Bachelor of Applied Communications — Technical Communication

• About the program
• What our students can do for you
• Student availability
• How to hire a student

About the program

Mount Royal Technical Communication students receive specialized education in writing, editing, documentation development and design, with a strong focus on the science and technology industries. Technical Communication students are professional writers, whose skills are in demand in various fields, including: science, health, oil & gas, utilities, business and information technology. They are skilled communicators who know how to bridge the gap between a product or service and its users. They can research and write with skill and effectiveness for specific audiences to meet organizational needs. Students enrolled in the four-year Bachelor of Applied Communications program spend a total of six on-campus semesters learning what it takes to be among the best in their profession. In addition to their academics, students also receive intensive workplace preparation to help them succeed in their Directed Field Studies.

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What our students can do for you

Technical Communication students are most commonly employed as technical writers, documentation specialists, editors, web page developers and training and education coordinators. Before Technical Communication students begin to work for you, they receive top-notch instruction in state-of-the-art facilities in the following areas:

Writing

• Writing and reporting for corporate and business settings
• Content development for print and hyperlinked environments
• Web content development for online publications, e-zines and corporate websites
• Editing, copy-editing and proofreading
• Reviewing

Research

• Accessing and interviewing subject matter experts
• Conducting needs assessments, content and audience analysis
• Researching using databases, library resources and Internet search engines
• Content and audience analysis

Documentation

• Development and/or maintenance of:
  • Reports, proposals, manuals, reference materials and handouts
  • Software and systems documentation, policy and procedures, safety regulations, ISO documentation
  • Corporate communications such as newsletters, brochures, booklets, memos and style guides
  • Multimedia for learning and instructional tools such as CDs and web presentations
  • Help-files, indexes, custom dictionaries and catalogues

Layout & Design

• Developing and using style guides, templates, formatting
• Editing documentation for style, accuracy and presentation
• Information design and business process mapping
• Organization and document management

Technical Skills

• Layout: Adobe PageMaker, InDesign
• Authoring and publishing: MS Word, FrameMaker, Adobe Acrobat
• Online help systems: RoboHelp
• Image editing and illustration: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
• Internet/web development: HTML, XML, JavaScript, DreamWeaver, Flash, GoLive
• Testing: Usability and software testing
• Spreadsheets, database design, data management

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Student availability

Students must complete two Directed Field Studies (work terms) during the four year program. The sequence is as follows:

• First Directed Field Studies normally occurs in the spring/summer semesters (May through August) after the fourth semester (or the second year) in the program.
• Second Directed Field Studies normally occurs in the winter (January through April) semester.

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How to hire a student

Our recruiting process is convenient and cost-free.

Post online

You can post a job online or provide a detailed job description to the Work Experience Coordinator. Postings submitted online will be verified by a Work Experience Coordinator. 

Note: new postings are subject to approval by Career Services and program faculty.

For more information contact:

George Cooper
Work Experience Coordinator
Phone: 403.440.6844
e-mail: gcooper@mtroyal.ca

Click here for a printable brochure of this program information.

For academic program information about the new Bachelor of Communications - Information Design program website.

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