Technical Communication Certificate

Career Certificate
Cost
$6,000*

Communicate with impact

Develop in-demand job skills

Become a skilled technical communicator in just two semesters with this 32-hour certificate from the College of Lake County. This affordable credential helps you upgrade your writing skills and prepares you for a successful career in a wide variety of industries.

Our unique approach to technical communication merges writing, digital media, and design skills so you are prepared to create clear, engaging, and informative content across a variety of channels—print, web, social media platforms, and more.

What can you do with a certificate in Technical Communication?

The certificate in technical communication prepares you to start work or continue your education in communication, media, business, marketing, healthcare or related fields. Work as an information architect, proposal writer, website writer and more! U.S. News & World Report recently ranked technical writing as one of the Best Creative & Media jobs.

Highlights

  • Financial Aid/Scholarships Available

    Based on need and/or achievement. Explore ways to pay for college.

  • Career Certificate

    Earn a career certificate in 1 year or less to refine your skills into an in-demand career.

  • Program Length: 1 Year

    Full-time students finish in 1 year.

  • WIOA Program

    Eligible for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)-awarded vouchers.

Career Outlook

View more careers

Need help?

Your College & Career Navigator (CCN) helps you

  • complete the admission process
  • choose an academic program
  • enroll in first-semester classes
  • get access to helpful resources

Talk to a CCN

Recommended Pathway

This pathway serves as a guide for students to complete the degree or certificate assuming full-time enrollment (registered in 12 or more credit hours per semester) with Semester 1 typically representing a Fall term.

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their College and Career Navigator (CCN) to identify coursework that will meet degree requirements based on individual academic goals. For a more inclusive list of course options and degree requirements, see the college catalog.

Icon Key

  • Credit for prior learning available
  • Dual credit options available
  • Global citizenship
  • Online/Virtual options available

  • Course Code Course Title Credits Course Highlights
    CLC 120

    CLC 120 College Success Seminar

    Class Description

    This course is designed to teach students attitudes and skills valuable for college success. Topics may include: growth mindset, self-advocacy skills, college resources, college culture, financial literacy, and academic success strategies, such as study skills, time management, and goal setting. Throughout this course, students will develop skills necessary for promoting positive human relations in a diverse society.
         		2
    ENG 120

    ENG 120 Introduction to Professional & Technical Composition

    Class Description

    Introduction to Professional & Technical Composition is an introductory college level writing course for anyone interested in learning how to develop their professional writing skills for real world applications. Students will learn how to plan, draft, compose, and revise a variety of technical and professional documents common to the workplace. Writing clearly and succinctly for a defined target audience will be emphasized, as well as developing skills in document design and multimodal composition. Projects are based on practical situations within the student’s area of study.
         		3
    DMD 111

    DMD 111 Introduction to Digital Media

    Class Description

    This course will explore the variety of hardware and software now used to produce digital media, from simple audience-oriented presentations to highly interactive applications. Through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on laboratory experience, we will examine the production techniques, application uses, trends, business and legal concerns, design elements, and the product evaluation standards currently used in the digital media industry. Students will develop the design, storyboards, and prototype for a project.
         		3
    BUS 239

    BUS 239 Social Media Marketing

    Class Description

    This course provides an introduction to the use of social media marketing within a business context. The course provides an overview of the role of social media in building and managing customer relationships as a component of the larger marketing program. Students will develop the tools to communicate with customers using the major social network platforms and analyze platform specific metrics to measure media effectiveness. AMT 239 and BUS 239 are cross-listed.
         		3
    ENG 234

    ENG 234 Storytelling for Digital Platforms

    Class Description

    In this course, students will learn the fundamental aspects of creative storytelling for digital platforms and online environments, including character development, narrative arc, and how to incorporate multimedia elements. Students will develop fiction and nonfiction narratives using contemporary tools, techniques, and technologies. Projects will focus on fostering community within online creative writing spaces, and might include scripting for a web series, writing nonlinear narratives, developing a podcast series, or creating digital stories.
         		3
    • Course Code CLC 120
      Course Title

      CLC 120 College Success Seminar

      Class Description

      This course is designed to teach students attitudes and skills valuable for college success. Topics may include: growth mindset, self-advocacy skills, college resources, college culture, financial literacy, and academic success strategies, such as study skills, time management, and goal setting. Throughout this course, students will develop skills necessary for promoting positive human relations in a diverse society.
      Credits 2
      Course Highlights
    • Course Code ENG 120
      Course Title

