- Campuses :
- Twin Cities
- Crookston
- Duluth
- Morris
- Rochester
- Other Locations
Department of Writing Studies
612-624-3445
writ@umn.edu
612-624-3445
writ@umn.edu
Undergraduate
B.S. in Scientific and Technical Communication
Photo: Erika Schulte
The Department of Writing Studies offers a B.S. in Scientific and Technical Communication (S&TC). This degree offers a unique combination of written, oral, and visual communication theory and practice as they apply to interdisciplinary areas of science and technology.
This program examines how communication is a complex process that involves both the robust principles of audience, persuasion, clarity, accuracy, and ethical integrity, and a command of the knowledge of scientific and technical topics that one communicates. Students have the opportunity to examine social, legal, ethical, and political implications of communication as they relate to science, environment, gender, technology, diverse cultures, and workplace practices.
Students will study theories of rhetoric and communication and apply principles of audience analysis, writing and editing, information design, oral communication, and visual rhetoric. They will learn to engage in writing as a process and examine writing within communities of practice.
Careers in Scientific and Technical Communication
Scientific and technical communicators apply communicative techniques and technologies to the distribution of knowledge in industry, business, education, and government. They write and design information for audiences ranging from scientists to management to consumers of technical products and services.
The technical communication field is on the rise, and the demand for trained communicators in this profession is strong and likely to increase. The Twin Cities is home to many companies and organizations that hire technical communicators. Our graduates consistently find rewarding careers with outstanding companies, including Medtronic, Unisys, IBM, Symantec, U.S. Bank, Fredrickson Communications, and more.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, while employment of writers and editors is predicted to rise with the overall national employment average, “[O]pportunities should be best for technical writers and those with training in a specialized field. Demand for technical writers and writers with expertise in areas such as law, medicine, or economics is expected to increase because of the continuing expansion of scientific and technical information and the need to communicate it to others.”
Undergraduate News
STC U of M Student Chapter Meeting & Event
Professional Portfolios: Communicate what you can do
February 28, 2009
1:00-4:30PM
St. Paul Campus
* Presentation by Fred Carpenter will provide a survey of what electronic and hard copy portfolios are, their purposes, and what makes them effective
* Workshops detailing the “how to�? elements of building a portfolio
* Attendees who bring their portfolios will have the opportunity to receive comments on how to make them better, and those who do not have portfolios will learn how to get one started
More information and online registration at www.stcchapter.umn.edu
Students $5 early registration by February 16
$8 after February 16 or at the door
Professionals $20 early registration
$25 after February or at the door
About the speaker: Fred Carpenter is presently graduate program coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences, Metropolitan State University. She has worked in academic, government and corporate environments including the Public Guardian's Office for the State of Alaska and Sybase Inc. Her interest in portfolios emerged as a result of being a coordinator and guiding applicants through the reasoning, design and execution of portfolios for the program.
February 3rd, 2009