technical writer degree programs
Hi, I currently write technical documentation for Hewlett Packard's server division and
have been doing so for several years. I also do phone support and troubleshoot
hardware/software issues on servers.
I was previously in the desktop publishing business for 10 years, and I had my own scoping
business, which was editing and proofreading court documents.
HP will pay for my degree, but I'm having a hard time finding a 4-year college in my area
that offers a degree in technical writing. The closest I've come to it is a bachelor
degree in Technical Journalism, which I would only have to take two "reporting" type
classes than the rest I could gear towards technical writing, or so I've been told. I
haven't checked out the classes or curriculum yet, but I will very soon.
Would I be better off in my field if I were to get a bachelor's degree in English?
I am not sure of where you are currently located, but there are a number
of good schools with a "technical writing" degree. I went to the
University of Minnesota and majored in Scientific and Technical
Communication. The program focuses on what is expected in then field and
in my opinion the program provided me with an excellent foundation of
knowledge and skills to be a technical writer.
I am not sure, but I believe the STC website has a listing of schools.
As for getting an English degree... I am going to pass on commenting on
that as I do not want to appear pompous--or off-base with my opinion.
In many interviews with companies, I have not yet been asked if I even have
a degree, let alone what field it was in. Someone did ask once about my SAT
scores...
Many government contracts specify a degree requirement for senior tech
writer positions, and some of these will not accept years of work experience
in lieu of a degree. But they're not too particular about the exact field of
the degree, so anything in the approximate neighborhood of
English/Journalism/Tech Writing will do for them.
As the only clue to your location is your company, and if I assume that
you're in HP's HQ area (the Bay Area), I know that SFSU has a TW degree. I
cannot, however, vouch for its quality.
If you were in the Seattle area, I'd point you to one of the best programs
in the country, at the University of Washington, where there's not only a
four-year TC degree, but Masters degrees in both TC and Technical Japanese
and a PH.D. program (I'm not sure if this is here yet or coming soon).
Unlike many schools, which offer a TC-type degree as part of their
Communications (or similar) school, at the UW, TC is not only a full-fledged
department, but it is part of the Engineering school (where the discipline
belongs).
Not that I'm the least bit biased or anything. :)
An English degree? I guess it might teach you more about writing and
literature. I can't imagine it teaching you how to design information to
best meet user needs (not to mention how to discover those user needs).