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Technical Communication
Technical Communication (Lewis Department of Humanities)
Siegel Hall 218 limited time to absorb it. Professionals who can package
3301 S. Dearborn St. technical, scientific and other information using the
Chicago, IL 60616 newest technological tools are in demand in business,
312.567.3465 industry, nonprofit organizations, and government.
riley@iit.edu
www.iit.edu/~techcomm To meet these needs, the Lewis Department of
Humanities offers graduate programs in technical com-
Chair: munication and information design, information
Kathryn Riley, Department of Humanities architecture, instructional design, technical and profes-
sional communication, and international technical
Director, Graduate Programs: communication. Students gain the knowledge and skills
Glenn J. Broadhead needed to create, organize and present technical informa-
broadhead@iit.edu tion in a variety of media, learning from faculty who are
experienced practitioners in the field of technical commu-
Effective communication is critical in times of rapid tech- nication. Programs are oriented toward working
nological change, wherever increasing amounts of professionals and can be taken on a part-time basis.
information must compete for the attention of people with
Degrees Offered
Master of Science in Technical Communication Doctor of Philosophy in Technical Communication
and Information Design
Master of Science in Information Architecture
Certificate Programs
Instructional Design Ethics in the Workplace: Business, Engineering and
International Technical Communication Government (via the Center for the Study of Ethics in the
Technical Communication Professions)
Research Facilities
The department has a state-of-the-art computer lab arranged in clusters to promote collaborative work. The
equipped with 31 Pentium PCs connected to a local department also supports a Usability Testing and
area network (LAN), which provides remote access to an Evaluation Center and an editing center, Edit IIT.
external network, printers, a scanner, a theater-style pro-
jector, and multimedia software and hardware. The lab is
Research Areas
Faculty conduct research in the areas of the rhetoric lishing, Web site development and management, online
of science and technology; technical communication; applications, hypertext, multimedia, and hypermedia; lin-
usability testing, including testing and evaluating a com- guistics; cultural studies; history (including history of
munication product using prototyping, sampling surveys, science and technology); philosophy (including workplace
and experimental design; instructional design, including ethics); film; history of art and architecture.
analysis of human performance problems, strategic inter-
ventions, learning tasks, and validation instruments;
documentation and online design, including desktop pub-
IIT Graduate Bulletin 2006-2008 309
Technical Communication
Faculty
Matthew J. Bauer, Assistant Professor of Linguistics. Jo Mackiewicz, Assistant Professor of Technical
B.A., University of Minnesota, Duluth; M.S., Ph.D., Communication. B.S., University of Wisconsin, Superior;
Georgetown University. M.A., University of Minnesota, Duluth; Ph.D.,
Georgetown University.
Glenn J. Broadhead, Associate Professor of English,
Director of Technical Communication Programs, and Margaret Power, Associate Professor of History. B.A.,
Director of Communication Across the Curriculum. B.A., Ph.D., University of Illinois, Chicago.
Los Angeles State College; M.A., Ph.D., University of
California, Davis. Gregory J. Pulliam, Senior Lecturer of English. B.A.,
Memphis State University; M.A., Ph.D., University of
James Dabbert, Senior Lecturer, English. B.A., M.A., Missouri.
Indiana University.
Kathryn Riley, Professor of English, Chair of the
Michael Davis, Professor of Philosophy. B.A., Western Department of Humanities, and Director of Edit IIT.
Reserve University; Ph.D., University of Michigan. B.A., University of Maryland; M.A., Georgia State
University; Ph.D. (English), University of Maryland;
Susan Feinberg, Professor of English and Director of the Ph.D. (Linguistics), Louisiana State University.
Usability Testing and Evaluation Center. B.A., University
of Michigan; M.A., University of Louisville Kentucky; Warren S. Schmaus, Professor of Philosophy. A.B.,
Ph.D., Kent State University. Princeton University; M.A., Ph.D., University of
Pittsburgh.
Kevin P. Harrington, Professor of Architectural History.
B.A., Colgate University; M.A., Ph.D., Cornell University. John W. Snapper, Associate Professor of Philosophy. B.A.,
Princeton University; M.A., Ph.D., University of Chicago.
Robert F. Ladenson, Professor of Philosophy. B.A.,
University of Wisconsin; Ph.D., Johns Hopkins Michael Tillmans, Assistant Professor of Technical
University; J.D., DePaul University. Communication. B.A., University of Northern Iowa; M.A.,
Arizona State University; Ph.D., Florida State University.
