English (MA) – Technical Communication

Each student must complete at least 33 credit hours of coursework including 15 credit hours of required courses and 15 credit hours of elective courses. Near the end of the degree program, each candidate will write a comprehensive examination and complete a thesis option, a nonthesis option with a research project approved by the faculty, or a nonthesis option consisting of an additional 6000-level three-credit-hour Technical Communication course taught by the Department of English.

Total Credit Hours Required: 33 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree

Required Courses—15 Credit Hours

• ENC 6297 - Production and Publication Methods 3 Credit Hours
• ENC 6217 - Technical Editing 3 Credit Hours
• ENC 6261 - Technical Writing, Theory and Practice 3 Credit Hours
• ENG 5009 - Methods of Bibliography and Research 3 Credit Hours
• Choose one of the following:
• ENC 6338 - The Rhetorics of Public Debate 3 Credit Hours
• LIT 6435 - Rhetoric of Science 3 Credit Hours

Elective Courses—15 Credit Hours

Restricted—9 Credit Hours

• ENC 6257 - Visual Technical Communication 3 Credit Hours
• ENC 6306 - Persuasive Writing 3 Credit Hours
• ENC 6247 - Proposal Writing 3 Credit Hours
• ENC 6292 - Project Management for Technical Writers. 3 Credit Hours
• ENC 6296 - Interactive Design in Technical Communication 3 Credit Hours
• ENC 6338 - The Rhetorics of Public Debate 3 Credit Hours
• ENC 6425 - Hypertext Theory and Design 3 Credit Hours
• ENC 6335 - Rhetorical Traditions 3 Credit Hours
• LIN 5675 - English Grammar and Usage 3 Credit Hours
• LIT 6435 - Rhetoric of Science 3 Credit Hours

Unrestricted—6 Credit Hours

Students in consultation with the graduate adviser will choose two graduate-level English courses or approved courses from outside the department.

Thesis Option—3 Credit Hours

Students complete a formal thesis written in consultation with an advisory committee and will meet both departmental and university requirements for the thesis.

• ENC 6971 Thesis (3 credit hours)

Nonthesis Options—3 Credit Hours

Students will enroll in directed research and complete a research project approved by an advisory committee. This project will be on a topic in technical communication and in a format other than that of a traditional thesis.

• ENC 6918 Directed Research (3 credit hours)

Or, students will enroll in an additional 6000-level course in technical communication taught by the Department of English.

Comprehensive Examinations

The comprehensive examination is a written exam based on four of the core courses (excluding ENG 5009).

Independent Learning

Both the thesis and special project options of the Master's in English, Technical Communication Track require students to conduct original research and to produce a final paper detailing the subject, purpose, scope, methodology, and conclusions of the study, thus providing students the opportunity to engage in independent learning.

Application Requirements

For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.

In addition to the Admissions section, applicants to this program must provide:

• One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.
• Two letters of recommendation from faculty members or others familiar with applicant's academic potential.
• One year of a foreign language at the university level (may be taken while in graduate residence).
• A one to two page goal statement addressing the applicant's reasons for pursuing graduate study in English.
• A professional writing sample of approximately ten pages (or an equivalent amount of web-based work), with a cover memo of no more than one page that explains why you chose to submit this particular sample.
• A computer-based score of 233 (or 91 internet-based score) on the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL) if an applicant is from a country where English is not the official language, or if an applicant's degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, or if an applicant did not earn a degree in a country where English is the only official language or a university where English is the only official language of instruction. Although we prefer the TOEFL, we will accept IELTS scores of 7.0.
• Applicants applying to this program who have attended a college/university outside the United States must provide a course-by-course credential evaluation with GPA calculation. Credential evaluations are accepted from World Education Services (WES) or Josef Silny and Associates, Inc. only.

A résumé is required for applicants seeking assistantship positions.

Meeting minimum UCF admission criteria does not guarantee program admission. Final admission is based on evaluation of the applicant's abilities, past performance, recommendations, match of this program and faculty expertise to the applicant's career/academic goals, and the applicant's potential for completing the degree.

Application Deadlines

Financials

Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.

Fellowships

Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.

Contact Info

Institution Codes
GRE: 5233
GMAT: RZT-HT-58
TOEFL: 5233
ETS PPI: 5233