Learning outcomes

After completing the programme, students
- will be able to describe the technical communication field and its practical and theoretical significance
- will understand the technical communicator's role as the user's advocate, and they can both analyse information products critically and produce high-quality and usable technical documentation using different documentation technologies
- will be able to analyse technical information and understand the principles of information modelling
- can name the central principles of project management, remember documentation process models and understand their connection to product development
- will know the core concepts in technical communication and have theoretical and methodological competence in technical communication.

Content

The Technical Communications Programme is an optional study module in the Master’s degree. Technical communication is a multidisciplinary field, including areas such as rhetoric, linguistics, psychology, graphic design and usability research. Technical communication refers to the process of designing, creating and transmitting technical information in various formats to different target groups.

The programme familiarizes the students with the academic and professional characteristics and trends in technical communication, focusing on information design. The courses cover writing technical documentation in Finnish and English with a consideration for usability and visualisation, programming for technical communicators, and structured documentation with an emphasis on DITA and authoring tools commonly used in the industry. In the programme, students attain a strong expertise in designing and evaluating technical documentation, using appropriate tools and processes. After completing the programme, they will also be able to name the core concepts within technical communication and to build the skills required for postgraduate studies. The programme is carried out in close cooperation with companies: forms of cooperation include lectures and company projects, internships, company visits and MA theses written to serve the needs of companies.

The Technical Communications Programme is targeted at students who are registered at the University of Tampere and who have completed basic and subject studies in the Degree Programme in English Language, Literature and Translation or have comparable studies. Priority is given to those who have completed their Bachelor’s degree. A maximum of 20 students is selected to the programme by separate application every other spring, and the actual programme takes one year (TECHS1-TECHS8). In addition, students may write their Master’s thesis on technical communication during the second year (TECHS9). Please note that the majority of the courses are held in Finnish to secure the development of Finnish terminology in the field of technical communication.

Evaluation