310 IIT Graduate Bulletin 2006-2008
Technical Communication
Admission Guidelines (Ph.D. Program)
The doctoral program in technical communication at IIT In addition to the application form, the applicant must
prepares students for careers in teaching at the univer- submit the following:
sity and community college levels, as well as for advanced 1. Official transcripts, or certified copies thereof, of all
supervisory and research positions in business and gov- academic work at the college level or above
ernment. Building on a base of skills in workplace 2. Three letters of recommendation
practices, the program incorporates theory-oriented 3. Professional statement
advanced readings, seminars, and dissertation research 4. Required test scores
leading to original contributions to scholarship in the
field. All applicants are required to submit the Graduate
Record Exam (GRE) scores with a combined minimum
Our students enter the Ph.D. program from a wide range score of 1200 (for tests taken prior to Oct. 1, 2002), or 900
of undergraduate majors and masters degree fields in the (quantitative + verbal) and 2.5 (analytical writing) (for
humanities, sciences, and technology—that is, not just tests taken on or after Oct. 1, 2002).
technical writing, English, journalism, communication,
history, and philosophy, but also computer science, psy- International students must submit TOEFL scores unless
chology, design, biology, engineering, and many other they are exempt. Students who score below 600/250* on
areas. The program's goal is to help students build on the TOEFL must take the English Proficiency Review
existing strengths and develop new areas of expertise (EPR) to assess the level of their skill in written and spo-
while mastering the techniques and literature of research ken English. Students who show deficiency on the EPR
in technical communication. exam may be refused admission to this graduate pro-
gram. U.S. citizens are exempt from the requirement,
Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s or master’s and students from a number of countries are exempt from
degree in technical communication or any field that, in the TOEFL requirement. (For details, see the current
combination with the 30-credit-hour technical core, would Graduate Bulletin.)
provide a solid basis for the advanced study of communi-
cation in business, industrial, corporate, government, and Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis, and
other institutional settings. A partial list of examples applications are accepted any time during the year.
would include human factors psychology, history of tech- However, it may be to your advantage to apply as early
nology, computer science, sociology, anthropology, and as possible.
library science among many others. The relevance of pre-
vious degrees to the doctoral program will be assessed by * Paper-based test score/computer-based test score.
the program director.
Admission Guidelines (Masters Degrees)
Applicants to the department’s technical communication Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accred-
programs come from a broad variety of backgrounds. ited four-year institution with a minimum cumulative
Some students enter with strong writing or design ability GPA of 3.0/4.0.
and learn to apply those skills in technical and scientific
areas, while other students enter with a background in a Applicants must submit Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
technical or scientific field and work to enhance their com- scores with a combined minimum score of 1200 (for tests
munication skills. Successful students in the technical taken prior to Oct. 1, 2002), or 900 (quantitative + verbal)
communication and information design and information and 2.5 (analytical writing) (for tests taken on or after
architecture programs have had undergraduate or previ- Oct. 1, 2002). [Note: this GRE requirement is only for
ous graduate degrees in fields such as business applicants to the information architecture program and is
administration, engineering, computer science, graphic waived for those applicants with bachelor’s degrees from
arts, design, English literature, communication, journal- accredited U.S. educational institutions with a minimum
ism, technical writing, rhetoric/composition, and others. cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0.]
The program’s goal is to help students build upon existing
strengths and develop new areas of expertise so that no International students must submit TOEFL scores,
specific field of prior study is required. (However, the cer- unless they fall under the rules of exemption as stated in
tificate program in instructional design requires prior or the "Admission" section of this bulletin (see
concurrent experience in technical communication.) "International Applicant Requirements"). Students who
score below 600/250* on the TOEFL must take the
English Proficiency Review (EPR) to assess the level of
IIT Graduate Bulletin 2006-2008 311
Technical Communication
their skill in written and spoken English. Students who meeting the minimum GPA and test score requirements.
show deficiency on the EPR exam may be refused admis- Students who enter as non-degree students should first
sion to this graduate program. (U.S. citizens are exempt discuss their plans with the director of technical commu-
from the English as a foreign language proficiency nication. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis,
requirement.) If applicants do not meet these guidelines, and applications are accepted any time during the year.
they may seek probationary admission or may simply However, for maximum consideration, applications should
enroll in classes as a non-degree student (if permitted), be completed by April 1 for the fall semester or November
in order to demonstrate an ability to work successfully 1 for the spring semester.
at the graduate level.
* Paper-based test score/computer-based test score.