      ENG 120 Introduction to Professional & Technical Composition

      Class Description

      Introduction to Professional & Technical Composition is an introductory college level writing course for anyone interested in learning how to develop their professional writing skills for real world applications. Students will learn how to plan, draft, compose, and revise a variety of technical and professional documents common to the workplace. Writing clearly and succinctly for a defined target audience will be emphasized, as well as developing skills in document design and multimodal composition. Projects are based on practical situations within the student’s area of study.
      Credits 3
      Course Highlights
    • Course Code DMD 111
      Course Title

      DMD 111 Introduction to Digital Media

      Class Description

      This course will explore the variety of hardware and software now used to produce digital media, from simple audience-oriented presentations to highly interactive applications. Through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on laboratory experience, we will examine the production techniques, application uses, trends, business and legal concerns, design elements, and the product evaluation standards currently used in the digital media industry. Students will develop the design, storyboards, and prototype for a project.
      Credits 3
      Course Highlights
    • Course Code BUS 239
      Course Title

      BUS 239 Social Media Marketing

      Class Description

      This course provides an introduction to the use of social media marketing within a business context. The course provides an overview of the role of social media in building and managing customer relationships as a component of the larger marketing program. Students will develop the tools to communicate with customers using the major social network platforms and analyze platform specific metrics to measure media effectiveness. AMT 239 and BUS 239 are cross-listed.
      Credits 3
      Course Highlights
    • Course Code ENG 234
      Course Title

      ENG 234 Storytelling for Digital Platforms

      Class Description

      In this course, students will learn the fundamental aspects of creative storytelling for digital platforms and online environments, including character development, narrative arc, and how to incorporate multimedia elements. Students will develop fiction and nonfiction narratives using contemporary tools, techniques, and technologies. Projects will focus on fostering community within online creative writing spaces, and might include scripting for a web series, writing nonlinear narratives, developing a podcast series, or creating digital stories.
      Credits 3
      Course Highlights

    Course options: Students can choose other Digital Media and Design courses instead of DMD 111. Students can also choose other Communication or English courses instead of BUS 239.

  • Course Code Course Title Credits Course Highlights
    ENG 126

    ENG 126 Advanced Professional & Technical Composition

    Class Description

    Advanced Technical Composition is a transferable advanced technical writing course for anyone interested in refining their professional and workplace writing skills. The course focuses on developing advanced research skills and incorporating multiple sources into research-based projects. Students will learn how technical writers use document design strategies based on rhetorical principles to respond to a variety of communication challenges. Writing concisely, precisely, and clearly for a variety of purposes and audiences will be emphasized. Students are encouraged to develop projects that reflect their professional interests.
         		3
    ENG 266

    ENG 266 Professional Communication

    Class Description

    Professional Communication is a sophomore-level course designed for students who are interested in furthering their professional and workplace communication skills. Students will develop a mock business related to a field of interest and create communication materials related to that business, such as blog posts, a newsletter, podcast, research-based article, and other workplace communication documents. Students will develop skills in digital media production and effective storytelling techniques for the benefit of businesses and organizations.
         		3
    DMD 116

    DMD 116 Web Design and Development

    Class Description

    This course is an introduction to Web page design and creation using industry standard Web design software. Students will learn to use graphics, sound, video, animation, scripts, and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to enhance Web pages. The course will cover the basic concepts of Web design and color with an emphasis on designing for visual appeal and user-friendly navigation. Students will also gain a fundamental knowledge of HTML/XHTML and the skills to publish and maintain Web sites. NOTE: Recommended DMD 111 or DMD 115 or student must possess basic computer/Internet skills which include creating, saving, and editing files in the Windows or MAC operating systems; performing basic editing (copy/paste); copying files; using folders and subfolders to organize and manage files; downloading files off the Internet; opening Web sites; and using search engines.
         		3
    CMM 127

    CMM 127 Intercultural Communication

    Class Description

    This course will examine the complex relationships between communication and culture by using social, psychological, interpretive and critical perspectives. Additionally, this course will allow one to consider the role that communication has in creating, maintaining, or challenging cultural assumptions, norms, rules and power structures and will also encourage one to consider the importance of social, historical, and cultural contexts in intercultural interactions. Students of CMM127 will explore how diverse underlying cultural orientations and patterns influence communication within and between cultures and will learn to evaluate their own and other's communicative behaviors from a culturally sensitive perspective. Throughout the semester, students will build communication skills with a particular emphasis on bridging cultural barriers through in class and out of class activities. Theoretical and practical aspects of intercultural communication will be addressed with a focus on building culturally competent communication skills.
         		3
    ENG 250

    ENG 250 Editing for Professional Writers

    Class Description

    This course provides students with a practical working knowledge of the fundamentals of editing for a target audience. Students will learn and apply best practices for editing, including applying the appropriate style guide, to create clear, concise and well-organized materials in multiple modalities.
         		3
    ENG 140

