The Technical Communication track in the Master of Arts in English program is completely online and provides students with theoretical and applied skills in such areas as technical writing, visual design, usability, ethics, stylistics, computer documentation, international communication, and the rhetoric of science.
Students in this program come from a variety of educational backgrounds such as Psychology, Computer Science, and English. The program's faculty members have won prestigious awards, are well published in the field, and have considerable experience in teaching online courses.
Our graduates hold a variety of jobs in the central Florida region; they have found work as technical writers, technical editors, information designers, web designers, corporate trainers, consultants, information developers, educators, documentation specialists, or have other communication-related jobs.
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 take 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
Please note: English (MA) - Technical Communication may be completed fully online, although not all elective options or program prerequisites may be offered online. Newly admitted students choosing to complete this program exclusively via UCF online classes may enroll with a reduction in campus-based fees.
International students (F or J visa) are required to enroll in a full-time course load of 9 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters. Only 3 of the 9 credit hours may be taken in a completely online format. For a detailed listing of enrollment requirements for international students, please visit http://global.ucf.edu/. If you have questions, please consult UCF Global at 407-823-2337.
UCF is not authorized to provide online courses or instruction to students in some states. Refer to State Restrictions for current information.
Degree Requirements
Required Courses
15 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- ENC6297 - Production and Publication Methods (3)
- ENC6217 - Technical Editing (3)
- ENC6261 - Technical Writing, Theory and Practice (3)
- ENG5009 - Methods of Bibliography and Research (3)
Choose one of the following:- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- ENC6338 - The Rhetorics of Public Debate (3)
- LIT6435 - Rhetoric of Science (3)
Elective Courses
15 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
Restricted - 9 Hours- Complete at least 3 of the following:
- ENC6257 - Visual Technical Communication (3)
- ENC6306 - Persuasive Writing (3)
- ENC6247 - Proposal Writing (3)
- ENC6292 - Project Management for Technical Writers. (3)
- ENC6296 - Interactive Design in Technical Communication (3)
- ENC6338 - The Rhetorics of Public Debate (3)
- ENC6425 - Hypertext Theory and Design (3)
- ENC6335 - Rhetorical Traditions (3)
- LIN5675 - English Grammar and Usage (3)
- LIT6435 - Rhetoric of Science (3)
Unrestricted - 6 Hours- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Students in consultation with the graduate adviser will choose two graduate-level English courses or approved courses from outside the department.
Thesis/Nonthesis Options
3 Total Credits
- Complete 1 of the following
Thesis Option- Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: 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 Option- Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: 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
0 Total Credits
- The comprehensive examination is a written exam based on four of the core courses (excluding ENG 5009).
Independent Learning
0 Total Credits
- 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.
Grand Total Credits: 33
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.
- The GRE is not required for admission to this program.
- 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 Statement of Background and Goals of 600-1000 words.
The goal statement should provide a narrative of your progress and how a Master’s degree in Technical Communication fits into this trajectory. In other words, tell us where you have been, where you are, and where you wish to go. It is also very important that you demonstrate some knowledge of what Technical Communication is; the most common reason for otherwise solid applications to be turned down is the lack of knowledge of what Technical Communication is and how it fits into your plans.
To begin writing your goal statement, review the MA in Technical Communication on the Department of English’s web site. You might look at the kinds of courses that are offered in the MA program or what the members of the faculty have specialized in. What interests you in the program? How will it help you in your career?
You don’t have to know everything about every course or faculty member. You do not have to have a deep understanding of every industry, non-profit, government, educational, medical, or scientific organization that you see yourself working in some day. A letter of application or personal goal statement is a document that lets the admissions committee know that you have some sense of what the program is about and that you have thought about this before applying. You can reach out to UCF faculty who teach in the program to see what they think.
- A Professional Writing Sample of approximately ten pages needs to accomplish two tasks. First, it functions as a sample of your ability to communicate well in prose. Second, it should demonstrate a capacity to think logically and to translate this thought into well-organized language. In many cases, the writing sample will have originally been created for an undergraduate class, but this is not a requirement. The writing sample can also be a professional document that you wrote by yourself.
- 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.
Financial Information
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.
Fellowship Information
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.
