This program is available at the following location:

• Corvallis

This certificate is available as a standalone program. 

The undergraduate certificate in Scientific, Technical, and Professional Communication is an interdisciplinary program offered by the School of Writing, Literature and Film and the School of Communication.

The core will consist of courses in writing, communications, and new media arts. These courses are production-oriented and focused on writing and communication skills that students will transfer into other work. Electives are divided between course work in these and other fields, including one course from the Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) and up to six credits in upper-division courses in writing and communication. The program is capped by a one-credit course focused on the creation of a portfolio of technical and scientific communication materials that will be valuable for students as they begin their careers.

Certificate Code: C750

Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:

• Collaborate as a team member on a complex writing and communication project involving several partners and multiple skills, resolving difficulties and differences of opinion.
• Publish in multiple modes, including print, image, video, audio, etc; generate material appropriate for unique contexts and audiences; produce ethical, public-oriented and user-centered communication.
• Produce known genres and adapt them for unique contexts; understand both structural and cultural aspects of different genres commonly used in professional and public settings.
• Write clear, correct, and stylistically effective prose; edit writing for unique contexts.
• Critique public communication; assess and articulate complex information from subject matter experts to a broader public; analyze and incorporate the needs and well-being of the public.
• Analyze the effectiveness of different messages across media types; adapt messages to different audiences and contexts; employ strategies for persuasion, at appropriate times, for a range of purposes.
• Demonstrate understanding of how communication differs among cultures; identify challenges that arise from these differences; address those challenges ethically, creatively, and effectively.
• Synthesize technical and scientific communication education in a portfolio of professional work; articulate decisions related to portfolio material selection.

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Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)

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Writing Intensive Course (WIC)

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Core Education course. Applies only to students admitted to an OSU undergraduate degree from Summer 2025 onwards

Certificate Code: C750