Find Schools & Degree Programs - Your New Career Training Starts Here!

Associates Degree in Journalism

Journalism Online Degree Information

Are you good at writing, but have no interest in writing a book? Do you have in interest in computers, medicine, or science? If your answer to these questions is “yes” then you should consider earning a journalism degree in technical writing. Studying for a journalism degree will prepare you to work in the fascinating field of scientific, medical, and computer and technical related communication. Recently, there’s been a rapid change in the amount of information technologies that are available and a good technical writing program will teach you how to write and organize both technical and non-technical information for a wide variety of fields as well a wide variety of media. There are basically two areas of technical writing in which you can specialize. You can either write technical communications for the computer and electronics field or for the science and medicine field. A good technical writing program will afford you the opportunity to work with real clients at some point so you can master the management skills and group interaction skills you’ll need if you’re going to succeed as a technical writer. You’ll also be kept up to date, and will learn how to keep yourself up to date, about the latest software programs and technology that can help make your job easier.

Some of the courses you can expect to take while earning your degree include:

  • Visual Media (Technical Communication)
  • Technical Editing
  • User Interface Lay-out
  • Scientific and Technical Writing
  • Communication (scientific and technical)
  • Content Management
  • Computer Programming
  • Math
  • Web Site Publishing
  • Web Site Design
  • Print Production

The other courses you’ll be required to take will depend on which of the above mentioned two areas you decide to specialize in. You may also have to create a portfolio of your work in order to graduate. Once you graduate with your journalism degree, you’ll have gained the skills needed to design websites and implement them, produce both multimedia and printed materials, and write online help systems, user’s guides, and other manuals to name a few. You’ll also become proficient in your ability to develop both scientific and technical information for other professionals in the computer, science, and medical fields as well as for the general public.

Today, technical writers are responsible for writing so much more than just print media. There’s now a wide variety of media types that a technical writer can lend their talent to. So, if you have experience in technical areas like medicine, science, or computers, and you’re interested in changing careers, a degree may be just what you need. However, the field of technical writing is changing quickly so you’ll need to be willing to keep up to date with the latest software and technical advances. According to the website belonging to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for technical writers will increase incredibly between now and 2020. Information on the site says that the best opportunities for technical writers will be for those who are very familiar with the subject area they’re writing about. The greatest demand for technical writers will be in the areas of economics, medicine, and law. And because of the many, ongoing discoveries and developments in both scientific and technical areas, there will be a consistent demand for writers who are gifted at writing technical information in a language that’s easily understandable by the general public.


 

Broadcast Journalism Program Levels