neal.bruss@umb.edu
