Communicating Complex Information Graduate Certificate

Why Study Communicating Complex Information?

Communicating Complex Information is a certificate designed to help graduates gain confidence in their writing and visual communication skills and prepare them for career advancement. Professionals regularly produce workplace presentations, journal articles, conference talks/posters and documentation and must communicate complex information to a variety of audiences. In this program, you will learn best practices in presenting that information.

Program Highlights

This certificate introduces concepts behind information design within the field of technical communication. Information design involves:

• building effective sentence structure, flow and word choice for cohesiveness and clarity
• using white space, grouping, contrast, color, headings to enhance the message
• designing figures and graphics
• applying these principles to a variety of communication genres 

By the end of the certificate, you will produce a professional portfolio consisting of three deliverables that will speak intelligently about the design choices made to arrive at the finished product.

Real-World Skills Outside of the Classroom

Upon successful completion of the certificate, you will be able to: 

• understand and describe the logic behind technical communication design choices
• provide hands-on experience designing technical and/or interactive documents
• successfully practice and test usability of information design principles

Certificate requirements

The Communicating Complex Information Certificate requires 15 credits.

Required Courses

• PRWR 624 — Foundations in Technical Communication

And choose one of the following:

• PRWR 621 — Business Writing
• PRWR 623 — Technical Writing and Information Design

Elective Courses

Choose three of the following:

• PRWR 617 — Editing
• PRWR 621 — Business Writing*
• PRWR 623 — Technical Writing and Information Design*
• PRWR 628 — Designing Content for the Web
• PRWR 629 — Content Strategy and Writing for Social Change
• PRWR 731 — Science and Its Public Audience

*Courses marked with an asterisk may not be double-counted as electives if already taken as required.

Take the Next Step

Apply or inquire today to gain confidence in your writing and visual communication skills.