How will this course benefit my career?

If you enjoy writing, possess curiosity and capacity to find out how unfamiliar products or procedures work, you are well suited to undertake this program.

The Graduate Certificate of Social Science (Technical Communication) has been developed in close consultation with the Australian Society for Technical Communication (ASTC) Victoria, and has their support. Leading figures from the industry also serve on the course advisory committee.

Course overview

Technical communicators/writers are specialists who produce clearly written, well-structured documents for complex technical concepts or products, including computer software. In some respects their work is close to journalism. For example, they must research the concept or product, a process that usually involves interviewing subject matter experts. Then they need the skills to analyse the information they gather. They are often commissioned to write on something that they do not initially know much about and have to work to a deadline. They are usually part of a team and have to negotiate with an editor.

In other respects their work is unlike journalism. This is because they are often dealing with technical and esoteric subject matter (such as documenting the flow of aviation fuel into an airport or a software package for predicting the price of futures on the stock exchange) and they need to liaise with clients. Thus another of way of thinking of their role can be helpful: we can see them as interpreters who stand between the creators of complex products (from mobile phones to airliners to banking systems) and the end users of these products. They play a key role as advocates for the end users, clients or members of the public who must be able to understand the product if they are to benefit from it.