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Beyond Introduction to Technical Writing:
SDSU Certificates and MA Degrees

SDSU's spring 2003 semester starts Monday, January 13.

These certificate-related courses will be offered by the RWS department: RWS 502, 503W, 504, 507, and 508.

For more information about these programs or courses, please contact Linn Bekins at 619-594-2211 or
by e-mail at lbekins@mail.sdsu.edu.

San Diego State University's Technical and Scientific Writing certificate and Master of Arts degree in Rhetoric & Writing Studies are two of the many opportunities that local technical communicators have to extend their educational credentials.

The Open University certificate for Technical and Scientific Writing (TSW) is one of 29 certificate programs offered by SDSU's College of Extended Studies (CES). Credits earned in Open University classes can be applied toward regular university degrees. The TSW certificate program is sponsored by State's Rhetoric and Writing Studies (RWS) department and directed by STC-San Diego member and RWS professor Linn Bekins.

Certificate in Technical and Scientific Writing

Students can earn a TSW certificate by completing seven 3-unit courses, including the three core RWS courses:

• Technical Writing (503W)
• Problems in Technical Communication (504)
• Writing Project Management (605)
  

Four elective courses may be chosen from other RWS offerings:

• Content Editing (501)
• Tools for Technical Communicators (502) [usually focusing on FrameMaker]
• Technical Communication in the Non-Profit Sector (507)
• Scientific Writing for Professionals (608); (508 through spring 2003 semester)
  

Electives may also be chosen from other university courses in a variety of fields including biological sciences, business administration, computer programming, graphics, industrial arts, information systems, international business, management, and natural sciences.

In addition, students with no previous workplace experience in technical communication may elect to complete a 150-hour writing internship, which is set up and supervised by the program director. Since it is generally the last course taken before certification, an internship is an opportunity both to practice new technical communication skills and to gain valuable experience while working for a company.

Both CES and the RWS department maintain Web pages for the TSW certificate program:

• College of Extended Studies: http://www.ces.sdsu.edu/techwriting.html
  
  
• Rhetoric and Writing Studies: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/drwswebb/ tech_write/index.html

For more information about CES's Open University certificate programs, see this CES Web page:

http://www.ces.sdsu.edu/open_cert.html

Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing Studies

SDSU's RWS department also offers a Master of Arts degree in Rhetoric & Writing Studies with specializations in Technical and Professional Writing, and Teaching of Writing. STC-San Diego member Cezar Ornatowski is the RWS graduate advisor and director of this 30-unit degree program. The MA program offers a broader, more theoretical range of courses than the certificate program. Among the courses in this program are the following:

• History of Rhetoric
• Rhetorics of Science and Technology
• Text Analysis
• Reading and Writing the Web
• Writing, Knowledge, and Culture
  

Internships are also available for both teaching and technical writing positions.

For more information about this MA program, please visit the RWS Web page:
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/drwswebb/grad/program.html