Note: Enrolling in courses does not guarantee later accep-
tance into the technical communication and information
design or information architecture programs, nor does
Doctor of Philosophy in Technical Communication
84 credit hours beyond the bachelors degree, including COM 552 Multiculturalism in International
Technical communication core (30 credit hours) Communication
Electives (minimum of 12 credit hours) COM 553 Globalization and Localization in
Dissertation research (minimum of 24 credit hours) International Communication
Additional electives or dissertation research (as SEP 501 Foundation of Ethics in the Professions
needed to achieve total of 84) SEP 503 Ethics and Cultural Differences in the
Qualifying examination (oral) Workforce
Comprehensive examination (oral) SEP 505 Environmental Issues
Dissertation SEP 507 Ethics and Technological and Social Change
Dissertation examination (oral) Other courses in history, philosophy, psychology, sociology,
political science, business, etc., as approved by the director of
Transfer Units technical communication programs
Students who have already earned masters degrees or
undertaken graduate work in relevant fields may trans- Methodology and Dissertation Research
fer credit hours toward the doctoral degree (up to 36 COM 601 Research Methods and Resources in Technical
credit hours for graduate coursework in relevant fields at Communication (3 credit hours)
IIT, up to 30 credit hours for graduate coursework in rele- COM 691 Research and Dissertation for Ph.D. degree
vant fields at other institutions). (at least 24 credit hours)
Course Requirements (Details) Additional Courses
Additional coursework or dissertation research sufficient
Required Courses to meet the requirement of 84 credit hours beyond the
Technical Communication Core (30 credit hours) bachelors degree. All work for a doctoral degree should be
COM 525 Research and Usability Testing completed within six calendar years after the approval of
COM 528 Document Design the program of study; if it is not, then the student must
COM 529 Technical Editing re-pass the Qualifying Examination.
COM 530 Online Design
COM 535 Instructional Design Examinations
COM 537 Documentation and Project Management The Qualifying examination is a structured discussion
COM 538 Entrepreneurship in Technical Communication based on a portfolio consisting of four elements: (1) deliv-
COM 541 Indexing and Information Retrieval erables and explanatory material for a masters-level
COM 542 Knowledge Management for project (or its equivalent); (2) a collection of significant
Technical Communicators course papers and assignments completed as part of the
COM 561 Teaching Technical Communication Technical Communication Core (or as part of equivalent
study elsewhere); (3) a bibliographic essay identifying sig-
Electives (at least 12 credit hours) nificant trends in recent research in technical
COM 532 Rhetoric of Technology communication; (4) a substantial essay that introduces
COM 536 Proposal and Grant Writing and analyzes the other materials in the portfolio and
COM 545 Writing for Publication shows how they constitute a coherent program of study in
COM 551 Language Issues in International preparation for advanced work toward the doctorate. The
Communication examining committee must include a minimum of four
faculty members. The Qualifying Exam must be taken
312 IIT Graduate Bulletin 2006-2008
Technical Communication
within the first year of work toward the doctoral degree, ture). Students usually take the Comprehensive Exam at
and the student must be registered when the exam is the end of the second year of doctoral study, but no later
administered. If the student fails the Qualifying than one year prior to the Dissertation Examination. The
Examination, the examining committee may recommend student must be registered at the time of the exam.
a re-examination. At least one semester of additional
preparation is considered essential before re-examination. The Dissertation Examination is a structured discussion
The second chance for taking the Qualifying Exam is of the dissertation and its scholarly context. Like the
regarded as final. Any additional considerations must be Comprehensive Examination Committee, the Dissertation
petitioned and approved by the graduate dean. Committee must consist of at least four tenured or
tenure-track teachers, including three from technical
The Comprehensive Examination is a structured discus- communication and one from another program. (This
sion based on (a) a portfolio of course papers, projects, exam is called the “Final Thesis Examination” in the
and readings completed as part of coursework under- current Graduate Bulletin.)
taken in preparation for the doctorate, along with (b) a
proposal for the doctoral dissertation. The examinee Dissertation
should demonstrate expertise in the area or areas rele- The dissertation should constitute an original contribu-
vant to the proposed dissertation. The examining tion to scholarship in technical communication—
committee must consist of at least four tenured or tenure- including areas of interaction between technical commu-
track faculty members, including three members of the nication and other disciplines (especially the Humanities
technical communication faculty and one other faculty disciplines of art & architecture history, history, linguis-
member from a program other than technical communica- tics, literature, philosophy, and rhetoric/composition). The
tion. In some cases, students may wish to add a fifth research topic and method may be empirical (perhaps
member from the Humanities Department (e.g., history, employing the facilities of the Usability Testing and
philosophy, composition, art & architecure history, litera- Evaluation Center), pedagogical, historical, or theoretical.
