Graduate Options in Technical and Professional Communication
- Professional Writing track for MA English students
- Professional Writing track for PhD English students
- Graduate Certificate in Technical and Professional Communication
Professional Writing Track for MA and Ph.D. Students
Students enrolled in the English department’s graduate programs at the MA- or PhD-level can pursue the Professional Writing track. Students who are interested in applying for admission can review the application guidelines and timelines on the UNM Graduate Studies website here at the MA-level and here at the PhD-level, as well as the focus areas of our Rhetoric and Writing faculty.
Graduate Certificate in Technical and Professional Communication
The Graduate Certificate in Technical and Professional Communication (GCERT-TPC) prepares certificate-holders to apply enhanced workplace and technical communication skills in their current employment context or in a future context. This 15-credit hour certificate can be added in as a part of an existing UNM student's MA or PhD program, effectively as a depth area in TPC (for English graduate students). The certificate can also be taken as a freestanding credential, ideal for working professionals in science, technology, nonprofit administration, engineering, and the military. This certificate can be completed face-to-face with occasional online courses, or fully online. The certificate's foundation in social justice and ethics guides the communication outputs students will create, such as reports, feasibility studies, white papers, usability tests, data visualizations, procedures, and more. Applicants to the certificate program must already hold a Bachelor's degree. The program requires 15 credit hours of coursework to culminate in a final portfolio (submitted to the Program Director) of the students' best work accompanied by a reflective memorandum that considers selected program outcomes. There is no foreign language requirement for the completion of the certificate.
The GCERT is assessed and advised in collaboration with an Industry and Academic Advisory Team (IAAT), a group of specialists employed in governmental, for-profit, and not-for-profit technical communication contexts. Please contact the Program Director, Dr. Julianne Newmark, or affiliated faculty if you have any questions.
Application Instructions: The GCERT-TPC is part of the English Department; however, when you apply, the program you select must be Technical and Professional Communication and the type of degree is GCERT. You can reach the application portal through the English Department’s Graduate Admissions page.
Requirements
Students will choose one of two tracks for completion of the Graduate Certificate, either the Standard track or the Grant and Proposal Writing track.
Standard Track
Fifteen hours of courses from the broader range of courses within Rhetoric and Writing. RW courses not named below might be permitted as substitutes with permission from Program Director.
Courses with an asterisk are Online Max courses.
Required courses:
ENGL 502*: Technical and Professional Communication (3 credits)
ENGL 535*: Ethics in Technical and Professional Communication (3 credits)
ENGL 598: Graduate Internship (3 credits)
Electives (choose two):
ENGL 512*: User-Centered Design and Usability (3 credits)
ENGL 513*: Scientific, Environmental and Medical Writing (3 credits)
ENGL 517*: Editing (3 credits)
ENGL 518*: Proposal and Grant Writing (3 credits)
ENGL 519: Visual Rhetoric (3 credits)
ENGL 520: Topics in Professional Communication (3 credits)
Grant and Proposal Writing Track
Fifteen hours of courses from the broader range of courses within Rhetoric and Writing. All five courses in the Grant and Proposal Writing track are required. However, in rare instances, RW courses not named below might be permitted as substitutes with permission from Program Director.
Courses with an asterisk are Online Max courses.
Required courses:
ENGL 502*: Technical and Professional Communication (3 credits)
ENGL 518*: Proposal and Grant Writing (3 credits)
ENGL 535*: Ethics in Technical and Professional Communication (3 credits)
ENGL 544: Research Methods (3 credits)
ENGL 598: Graduate Internship (3 credits)
GCERT Portfolio
If a student plans to complete GCERT coursework in a Fall semester, the Portfolio must be submitted via email to the Program Director by November 15. If the student plans to complete GCERT coursework in a Spring semester, the Portfolio must be submitted via email to the Program Director by April 1. The digital portfolio (created using a web-building platform of the student’s choice) must include three works completed by the student during the GCERT program, chosen to exemplify range of skill and excellence of ethical, audience-oriented output. The Portfolio must feature an approximately 500- to 750-word reflective memorandum, as the opening content of the portfolio. More specific guidelines and a rubric for the final portfolio are available from the Program Director.
