Professional and Technical Communication, BA or BS with grad track option leading to Professional and Technical Communication, MA

The University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee approved a change to this program during the academic year. Please refer to the Catalog Addendum for more information.

The Department of Technical Communication offers a five-year BA or BS/Master’s program for highly motivated technical communication majors. The combined grad track program will enable students to earn a BA/BS and MA in five years. The combined grad track will also help students save money and prepare themselves for the rigors of graduate education while still enrolled as an undergraduate.

All applications are reviewed by the department’s director of graduate studies. Students should contact the department to arrange a meeting.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply to the grad track program, students must

Have maintained a cumulative 3.5 GPA, including transfer credit
Have completed 75 undergraduate credit hours, including TECM 2700 and TECM 3010 with A’s (75 credit hours are required for admission)
Be a declared technical communication major
Meet with the department’s director of graduate studies and undergraduate advisor for a short interview

The admission decision is made by the department’s director of graduate studies. The student’s GPA and the following criteria inform that decision:

A resume
A response to a writing prompt
Nominations from two TECM faculty
An interview with the department’s director of graduate studies

Course requirements

The learning outcomes in the undergraduate courses are met by the graduate courses. Grad track students will choose two courses in consultation with the director of graduate studies to replace undergraduate courses and to ensure that classes meet the appropriate level of preparation in both degree programs:

TECM 5170 - Grants and Proposals (replaces TECM 4100 - Proposal Writing )
TECM 5185 - Principles of Technical Communication (replaces TECM 4180 - Advanced Technical Communication )
TECM 5191 - Digital Literacies for Professional Communicators (replaces TECM 3200 - Information Design for Electronic Media )
TECM 5195 - Editing Technical Documents (replaces TECM 4190 - Technical Editing )
TECM 5200 - Digital Content Strategies for Communication Professionals (replaces TECM 3550 - Content Strategy in Technical Communication )
TECM 5280 - Designing Technical Documents (replaces TECM 3100 - Visual Technical Communication )
TECM 5750 - Measuring Usability and User Experience for Professional and Technical Communication (replaces TECM 4300 - Usability and User Experience in Technical Communication )
TECM 5000-level elective for TECM 4000-level elective

All remaining courses for Professional and Technical Communication, BS or Professional and Technical Communication, BA must be completed.

Restrictions

The grad track pathway requires students to take 6 graduate credits (two courses) in their undergraduate senior year. Course work taken for undergraduate credit is considered advance credit, students must complete the two graduate courses within 12 calendar months of enrolling in their first graduate course

Students are not permitted to take more than 6 graduate credits until they fully complete the requirements for the BA or BS degree. Students who complete the 6 credits are automatically admitted to the MA program.

Students admitted to a grad track program must complete 90 credit hours before taking the courses in this program. Students must complete the bachelor’s degree within one academic year of their first grad track course in order to have the graduate course credits transferred to their graduate plan of study.

Students in the grad track must apply formally for admission to the graduate program associated with the pathway. This requires submitting a formal application for admission to the Toulouse Graduate School typically during the fall semester of their senior year.