Master of Science in Technical Communication and Information Design
30-34 credit hours COM 529 Technical Editing (OR COM 425 Editing)
Project or Thesis COM 585 Internship (may be waived for students with
Internship (may be waived for students workplace experience)
with workplace experience)
Electives
The M.S. in Technical Communication and Information COM 428 Verbal and Visual Communication
Design provides an understanding of communication COM 532 Rhetoric of Technology
practices, familiarity with information and communica- COM 536 Proposal and Grant Writing
tion technologies, and an awareness of the importance COM 541 Indexing and Information Retrieval
of collaboration in enhancing the flow of information COM 542 Knowledge Management for Technical
throughout an organization. Candidates admitted to the Communicators
master’s program must have a bachelor’s degree from an COM 551 Language Issues in International
accredited institution. The program is interdisciplinary, Communication
and qualified students may enroll from a wide range of COM 553 Globalization and Localization in International
undergraduate major fields. Communication
COM 552 Multiculturalism in International
Students preparing for careers as technical communica- Communication
tors are advised to take the project option, which requires COM 435 Intercultural Communication
33–34 credit hours, while students preparing for a Ph.D. MBA 520 Organizational Behavior
in a relevant field may wish to take the thesis option, CS 565 Computer-Assisted Instruction Using
which requires 30–31 credit hours. For both options, a Multimedia
required one-credit-hour internship may be waived for CS 460 Multimedia
students with workplace experience. Students may apply
up to six hours of credit in one of the following courses: Other courses as approved by the director of technical
COM 594 (Project) or COM 591 (Thesis). communication programs
Required courses Students may incorporate coursework for the technical
COM 525 Research and Usability Testing and professional communication, instructional design
COM 530 Online Design and/or international technical communication certificates
COM 537 Documentation and Project Management into their work toward the technical communication and
COM 538 Entrepreneurship in Technical Communication information design degree (so long as those courses were
COM 528 Document Design (OR COM 424 Document not applied to another degree).
Design)
IIT Graduate Bulletin 2006-2008 313
Technical Communication
Master of Science in Information Architecture
33-37 credit hours Required courses
Project or Thesis COM 525 Research and Usability Testing
Internship (may be waived for students COM 530 Online Design
with workplace experience) COM 537 Documentation and Project Management
COM 538 Entrepreneurship in Technical Communication
The Master of Science in Information Architecture COM 541 Indexing and Information Retrieval
enhances a technical communication core with special- COM 542 Knowledge Management
ized concepts, skills and tools for designing, imple- in Technical Communication
menting and managing Web sites and related media COM 585 Internship (may be waived for students
such as CD-ROMs. This degree provides students with with workplace experience)
expertise for a number of tasks relevant to mid-level COM 528 Document Design OR
and advanced positions in the workplace: Web site COM 424 Document Design
design, Web site project management, information
retrieval, knowledge management, usability testing and Electives
evaluation. Because of the global reach of the Internet, Students may specialize in relevant clusters of courses,
students may wish to incorporate a certificate in such as web design (COM 430, Basic Web Design; COM
international technical communication as part of their 431, Intermediate Web Design; COM 432, Advanced Web
coursework toward the information architecture degree. Design), databases, e-commerce, visual design; or they
may seek a broad-based understanding by selecting
Students preparing for careers as technical communica- courses from different clusters.
tors are advised to take the project option, which requires
36–37 credit hours, while students preparing for a Ph.D. Courses from relevant disciplines may also be applied
in a relevant field may wish to take the thesis option, with permission of the director of technical communica-
which requires 33–34 credit hours. For both options, a tion programs.
required one-credit-hour internship may be waived for
students with workplace experience. Students may apply
up to six hours of credit in one of the following courses:
COM 594 (Project) or COM 591 (Thesis).
Certificate Programs
All coursework taken toward any of the three certificates Architecture (for students who are admitted to one
and passed with a grade of “B” or better may also of those programs).
be applied to the M.S. in Technical Communication
and Information Design or the M.S. in Information
Certificate in Technical Communication
This certificate is designed for students seeking an entry- Required courses
level position as a technical communicator in a broad
range of fields (e.g., industry, manufacturing, health care, COM 525 Usability Testing
publishing and advertising, and government agencies). COM 529 Document Design OR
Applicants must have a four-year bachelor’s degree from COM 424 Document Design
an accredited institution with a minimum cumulative COM 529 Technical Editing OR
GPA of at least 2.5/4.0 and must be admitted as graduate COM 425 Editing
certificate students. The program consists of 12 credit COM 530 Online Design OR
hours of coursework (four courses) and a one credit-hour COM 428 Verbal and Visual Communication OR
internship (which may be waived for candidates with pro- COM 435 Intercultural Communication
fessional experience). Courses taken in this program may
be applied toward the master’s degree for students admit- Elective approved by the director of technical communica-
ted to the degree program. tion COM 585 Internship (may be waived for candidates
with extensive workplace experience).
