TW Courses in Dallas; Value of TW Degrees

[Mary Reynolds <mreynold -at- NORTEL -dot- CA>]

I have recently switched careers to technical writing. I was hired based on
my knowledge of Frame, Word, FrontPage, etc., and my years of experience
doing business writing, editing, typesetting, layout and composition, etc.
I already have a BA and MS in nontechnical fields.

I am doing a lot of OJT learning (mostly company-related), but I want more.
My employer will reimburse me for tuition if I take work-related classes on
my own time. I have been trying to research what courses in TW are available
in the Dallas area, but the STC database only lists one college near me,
and I KNOW there are several offering at least some courses in TW.

I'm posting to the list seeking two things:

1. Information about courses in the Dallas area. Respond privately, please,
and I will summarize responses.

2. Opinions about the value of a technical writing degree vs. cultivating
a specific set of skills in terms of career advancement. My current
impression is that it can't hurt a bit to have a degree and can really
help get that first job. I also observe, however, that the technology
sector is generally more focused on skills than on academics. Maybe
I would be better off to take just those courses that advance the
specific skills I need and forget about pursuing another degree. What
do you think?

Thanks in advance for your information and I hope a spirited debate!

Mary Reynolds
Technical Writer
Richardson, TX
mreynold -at- nortel -dot- ca