This minor is a logical complement to a degree in engineering or one of the sciences. The courses you take will prepare you to design usable documents that communicate scientific and technical information effectively.

Required Courses: 9 hours

• ENGL/TCH COM 1600 Introduction to Technical Communication
• ENGL/TCH COM 2540 Layout and Design
• ENGL/TCH COM 2560 Technical Marketing Communication

Electives: 6 hours of 4000- or 5000-level TCH COM courses, such as

• TCH COM 5620 Research Methods in Technical Communication
• TCH COM 5510 Technical Editing
• TCH COM 4550 Proposal Writing
• TCH COM 5610 History of Technical Communication

The faculty advisors for this minor are:

Dr. Ed Malone – office location: H-SS 222, phone: 573-341-4681
Dr. David Wright – office location: H-SS 218, phone: 573-341-4681
Dr. Carleigh Davis - office location: H-SS 209, phone: 573-341-4681

This minor, open to any graduate student, is designed to strengthen the written, oral, and visual communication skills of students majoring in the sciences, engineering, management, information systems, and other fields. The minor will be particularly useful for students who are pursuing the “paper option” thesis or dissertation as well as students who will make oral or poster presentations at technical conferences, write journal articles, prepare research proposals, design technical web pages, or prepare technical marketing information.

The program requires a minimum of 12 hours of credit (excluding all courses taken for undergraduate credit): at least six hours of 3000- or 5000-level courses with the TCH COM designation and at least six hours of technical communication–intensive courses from the approved list (see below). Other courses may be added to the list with the approval of the minor advisor and the Minor Advisory Committee.

A student may declare this minor at any point during his or her graduate studies by submitting an application form (available at http://registrar.mst.edu/media/administrative/registrar/documents/gradminorapp.pdf) to the Department of English and Technical Communication. The student will be assigned a minor advisor, and together they will select and declare the courses.

Approved Technical Communication–Intensive Courses:

BIO SCI 6313 Environmental Microbiology
BUS 3111 Business Negotiations
GE 5092 International Engineering and Design
IST 6887 HCI Research Methods
MATH 3109 Foundations of Mathematics
MATH 5603 Mathematical Modeling
MATH 5108 Linear Algebra 2
MATH 5154 Mathematical Logic
MSE 6120 Thermodynamics and Phase Equilibria
any upper-level course with the TCH COM designation

Upon request of a student or faculty member, the Minor Advisory Committee will evaluate other courses for inclusion on the approved list or on a case-by-case basis for individuals. 

Technical Communication Graduate Minor Advisory Committee

The Department of English and Technical Communication has formed an advisory committee for the minor. The committee is made up of faculty from various departments and is chaired by a member of the technical communication faculty. The committee advises the department chair on matters related to the minor. The committee will also maintain the list of approved technical communication-intensive courses.  

Committee Chair:

Dr. Ed Malone, Professor, English and Technical Communication

Committee Members:  

Dr. Kristine Swenson, Professor, Department Chair, English and Technical Communication

Dr. Bill Fahrenholtz, Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Dr. David Wright, Professor, English and Technical Communication