Graduate Certificate [Online] Technical & Professional Communication (TPC)

Technical and Professional Communication (TPC) Certificate

Transform Your Voice, Elevate Your Career

In today’s data-driven, fast-paced world, technical expertise alone is no longer enough—how you communicate that expertise defines your success. Whether you are an engineer, a medical professional, a business leader, or an aspiring scholar, the Graduate Certificate in Technical and Professional Communication (TPC) at North Carolina A&T State University empowers you to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling, and socially impactful content.

Designed for working professionals and post-baccalaureate students alike, this 15-credit hour program equips you with advanced skills in technical writing, digital rhetoric, editing, and discourse analysis, positioning you for immediate career advancement or laying a rigorous foundation for doctoral study.

Why Choose the TPC Certificate?

  • Flexible & Focused: A streamlined 15-credit curriculum built to accommodate working professionals and full-time graduate students.
  • Interdisciplinary Relevance: Tailored for careers in technical writing, editing, public policy, health communication, digital content development, and organizational management.
  • Real-World Impact: Move beyond theory to examine how digital composition, social justice, and rhetoric intersect in 21st-century workplaces and communities.
  • Prestigious Foundation: Earn a respected credential from North Carolina A&T State University, a leader in innovation and academic excellence.

Curriculum Overview (15 Credit Hours)

The program balances essential theoretical foundations with hands-on, specialized coursework tailored to your professional ambitions.

Required Core Courses (6 Credit Hours)

  • ENGL 713 – Introduction to Technical and Professional Communication Theory (3 credits) 
    Explore the history, core theories, and problem-solving strategies of technical communication. Build practical artifacts like manuals, proposals, online help systems, and web content grounded in central theoretical frameworks.
  • ENGL 716 – Managing Technical & Scientific Communication Departments (3 credits)
    Step into leadership. Study the responsibilities of managing in-house communication departments, independent companies, professional journals, and organization-wide information policies through case studies and insights from practicing managers.

Elective Courses (Choose 3 for 9 Credit Hours)

Select from an array of specialized seminars addressing contemporary issues in technology, culture, and strategy:

  • ENGL 707 – Issues in Digital Composition: Race, Rhetoric, and Technology: Examine how digital technologies and race intersect to shape representation and power in the 21st century.

  • ENGL 714 – Advanced Discourse Analysis: Master theoretical and methodological approaches to discourse analysis from a social-linguistic perspective.

  • ENGL 715 – Technical and Scientific Editing: Perfect your editorial eye by mastering author relationships, clarity, manuscript styling, online editing, and evaluation strategies.

  • ENGL 717 – Technical Communication, Rhetoric, & Social Justice: Investigate how technical communication serves as a tool for advocacy, activism, and civic engagement among underrepresented groups.

  • ENGL 718 – Researching & Writing Public Policy: Dive into public writing, networked public discourse, and the methodologies used by citizens to influence policy formation.

  • ENGL 719 – Rhetorics of Health & Medicine: Formulate arguments and convey complex medical data for clinicians and the public while exploring the intersection of race, class, gender, and biopower. (Additional graduate electives in linguistics, literacy, and theory—such as ENGL 629, 630, 700, and 731—are also available to round out your studies).

Admissions Requirements

Taking the next step in your professional journey is straightforward. To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  1. Degree: Hold a B.A. or B.S. degree from a regionally accredited institution.

  2. GPA: Maintain a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.50.

  3. Application Package: Submit a completed Graduate College application, including:

    • Official transcripts from all institutions attended.

    • A writing sample (e.g., an undergraduate research paper or workplace writing piece).

    • Curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé.

    • Application fee.

Ready to Shape the Future of Communication?

Take command of your professional trajectory and lead with clarity and purpose.

For the Technical and Professional Communication certificate, you can contact: Program Coordinator: Dr. Flourice Richardson
          GCB A434 |  336-285-3513 |  fwrichar@ncat.edu