314 IIT Graduate Bulletin 2006-2008
Technical Communication
Certificate in Instructional Design
This certificate is primarily for experienced technical Required courses
communicators who wish to acquire focused competency COM 525 Usability Testing
in instructional design. Applicants must have a four-year COM 530 Online Design
bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a COM 535 Instructional Design
minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.5/4.0. Graduates
of this certificate program can serve as information spe- COM 424 Document Design OR
cialists to systematically design and develop instructional COM 529 Document Design
materials and training programs for businesses, individu-
als, health and education institutions, and government. One of the following (or another course approved
by the director of technical communication):
IIT offers a certificate program in instructional design COM 430 Introduction to Web Design and Management
that teaches the core concepts, instructional methods and COM 431 Intermediate Web Design and Management
assessment instruments for designing materials using COM 432 Advanced Web Design and Management
various forms of text and visual media, computers and CS 565 Multimedia
instructional techniques. Four required courses and one COM 585 Internship (may be waived for candidates
elective totaling 15 credit hours make up the certificate with extensive workplace experience)
program in instructional design:
Certificate in International Technical Communication
This certificate helps experienced writers, editors, project Required courses
managers, information architects, and web designers to COM 551 Language Issues in
acquire competency in special topics of internationalism, International Communication
multiculturalism, globalization, localization and language COM 553 Globalization and Localization
differences. in International Communication
Applicants must have a four-year bachelor’s degree from COM 552 Multiculturalism
an accredited insitution with a minimum cumulative GPA in International Communication OR
of at least 2.5/4.0. COM 435 Intercultural Communication
The program requires 12 credit hours of coursework (four Elective approved by the director
courses) plus a one credit-hour internship (which may be of technical communication
waived for candidates with extensive professional experi- COM 585 Internship (may be waived for candidates
ence). Courses taken in this program may be applied with extensive workplace experience)
toward a Master of Science degree in either information
architecture or technical communication and information Recommended
design (for students admitted to one of these degree pro- Fluency in two languages, or fluency in one language with
grams). reading/writing ability in two non-native languages
Ethics in the Workplace: Business, Engineering and Government
This program provides an understanding of ethical issues SEP 505 Environmental Issues: Practical
in the workplace, along with analytical skills for dealing and Responsible Approaches
responsibly with such issues. Students may select a nine SEP 507 Facing the Future: Ethics
credit-hour or a 12 credit-hour option. Applicants must and Technological and Social Change
have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited
insitution with a minimum cumulative GPA of at least Additional accelerated-course electives (students should
2.5/4.0. consult page 41 for the definition of “accelerated course.”)
A selection of one-credit and one-half-credit accelerated
Required course courses will be offered each semester and will address
SEP 501 The Foundation of Ethics issues of practical and professional ethics, energy,
in the Professions, Business and Government e-commerce and other selected topics. Accelerated courses
are numbered at the 700 level. A maximum of six credit
Electives hours of accelerated courses may be counted toward cer-
SEP 503 Doing Business and Engineering tificate completion.
Around the Globe: Ethics and Cultural
Differences in the Workforce
and in the Foreign Locale IIT Graduate Bulletin 2006-2008 315
Technical Communication
Course Descriptions
Numbers in parentheses discourse. Applications to social and variety of applications and to cus-
indicate class, lab and credit professional issues: intercultural tomize their own design projects.
