Advanced Certificate in Technical Information Design
http://www.rit.edu/cast/cms/grad/certificate.html
Technical information design is a growing multidisciplinary communication field that requires understanding and skills in the development and use of text, graphic design, multimedia, and other techniques to enhance contemporary technical communication. Success in this field demands that the practitioner have superior writing skills, adeptness at selecting and using available and emerging media, and the ability to recognize excellence in the visual aspects of communication design. This program focuses on the information designer’s use of technology to create documentation and deliver information to the intended audience.
Admission requirements
Certificate applicants should have a baccalaureate or equivalent degree from an accredited institution and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B). Students with lower grade point averages may take courses on a nonmatriculated basis and be admitted after successful completion of two or more courses and permission of the program chair. Two professional recommendations must be submitted. International applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language. A minimum score of 550 (paper-based) is required. Students with a lower score may be admitted conditionally and may be required to take a prescribed program in English, along with a reduced program course load. Students entering this program also are expected to have basic skills in technical writing and editing, and technical document design.
Curriculum
| Required courses | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. |
| 0688-711 Technical Information Design | 4 |
| 0688-731 Technical Procedures | 4 |
| 0688-741 Usability Design and Testing | 4 |
These core courses are available through distance education. In addition, students are required to complete a minimum of 11 elective credits, chosen with the approval of their program adviser.
| Elective courses | |
| 4004-730 Interactive Media Implementation | 4 |
| 4004-741 Fundamentals of Web-based Multimedia | 4 |
| 4004-745 Theories in Interactive Computing | 4 |
| 0688-721 Creating Technical Proposals | 4 |
| 0688-732 Managing Technical and Scientific Communication | 4 |
| 2081-723 Contemporary Publishing | 4 |
| 0688-714 Science Writing | 4 |
Many of these electives are available through distance education. Other electives, human-computer interface, computer graphics, project management, and other relevant fields may be used with an adviser’s approval. For more information or advising, please call Thomas Moran at (585) 475-4936.