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M.S. in Technical Communication

MSTC Program Director

Michael Duncan, Ph.D.
713-226-5376
duncanm@uhd.edu

MSTC Program Assistant Director

Ashleigh Petts, Ph.D
713-221-8076
pettsa@uhd.edu

Karlyli Juarez
Associate Director, Graduate Studies
CHSSGradStudies@uhd.edu



Graduate Degree and Graduate Certificate Application Deadlines

Spring 2025
Jan. 1, 2025

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Master of Science in Technical Communication

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Technical Communication (MSTC) degree program is dedicated to the advancement of the theory and practice of technical communication, understood as the process of crafting, presenting, and disseminating specialized knowledge. We provide our graduates with writing, design, and management skills based on rhetorical principles. Students will gain publication and production skills, study project management and the ethical and global implications of professional communication, participate in research, conduct audience analyses and usability tests, and create web sites and online help.

We believe that by providing students with a rigorous foundation in our discipline, they are empowered to recognize and respond to social justice issues and affect positive change in both their workplaces and their communities.

This program is valuable for a range of candidates:

  • Professional writers, public relations and communications specialists, or corporate training professionals seeking promotion to managerial positions or interested in teaching technical writing in community colleges or high schools
  • Practitioners in science, technology, energy, public health, and other specialized fields with the goal of expanding employment options
  • Undergraduates interested in an applied master’s level degree, either to increase their employability or to pursue a doctoral degree in technical communication

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the MSTC program will demonstrate professional level skills or knowledge in the following areas:

  • Document production: Write, design, and edit effective and ethical documents in print and electronic genres.
  • Rhetorical literacy: Apply rhetorical literacy principles to evaluate and produce documents.
  • Global and social awareness: Analyze and respond to multicultural and social justice implications of technical communication.
  • Research methodologies: Conduct and report research using appropriate methods and critical theories.
  • Technological aptitude: Use current technology to produce effective documents.

MSTC students can tailor the degree to the following career paths:

Usability Research

Develop skills in user-center testing and design of websites, manuals, and consumer-related projects.

Science and Communication

Science and Medical Communication

Master preparing lab reports, information graphics, grants, and results-oriented documents.

Global Communication

Intercultural Communication

Develop skills to write with plain language and to communicate in the global marketplace with sensitivity to multicultural audiences.

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Public Relations

Exercise best practices of public relations and advertising in print, online, and social networks.

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Instructional Design

Use technology to develop and deliver tutorials, training modules, and curriculum design in corporate and academic settings.

 

Communication Management

Master skills in project management, public relations, and business-to-business communication.

 


Alumni Testimonials

 

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