hours, respectively. communication; sociopolitical dis- (3-0-3)
course; discourse in legal and
Technical Communication medical settings; discourse in educa- COM 532
and Information Design tional settings; narratives and Rhetoric of Technology
literary texts. An exploration of the rhetorical
COM 501 convention of various literary, theo-
Introduction to Linguistics COM 521 retical and historical discourses
Objective analysis of language struc- Key Concepts in Technical about what has come to be viewed
ture and structural hierarchies; a Communication as “contemporary technology.” The
survey of the basic concepts of lin- Broad and intensive readings of key course studies works from diverse
guistics; the phoneme, the concepts in technical communication, disciplines and literary genres,
morpheme, language change over such as usability, audience analysis, including science fiction, cyberpunk
time and space. task analysis, and information literature, cultural studies, anthro-
design. pology, political science, writing
COM 506 theory and education theory. (3-0-3)
World Englishes COM 525
Analysis of the variations of the Research and Usability Testing COM 535
English language throughout geo- An introduction to methods available Instructional Design
graphic and cultural regions of the for conducting research and usability Teaches the essentials for the develop-
world. testing. Students will learn how to ment of instructional materials,
plan and conduct tests that measure including analysis of human perfor-
COM 508 the efficiency and effectiveness of mance problems, strategic
Structure of Modern English a design or product. Course work interventions, specified learning tasks,
Analysis of English grammar from includes identifying and testing and validation instruments. (3-0-3)
four major perspectives: prescriptive, tasks, interpreting data and report-
descriptive, transformational-genera- ing findings. (3-0-3) COM 536
tive, and contextual perspectives. Proposal and Grant Writing
Different methods for analyzing sen- COM 528 Principles and practices for writing
tences, ways of applying each method Document Design proposals and grants, with study
to problems in editing and writing, An investigation of the theory and tracks for (a) students in scientific
and contributions of linguists such as practice of document and information and technical areas (emphasis on
Noam Chomsky. While focusing on design as applied to paper media. practices within their own discipline)
sentence structure, students also look This course focuses on planning and (b) specialists in technical com-
at the structure of words (morphology) the design and development of docu- munication (emphasis on general
and larger units of text (discourse) at ments and evaluating the document concepts from current research in
various points in the semester. for a variety of applications, includ- argumentation and persuasion).
ing manuals, instructional design, Attention to both individual and
COM 509 brochures, newsletters, graphics team skills. (3-0-3)
History of the English Language and tables. (3-0-3)
Study of the origins and development COM 537
of key features of the English lan- COM 529 Publication
guage through its important stages, Technical Editing Preparing, writing, editing and
including Old, Middle, and Early A study of the art of insuring the testing documentation for products
Modern English. clarity of technical works. The course and processes (especially software
highlights professional standards for documentation). Managing documen-
COM 515 the presentation of prose exposition, tation projects for quality in all
Discourse Analysis tables and graphic materials, as well phases: information planning, con-
Analysis of basic terminology and as the means for insuring satisfac- tent specification, implementation,
concepts used to analyze texts on the tion of those standards. (3-0-3) production and evaluation. (3-0-3)
intersentential and metalinguistic
levels (e.g., the particulars of seman- COM 530 COM 538
tic roles; given-new info and Online Design Entrepreneurship
syntactic strategies for manipulating An exploration of the theory and in Technical Communication
it; deixis and anaphora; presupposi- practice of structuring information Corporate and independent roles of
tion and entailment; direct and in on-line environments. This course technical communicators. Concepts
indirect speech acts; schema theory). will enable students to analyze styles and techniques needed to market
Attention to both spoken and written of graphical user interfaces for a services or to address the marketing
316 IIT Graduate Bulletin 2006-2008
Technical Communication
needs of clients. Modes, goals and linguistic theory and approaches to COM 573
strategies for verbal and written style, syntax, culture and borrowings Writing about Technology, Science,
interaction with clients, corporate across languages. Familiarization and Business
decision-makers, and communication with minimalism and controlled-lan- This course focuses on techniques for
staff, with attention to presentation guage strategies, as well as computer "translating" technical, scientific, and
technologies. (3-0-3) tools such as online dictionaries, business/economic information from
parsing programs, translation data- the dense, jargon-heavy discourses of
COM 541 bases, internet resources, and the disciplines into prose that is
Indexing and Information Retrieval international versions of software for readable and clear to laypersons.
Principles, practices and tools for page layout, web design and word
indexing either print or electronic processing. (3-0-3) COM 577
documents, along with methods Communication Law and Ethics
and tools for storing, maintaining COM 552 This course explores ethical and legal
and accessing information for Multiculturalism issues concerning communication in
communication roles in corporate, in International Communication diverse contexts: mass media (e.g.,
institutional and government Principles and procedures in print, broadcast, and electronic); gov-
settings. Emphasis on web-based analyzing and adapting to disparate ernment and politics; organizations
strategies, techniques and tools. societies and corporate cultures. (e.g., workplaces in public and pri-
(3-0-3) Exploration of differences between vate sectors); academic life (e.g.,
innate characteristics (human factors classroom student, and faculty
COM 542 psychology) and learned characteris- affairs); and interpersonal relations
Knowledge Management tics (ethnography). Special attention (e.g., love friendship, marriage).
