Career Profiles: Technical and Professional Writing

CSULB Department of English

Technical and Professional Writing is basic to the world of business and industry as well as to science and engineering. In a society growing more technical everyday, people in every field need to make specialized information accessible to workers, decision-makers, and lay readers. Technical writers produce flyers, brochures, newsletters and general interest articles, as well as advertisements and other productions for print and electronic media. This certificate, housed in the English Department, is not a degree program but an adjunct to a bachelor's degree earned or in progress. It can improve the communication skills of students in technical or professional fields, or make practical use of a liberal arts major. Practicality is built into this interdisciplinary program. Courses typically work with materials relevant to various academic majors and workplaces. Combining practical and academic experience, capstone courses develop specific applications of skills developed and honed in the program. Students should have above average academic skills, an interest in how things work, and the willingness to serve as a communication link between people of varying degrees of technical sophistication.