Technical writing is a growing field but usually requires a degree in the field in which you want to write.  We encourage our majors to explore majors in the College of Engineering, Computer Science, Biology, Chemistry, or related science.  You might also want to add the Writing Certificate if it offers courses in Technical writing beyond those offered in our department.  We also encourage you to regularly review the CNW (Creative Non-Fiction) listing of courses as those often include writing for business, writing for science and other related fields.  

The study of literature might seem far removed from the technical fields but the ability read complicated materials, analyze them and to see the human intersection with technology and the world is increasingly important.  The writing, research and editing skills learned through literature courses is not duplicated entirely by writing courses so it does offer a unique set of skills that will serve you well as a technical writer. 

We encourage our students to learn technical writing from the free Lynda online courses: https://www.lynda.com/search?q=technical+writing&f=level%3a1%5eBeginner

Insights from someone who has written fiction and done technical writing: https://www.lynda.com/Developer-Documentaries-tutorials/Insights-from-David-D-Levine-Writer-Designer-Engineer/169618-2.html

Possible Mentors in the Department:

Mark Isham