in Communication to gender-based distinctions in inter- Students research and write an arti-
Analysis of the nature and uses of national contexts. (3-0-3) cle-length paper, and may also do
systems and knowledge in business additional research and/or classroom
and professional settings, focusing COM 553 work. Credit Hours: 3 Prerequisite:
on the technical communicator’s Multiculturalism Graduate standing
roles and tasks in generating and in International Communication
transferring data, information and Localization and globalization in COM 580
knowledge within organizations. international communication. Topics in Communication
(3-0-3) Special problems in managing publi- An investigation into a topic of cur-
cation projects for global audiences rent interest in communication,
COM 545 (acontextual) and local audiences which will be announced by the
Writing for Publication (highly contextualized), with empha- instructor when the course is sched-
Participants study tasks commonly sis on design issues, personnel uled. Advanced study of
associated with academic publica- issues, quality assurance, software communication issues, theories, and
tion: (1) analyzing, evaluating, and internationalization), and ISO 9000 practices relevant to science, technol-
gaining practice in preparing various standards. (3-0-3) ogy, and industry settings.
written academic genres (both pub- Repeatable for up to 9 credit hours.
lishable genres and job-search items COM 561 (3-0-3)
such as a CV and professional web- Teaching Technical Communication
site); (2) analyzing and evaluating Analysis of common teaching respon- COM 585
journals in the participant’s acac- sibilities and curriculum design for Internship
demic field; (3) understanding technical communicators at the col- The internship is a cooperative
strategies for and logistics of submit- lege level, focusing on including arrangement between IIT and indus-
ting items to journals and technical writing (service courses for try. It provides students with
conferences; (4) managing time dur- engineers & scientists) and technical hands-on experience in the field of
ing the research, writing, and communication (specialized courses technical communication and infor-
publication process; (5) revising work for career technical communicators), mation design. Prior internships or
and providing feedback to others; (6) but also devoting attention to reme- professional experience may fulfill
understanding and practicing the dial writing, first-year composition, this requirement. Credit: Variable.
rhetorical, organizational, and stylis- tutoring or supervision of a writing (Most M.S. students take one credit
tic conventions of academic writing; center. Such topics have variations of internship.) (3-0-3)
(7) preparing a presentation for a based on language (native vs. nonna-
conference or academic job interview. tive speakers of English) or class COM 591
level (undergraduate vs. graduate), Thesis
COM 551 and in some cases involve attention Individual study of a topic relevant
Language Issues to special needs such as physical to a degree or certificate in technical
in International Communication infirmity. communication, information design,
Translation concepts, strategies and or instructional design. (3-0-3)
resources. Exploration of relevant
IIT Graduate Bulletin 2006-2008 317
Technical Communication
COM 594 Foreign Locale and revising of reports, articles,
Project Issues raised by real and apparent manuals, procedures and proposals,
Projects will require students to com- differences in standards in different including the use of graphics. Works
plete a theoretically based analysis countries, with attention to bribery, by modern writers are analyzed.
of a practical communication situa- compensation standards, and work- Credit not granted for both COM 421
tion, create a document appropriate place safety, as well as cultural and MT 301. Prerequisite:
to the situation, and write an analy- differences in the composition of the Satisfaction of IIT’s Basic Writing
sis of or commentary on the choices workforce in the home country and Proficiency Requirement. (3-0-3) (C)
made in the production of the docu- abroad and issues of respect for per-
ment. (Credit: Variable. Most M.S. sons and fair treatment that arise. COM 423
students take six credits of project Communication in the Workplace
studies.) (3-0-3) SEP 505 A study of communication related to
Environmental Issues: Practical and science and technology in entrepre-
COM 597 Responsible Approaches neurial, corporate, government, and
Special Problems Responsibilities of members of busi- public service environments. This
Advanced topics in literature, lan- ness and government organizations course focuses on problem-solving
guage or communication studies. and of the professions with respect to genres (proposals and recommenda-
activities that have impact on the tion reports) and on common
COM 601 environment, such as strategies for patterns of ideas found in such docu-
Research and Methodologies engineers who design or oversee ments (e.g., process/steps,
This course explores the theory and plant processes that affect the envi- whole/parts, event/effects,
practice of designing research pro- ronment. Areas to be covered include event/causes, claim/reasons).
