Undergraduate and graduate programs in technical communication

Since the middle of this century, when the first academic programs in technical communication emerged, the field of has grown rapidly. Many programs have been established to fill the need for technical communicators, but the field has not yet been clearly defined. Therefore, the philosophies and the curricula at many institutions vary greatly. This study looks at a range of undergraduate and graduate programs in technical communication, closely examing and comparing the curricula at some of the older programs in this country. The curricula included in this study have been gathered from the directors of the programs as part of an effort to update the directory of the Society for Technical Communication, Academic Programs in Technical Communication. The programs are divided into categories according to the type of degree granted: for example, one category is Bachelor of Science in Technical Communication, and another is Master of Arts in English with an Emphasis in Technical Communication. Past and current issues regarding these academic programs are explained to provide a clear understanding of the development of the field and to reveal the directions in which it is heading. The final chapter looks at three important issues facing educators in the field of technical communication today: (1) how to balance the theoretical and the practical aspects in these programs; (2) how to define the differences between undergraduate and graduate programs; and (3) how to establish consistency among programs at different schools. For the maturation process of this academic field to continue, these issues need to be resolved. By the categorization of programs according to the degree granted, this study suggests one method of establishing consistency among programs while still allowing for some flexibility in the field.