Technical Communication
 
TCOM 3000 Advanced Grammar and Editing
3-0-3
Prerequisite: ENGL 2010
Study of standard English grammar and contemporary usage, with emphasis on traditional and transformational theories of sentence structure. Students also learn how to apply editing principles and techniques to technical subject matter with special emphasis on copy editing and working with authors and editors.
 
TCOM 3010 Science Writing
3-0-3
Prerequisite: ENGL 2010
Examination of the types of writing produced in various scientific professions. Depending on the semester, possible topics may include one or more of the followings: environmental writing, public policy documents, and other scientific documents.
 
TCOM 3020 Proposals
3-0-3
Prerequisite: ENGL 2010
Theory and practice of writing proposals for business and industry, with emphasis on external sales and in-house proposals. Course covers (1) persuasive theory and strategies, and (2) parts of the proposal writing process, including team writing techniques, sales letters, writing of the proposal text, proposal graphics, oral presentations, and negotiation strategies.
 
TCOM 3030 Technical Training
3-0-3
Prerequisite: ENGL 2010
Course introduces students to principles of how adults learn and develop the skills required to plan lessons, produce materials, and deliver training about technical topics. Students will conduct a task analysis and develop an instructional unit including instructional objectives, lesson plans, student materials, and student assessments concerning a technical topic of each student's choosing.
 
TCOM 3040 Writer's Workshop
3-0-3
Prerequisites: ENGL 1101, ENGL 1102
Course that gives students practice in writing for various audiences, purposes, and contexts. In addition to a workshop forum, this class provides an introduction to contemporary, practical theories of writing.
 
TCOM 3050 Journalism
3-0-3
Prerequisite: ENGL 2010
Study of technical and scientific reporting, including mass media theory. Emphasis on making technical information understood by a general audience. Students practice many in-house and external forms of writing such as news releases, feature articles, bulletins, brochures, and pamphlets.
 
TCOM 3901-3903 Special Topics
variable credit-1 to 3 hours
Prerequisite: Consent of the department head
Special topics in communications. Offered by the department at its discretion.
 
TCOM 4000 Issues in Science and Technology
3-0-3
Prerequisite: Junior standing
Course examines the technical, social, and moral issues raised by current advances in science and technology. Historical case studies allow students to develop perspectives in science and analytical skills that are then applied to a broad range of contemporary issues.
 
TCOM 4030 Foundations of Graphics
3-0-3
Prerequisite: ENGL 2010
An introduction to the fundamental elements and principles of graphic design and application of these concepts to page design and layout. Study of elementary color theory. Introduction to production techniques and current software applications. This course is double-listed for both undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students will be required to complete additional work that emphasizes theory and research over application. Thus they must demonstrate a higher level of learning than undergraduates.
 
TCOM 4045 Foundations of Multimedia
3-0-3
Prerequisites: ENGL 2010, ARTS 3000 or TCOM 4030
A study of the foundations of multimedia including theory, planning, scripting, storyboarding, and production. Students will submit research work on the theory of multimedia. This course is double-listed for both undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students will be required to complete additional work that emphasizes theory and research over application. Thus they must demonstrate a higher level of learning than undergraduates.
 
TCOM 4070 Manuals
3-0-3
Prerequisite: ENGL 2010
Introduction to the process and principles of writing manuals, with emphasis on user manuals. Students write and produce all or part of a manual. Course includes study of structured writing. Course also includes discussion of (1) production issues and (2) theory relevant to designing usable, readable manuals. This course is double-listed for both undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students will be required to complete additional work that emphasizes theory and research over application. Thus they must demonstrate a higher level of learning than undergraduates.
 
TCOM 4100 Small Group Communication
3-0-3
Prerequisite: ENGL 2010
Study of the theory and practice of group interaction and teamwork as it applies to group process. Focuses on such topics as the function of roles in groups, conflict resolution, leadership in the small group, gender differences, listening and negotiation skills, and managing meetings. A collaborative project and workshop activities reinforce these principles. This course is double-listed for both undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students will be required to complete additional work that emphasizes theory and research over application. Thus they must demonstrate a higher level of learning than undergraduates.
 
TCOM 4130 Online Communication
3-0-3
Prerequisite: ENGL 2010
Study of the design and development of effective online materials, such as help, online references, and web pages. Presents theories of human-computer interaction and principles of online communication. Students design and develop their own module of online communication. Although the course presents principles of authoring, it does not teach tools for authoring online communication. This course is double-listed for both undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students will be required to complete additional work that emphasizes theory and research over application. Thus they must demonstrate a higher level of learning than undergraduates.
 
TCOM 4160 Rhetoric: History, Theory, and Practice
3-0-3
Prerequisite: ENGL 2010
Introduction to rhetoric as the relationship between thought and expression. Examines connections between rhetoric and writing, between a public act and a personal thinking process, by exploring classical and contemporary accounts of rhetorical history and theory. Students apply theory to their own writing as they explore the relationship between writers, readers, and subjects and the range of options they have available to them as communicators. This course is double-listed for both undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students will be required to complete additional work that emphasizes theory and research over application. Thus they must demonstrate a higher level of learning than undergraduates.
 
TCOM 4170 Video Production
3-0-3 
Prerequisite: ENGL 2010
Introduction to the role and use of video production for technical and professional communication. Topics include scripts, storyboards, shot selection, continuity, lighting, sound, in-camera editing, and fundamental post-production techniques. Students will complete at least two assigned videos as individual or team projects. This course is double-listed for both undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students will be required to complete additional work that emphasizes theory and research over application. Thus they must demonstrate a higher level of learning than undergraduates.
 
TCOM 4700 Internship
3-0-3
Prerequisite: Junior standing
An opportunity for students to apply principles and techniques of technical and professional communication in a specific organization. The student is responsible for finding an internship, but the department will help in the effort. The student must submit a written proposal describing the internship according to department guidelines. Each internship is monitored by the student's advisor.
 
TCOM 4800 Project Portfolio
1-0-1
Prerequisite: Senior standing
Independent study each student must complete with his or her advisor. With the advisor's guidance, the student develops a professional portfolio of projects and assignments that reflect work in the program and an understanding of the field.