jects for studying and solving water quality, energy, transportation, Prerequisite: Satisfaction of IIT’s
problems in the discipline. The goal packaging and waste disposal. Basic Writing Proficiency
of the course is to enable students to Requirement. (3-0-3) (C)
study and evaluate research method- SEP 507
ologies for a variety of functional Facing the Future: Ethics and COM 424
contexts and to develop a knowledge Technological and Social Change Document Design
base for their own research applica- Issues such as privacy, ownership Theory and practice of designing sci-
tions. The course focuses on the and responsibility generated by entific, technical, and business
methods of empirical research in information technologies in the documents whose primary aim is
technical communication and infor- online world that is taking shape, usability. Focus on overall organiza-
mation design. Credit Hours: 3 with a focus on impacts of computers tion, page design, visuals and
in business, government and the pro- typography. Emphasis on print gen-
COM 691 fessions, as well as issues associated res such as brochures, reports, and
Research and Thesis Ph.D. with gene patenting, gene therapy, user manuals, but with attention to
This is a variable credit course for food technology (including issues parallels in screen-based media
Ph.D. candidates working on their about testing and labeling), and (Web, CD-ROM). (3-0-3)
dissertation. Credit hours: 1-20. sophisticated biomedical engineering.
Prerequisites: Ph.D. candidates only. COM 425
Undergraduate level courses Editing
Ethics in the Professions applicable to degrees Principles and strategies for revising
and certificates technical and scientific works for
SEP 501 usability, clarity, consistency and
The Foundation of Ethics COM 401 reliability. Examination of profes-
in the Professions, Business Advanced Composition sional standards and practices for
and Government and Prose Analysis text, tables, graphics and documents,
Sources and substance of business Critical analysis of various types of but with emphasis on cohesion (sig-
and government standards and pro- prose, with stress on the art as well nals of the line of thought), style and
fessional codes, focusing on issues as the craft of writing. The student usage. (3-0-3)
that concern all these institutions— is required to write several critical
for example, confidentiality, loyalty, papers. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of COM 428
conflict of interest, and obligations to IIT’s Basic Writing Proficiency Verbal and Visual Communication
the public. Requirement. (3-0-3) (C) Introduces students to the issues,
strategies, and ethics of technical
SEP 503 COM 421 and professional presentation, and
Doing Business and Engineering Technical Communication provides students with opportunities
Around the Globe: Principles and practice in the com- to engage in public address, video
Ethics and Cultural Differences munication of technical materials. presentations and conferencing, and
in the Workforce and in the Students work on the design, writing group presentations. Analysis of
318 IIT Graduate Bulletin 2006-2008
Technical Communication
audience types and presentation sit- COM 437 Other Undergraduate Courses
uations, group dynamics, persuasive Video Documentation Available to Graduate Students
theories, language and mass media. Video Documentation Planning and
(3-0-3) managing digital-video projects to AAH 491
document concepts and procedures in Independent Reading
COM 430 technology, science, business, and and Research in Art
Introduction to Web Design and education. Attention to scripting, and Architectural History
Management shooting, editing, and distribution
Presupposing only that students media. Students will work on indi- CS 460
know how to use a web browser, this vidual activities and collaborate on a Fundamentals of Multimedia
course teaches beginning HTML, community-service or other client-
basic page layout and design princi- centered project. (C) Credit Hours: 3 EG 425
ples, basic multimedia, and the Computer Graphics
structures of websites, and also COM 438 for Non-Engineers
introduces students to WYSIWYG Technical Exhibit Design
webpage-generation software and Technical Exhibit Design Planning HIST 491
FTP software. (3-0-3) and managing informative and Independent Reading
instructional exhibits in technical, and Research in History
COM 431 scientific, and business contexts.
Intermediate Web Design and Attention to characteristics and con- PHIL 491
Management straints of space, multimedia, and Independent Reading
A continuation of COM 430, this other resources, along with principles and Research in Philosophy
course goes more deeply into HTML, and goals of viewer access and flow.
multimedia, and some of the Students will work on individual
advanced features of WYSIWIG edi- activities and collaborate on a com-
tors. Prerequisite: COM 430 or munity-service or other
permission of instructor. (3-0-3) client-centered project. Instruction
will incorporate Chicago-area
COM 432 resources such as the Museum of
Advanced Web Design and Science and Industry. (C) Credit
Management Hours: 3
A continuation of COM 430 and COM
431, this course covers the most cur- COM 440
rent web technologies. Prerequisite: Introduction to Journalism
COM 431 or permission of instructor. Introduction to the principles and
(3-0-3) practices of modern American jour-
nalism. Students will analyze news
COM 435 stories and media, and will cover and
Intercultural Communication report on campus area events.
An introduction to the problems of Student-generated news stories will
communication across cultures, with be discussed, analyzed and evalu-
emphasis on the interplay of ated. (H,C) Credit Hours: 3
American civilization with those of Prerequisites: A 100-level humanities
other cultural areas. Prerequisite: A course.
100-level humanities course and
junior standing. (3-0-3) (H) (C)
IIT Graduate Bulletin 2006-2008 319
