RE: technical writer degree programs

["Goldstein, Dan" <DGoldstein -at- DeusTech -dot- com>]

In many interviews with companies, I have not yet been asked if I even have
a degree, let alone what field it was in. Someone did ask once about my SAT
scores...

Many government contracts specify a degree requirement for senior tech
writer positions, and some of these will not accept years of work experience
in lieu of a degree. But they're not too particular about the exact field of
the degree, so anything in the approximate neighborhood of
English/Journalism/Tech Writing will do for them.

YMMV

Dan Goldstein

-----Original Message-----
From: Janice Henning [mailto:j -dot- henning -at- comcast -dot- net]
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 12:09 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: technical writer degree programs

Hi, I currently write technical documentation for Hewlett Packard's server
division and
have been doing so for several years. I also do phone support and
troubleshoot
hardware/software issues on servers.

I was previously in the desktop publishing business for 10 years, and I had
my own scoping
business, which was editing and proofreading court documents.

HP will pay for my degree, but I'm having a hard time finding a 4-year
college in my area
that offers a degree in technical writing. The closest I've come to it is a
bachelor
degree in Technical Journalism, which I would only have to take two
"reporting" type
classes than the rest I could gear towards technical writing, or so I've
been told. I
haven't checked out the classes or curriculum yet, but I will very soon.

Would I be better off in my field if I were to get a bachelor's degree in
English?

Thank you!

Janice