Professional and Technical Communication, Master of Arts

The Master of Arts in Professional and Technical Communication (MAPTC) is  a fully-online program  designed to equip students with practical communication skills for today's dynamic workforce. This flexible and innovative program offers courses in 8-week sessions taught by professors who are award-winning scholars. 

The program consists of 30 credit hours, which includes 8 courses plus  a 6-credit hour internship. The degree can be earned in as little as 12 months for full-time students, while part-time students typically finish in 24-27 months. 

The MAPTC curriculum emphasizes real-world applications. In courses such as  technical writing, digital literacies, content strategy, and usability/user experience, students learn the intricacies of  industry-standard tools like MadCap Flare, Adobe Creative Suite, and generative AI technologies. A required practicum allows students to gain hands-on experience through an internship or a department-defined project, culminating in a portfolio assessment.

Key features of the MAPTC program include:

• Strong job placement. Over the past three decades, 99.9% of MAPTC graduates have secured employment within the field. 

• Industry-aligned curriculum. Regular curriculum updates driven by employer feedback and guidance from an advisory board of industry leaders ensure that the MAPTC provides practical, applicable skills that translate directly to the workplace. 

• Flexible learning. Asynchronous, 8-week online courses accommodate  career changers and working professionals seeking to elevate their expertise without putting their careers on hold.

Graduates of the MAPTC program are well-positioned for high-demand roles in fields like technology, healthcare, and education. Common job titles include technical writer, content manager, UX writer, and proposal writer, with an average starting salary of $70,000 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Major employers such as Southwest Airlines, Texas Instruments, and Sabre regularly hire MAPTC graduates, and the demand for skilled technical communicators continues to grow. Whether transitioning careers or seeking advancement, this program equips graduates with the tools to excel in a wide range of professional communication roles.

In addition to the Master's Degree, the Technical Communication department offers online Graduate Academic Certificates in Proposal Writing and Technical Writing. These 4 course programs can also be counted towards the Master's degree. For those interested in quickly upping their writing game or getting a flavor the quality of the credit programs from this department, the online Workplace Writing Essentials microcredential can be completed asynchronously in about 6 weeks at 5 hours per week and is priced affordably at $295.