    ENG 140 Writing for New Media

    Class Description

    Writing for New Media introduces students to strategies for composing content across a variety of digital media, including websites, blogs, podcasts, social media and/or other new and emerging media. Students will learn the fundamentals of new media writing and will explore how text, images, video, and other forms of media interact with one another to create meaning and shape the reader’s understanding of the text. Through a variety of individual and collaborative assignments, students will learn how to write and organize new media content using an appropriate tone and voice, employ storytelling techniques to effectively engage an audience, and compose content that meets the needs of an organization and its readers.
         		3
    • Course Code ENG 126
      Course Title

      ENG 126 Advanced Professional & Technical Composition

      Class Description

      Advanced Technical Composition is a transferable advanced technical writing course for anyone interested in refining their professional and workplace writing skills. The course focuses on developing advanced research skills and incorporating multiple sources into research-based projects. Students will learn how technical writers use document design strategies based on rhetorical principles to respond to a variety of communication challenges. Writing concisely, precisely, and clearly for a variety of purposes and audiences will be emphasized. Students are encouraged to develop projects that reflect their professional interests.
      Credits 3
      Course Highlights
    • Course Code ENG 266
      Course Title

      ENG 266 Professional Communication

      Class Description

      Professional Communication is a sophomore-level course designed for students who are interested in furthering their professional and workplace communication skills. Students will develop a mock business related to a field of interest and create communication materials related to that business, such as blog posts, a newsletter, podcast, research-based article, and other workplace communication documents. Students will develop skills in digital media production and effective storytelling techniques for the benefit of businesses and organizations.
      Credits 3
      Course Highlights
    • Course Code DMD 116
      Course Title

      DMD 116 Web Design and Development

      Class Description

      This course is an introduction to Web page design and creation using industry standard Web design software. Students will learn to use graphics, sound, video, animation, scripts, and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to enhance Web pages. The course will cover the basic concepts of Web design and color with an emphasis on designing for visual appeal and user-friendly navigation. Students will also gain a fundamental knowledge of HTML/XHTML and the skills to publish and maintain Web sites. NOTE: Recommended DMD 111 or DMD 115 or student must possess basic computer/Internet skills which include creating, saving, and editing files in the Windows or MAC operating systems; performing basic editing (copy/paste); copying files; using folders and subfolders to organize and manage files; downloading files off the Internet; opening Web sites; and using search engines.
      Credits 3
      Course Highlights
    • Course Code CMM 127
      Course Title

      CMM 127 Intercultural Communication

      Class Description

      This course will examine the complex relationships between communication and culture by using social, psychological, interpretive and critical perspectives. Additionally, this course will allow one to consider the role that communication has in creating, maintaining, or challenging cultural assumptions, norms, rules and power structures and will also encourage one to consider the importance of social, historical, and cultural contexts in intercultural interactions. Students of CMM127 will explore how diverse underlying cultural orientations and patterns influence communication within and between cultures and will learn to evaluate their own and other's communicative behaviors from a culturally sensitive perspective. Throughout the semester, students will build communication skills with a particular emphasis on bridging cultural barriers through in class and out of class activities. Theoretical and practical aspects of intercultural communication will be addressed with a focus on building culturally competent communication skills.
      Credits 3
      Course Highlights
    • Course Code ENG 250
      Course Title

      ENG 250 Editing for Professional Writers

      Class Description

      This course provides students with a practical working knowledge of the fundamentals of editing for a target audience. Students will learn and apply best practices for editing, including applying the appropriate style guide, to create clear, concise and well-organized materials in multiple modalities.
      Credits 3
      Course Highlights
    • Course Code ENG 140
      Course Title

      ENG 140 Writing for New Media

      Class Description

      Writing for New Media introduces students to strategies for composing content across a variety of digital media, including websites, blogs, podcasts, social media and/or other new and emerging media. Students will learn the fundamentals of new media writing and will explore how text, images, video, and other forms of media interact with one another to create meaning and shape the reader’s understanding of the text. Through a variety of individual and collaborative assignments, students will learn how to write and organize new media content using an appropriate tone and voice, employ storytelling techniques to effectively engage an audience, and compose content that meets the needs of an organization and its readers.
      Credits 3
      Course Highlights

    Course options: Students can choose other Digital Media and Design courses instead of DMD 116. Students can also choose other Business, Communication or English courses instead of CMM 127.

Total Credit Hours

32

*Cost is estimated based on recommended pathway credit hours from academic year 2024-2025. This includes in-district tuition and other fees, such as books and materials before financial aid is applied, as well as grants, loans or scholarships. There are many opportunities for financial assistance at CLC. Learn more about Cost of Attendance.



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Technical Communication at CLC

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