This program offering allows students to choose from over 20 different topic areas and to propose a course of study that they may engage in under the guidance and direction of a seasoned Senior Technical Writing Practitioner/Educator Course Administrator. (CA).

This Certificate Program uses a comprehensive text as well as an instructional web site to bring together resources, exercises, activities, assignments, quizzes and deliverables that are geared exclusively towards the art and craft of technical writing.

Overview of Instructional Website

• You will have at your disposal an instructional website that provides supplemental information relative to
  the subject area.
  
• You can choose from a variety of available assignments, activities, exercises.
  
• Use the criteria established with the CA to perform specific activities tied to our course of study and final deliverable.
  
• Use the automated quiz generator to test your skill level through each section of the course.
  

In short, students enrolled in the course take the following steps after enrollment:

Phase 1

1. Purchase course textbook and have available for start of class.
2. Contact Course Administrator (CA) requesting criteria and information regarding proposed course of study.
3. Student compiles course of study and creates a proposal submitted to CA based on criteria, goals and objectives.
4. Proposal accepted or student asked to modify.
5. Student engages in course of study.

Phase 2

1. Mid-point conference with CA via email or voice conference.
2. Student presents written progress report.
3. Completion date and administrative activities reviewed and acted upon.

Phase 3

1. Completion of program.
2. Student presents final written report on complete course of study to CA.
3. Final Portfolio or project based work submitted for review and grading by CA.

Phase 4

1. Certificate Awarded

After completing your course of study you will have gained a well-rounded education allowing you to...

• Perform effective audience and purpose analyses for user-centered documents
• Write specifically to fit your audience needs
• Create powerful technical documents including descriptions, processes, instructions, and reports
• Understand and Apply effectual principles of visual design to your documents
• Develop valuable information plans and content specifications
• Estimate and Manage your documentation projects

Enroll today in this career track workforce education training industry certificate program.

How long will it take me to complete the course?
Depending on the amount of time you devote to the program, it can be completed within 3 months or less. You may take as much time as you need up to 1 full year.

How is the program administered?
The entire program is delivered both online through a Companion Website and a published textbook. The site is available to you 24/7.

Outside of tuition and book fees are there any other costs involved?
A Technical Writing Certificate is granted through an Official Accredited University. This Paper-Based Certificate is granted once you have successfully completed your course of study and your tuition has been paid in full. Write to requestmycertificate@jeronline.com for more information. Certificate fees apply. This Certificate Course must be completed within the specified time period noted at the time of enrollment; if additional time is needed, extension fees will apply.

What are the advantages of taking this course online?
Always accessible…on demand…single login…easy to manage…work at your own pace…these are just a few of the many advantages.

What about Financing my course of study?
Financing may be available; please contact courseinfo@jeronline.com for more information.

Outlook for Technical Writers Bureau of Labor Statistics

Employment of technical writers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations as the need to explain a growing number of electronic and scientific products increases. Job prospects are expected to be good for those with solid writing and communications skills and a technical background.

Employment change. Employment of technical writers is expected to grow 18 percent, or faster than the average for all occupations, from 2010 to 2018. Demand over this decade is expected to increase because of the continuing expansion of scientific and technical information and the growing presence of customer service and Web-based product support networks. Legal, scientific, and technological developments and discoveries will generate demand for people who can interpret technical information for a general audience. Rapid growth and change in the high-technology and electronics industries will result in a greater need for people who can write users' guides, instruction manuals, and training materials in a variety of formats and communicate information clearly to others. This occupation requires workers who are both skilled writers and effective communicators and familiar with a specialized subject area.

Increasing acceptance of interactive media to provide nearly real-time information will create employment opportunities for technical writers because of the need to revise online information. Businesses and organizations are making more material available online often in formats that permit greater scrutiny and comparison of detailed information. The growing amount and complexity of information available on the Web will spur demand for technical writers. Professional, scientific, and technical services firms will continue to grow and should be a good source of new jobs even as the occupation finds acceptance in a broader range of industries, including data processing, hosting, and related services and educational services.

Job prospects. Job prospects, especially for applicants with solid communication and technical skills, are expected to be good. The growing reliance on technologically sophisticated products in the home and the workplace and the increasing complexity of medical or scientific information needed for daily living will create many new job opportunities for technical writers. However, competition will exist for technical writing positions with more desirable companies and for workers who are new to the occupation.

In addition to job openings created by employment growth, some openings will arise as experienced workers retire, transfer to other occupations, or leave the labor force. Also, many freelancers may not earn enough money by freelancing to remain in the occupation, thus generating additional job openings.

• Display a solid understanding of the concepts utilized in the technical communication field
• Write effective and efficient technical documents specific to content areas of your choosing 
• Utilize visual design to enhance your documents and communicate complex data
• Employ architectural and industry standards to documents 
• Effectively communicate information to specialized target audiences
• Understand the requirements, organization, and estimation needed for quality management of your documentation projects
• More effectively deal with difficult tasks and time-sensitive projects
• Demonstrate your capabilities in the workplace setting at an advanced level

• Self-reports of progress made at halfway point and at the end of the course
• Completed assignments, activities, exercises, readings, reports
• All other deliverables required by course administrator such as a completed portfolio or final project

The Advanced Certificate in Technical Writing is delivered so students create a course of study from any of the following 3 concentration areas (see below). A minimum of 1 specific area of concentration must be selected, and within that area of concentration the student must choose a minimum of 3 subject areas. If a student seeks to combine two or three other concentration areas they may do so with the consent of the Course Administrator. Regardless of concentration areas chosen, the student must declare one elective from any of concentration areas listed below and incorporate that into their Certificate Course of Study.

Areas of Concentration

Concentration: Foundations – Emphasizing the Composing Process

Subject Areas

• The Basic Parts of the Composing Process
• Writing for Your Readers
• Achieving a Readable Script
• Writing Ethically
• Writing for International Readers

Concentration: Techniques – Moving Beyond the Basic Concepts

Subject Areas

• Gathering, Evaluating, and Documenting Information
• Designing and Formatting Documents
• Creating and Managing Text
• Developing the Main Elements of Reports
• Creating Tables and Figures

Concentration: Applications – The Emerging Forms of Technical Writing

Subject Areas

• Planning Correspondence and E-Mai;
• Creating Reports for Any Occasion
• Developing Analytical Reports: Recommendation Reports and Feasibility Studies
• Developing Research Reports
• Formulating Instructions, Procedures, and Policies
• Writing Collaboratively
• Preparing Oral Reports

The following are some of the various Advanced Certificates that can be earned by the student enrolling in this program.

Certificate in Analytical Reports with Emphasis in Recommendation Reports and Feasibility Studies
Certificate in Technical Writing with International Readers Emphasis
Certificate in Research Reporting
Certificate in Procedures, Policies, and Procedures
Certificate in Report Writing
Certificate in Document Design

[Create your own Advanced Certificate with consent of the Course Administrator]