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Apr 26, 2024
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2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog
Professional and Technical Communication B.A.
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TOTAL DEGREE HOURS: 120
Plans of Study
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Professional and Technical Communication prepares students to use their writing and communication skills to solve problems in a variety of workplaces and settings. The B.A. program affords students the opportunity to make and produce a wide variety of documents and texts using technological tools and media; to assess existing structures and to propose alternative solutions; and to learn the value of diversity, culture, and ethics.
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University Admissions - College of Arts and Sciences
Admission to the University is based on the University’s Undergraduate Admission Requirements that may be found by clicking on the following urls:
For Admission information specific to the College of Arts and Sciences, see the information at College of Arts and Sciences .
Graduation Requirements - College of Arts and Sciences
Satisfactory completion of the following requirements:
- Students must complete all State and University level graduation requirements.
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in USF coursework. Note: Some Departments/program/major require a higher GPA. Students should refer to Department/program/major specific catalog requirements.
- The College may approve an exception when a student has successfully earned the minimum grade required for all courses applied in the major but does not have a major GPA of 2.0.
- Physical Education coursework is limited to two (2) semester hours.
- ROTC courses that are primarily physical training and field experiences will not be applied to College of Arts and Sciences degree programs. All other military Science coursework will apply, in particular, coursework utilized toward completing an established ROTC minor will be applied to the total hours toward degree.
- When earning a second degree, double major or concurrent degree, the Major Core and Major Elective/Concentration areas of the degree audit must not overlap for both degrees. All other areas of the degree audit may have overlapping credit hours applied.
- Maximum of 20 hours of S/U option. S/U contracts must be negotiated in writing within the first three (3) weeks of the term. None of the 20 credits may be taken in the student’s major unless S/U is the only grading option. Coursework fulfilling the General Education Core Curriculum Requirements and the State Communication Requirement (formerly known as Gordon Rule Writing) and State Computation Requirement (formerly known as Gordon Rule Math) may not be taken S/U.
- The Audit option is available only during the first 5 days of classes.
- Complete all major course requirements.
- College of Arts and Sciences students are expected to complete a minimum of 50% of their major and/or minor coursework in residence at USF. Some College of Arts and Sciences Departments/programs/majors have established additional major course hours to be taken in residency at USF. See the major or program section of the catalog for these credit-hour requirements.
State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites - Professional and Technical Communication B.A.
Following Florida BOG Regulation 8.010, state mandated common course prerequisites are lower-division courses that are required for progression into the upper division of a particular baccalaureate degree program.
Transfer students should complete the State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted. Successful completion of the common prerequisites alone does not guarantee a student admission into the degree program.
Unless stated otherwise, a grade of C is the minimum acceptable grade in prerequisite courses.
- ENC X101 or ENC X000-X999* – 3 credit hours
- ENC X102 or ENC X000-X999* – 3 credit hours
- ENC X210 Technical Writing – 3 credit hours
- SPC X608 Public Speaking – 3 credit hours
*Any ENC XXXX equivalent to English Composition I and English Composition II.
Required Courses: (36 credit hours)
Major Core Courses: 3 Courses; 9 credit hours
Major (Restricted) Electives: 9 courses; 27 credit hours
Professional and Technical Communication Electives: 6 courses; 18 credit hours
Students choose 18 credit hours of Professional and Technical Communication electives from the following list of courses. Other Elective Courses: 3 courses; 9 credit hours
Select nine (9) credit hours of electives from the Major Restricted Electives listed above. Students may choose six of the nine credit hours from electives outside of the Department, in consultation with their advisor. Additional Information - Professional and Technical Communication B.A.
Other Requirements
- Students will be required to compile a portfolio of their work throughout the degree program. It is completed and presented during the capstone course.
- The requirements for the Professional and Technical Communication degree allow for open electives of any English Department course, as well as electives outside the major. Students are encouraged to use these credits to pursue a minor or certificate that will broaden and enrich their major studies. Students may elect to pursue any minor.
GPA Requirements
The major GPA is a 2.0. Grading Requirements
A minimum grade of C- or better is required to meet major course. Note: Some USF courses have higher grade criteria to meet prerequisite knowledge necessary for progression into higher level courses. Residency Requirements - College of Arts and Sciences
Department and College of Arts and Sciences Major Academic Residency Requirement - 50% of major must be completed at USF.
USF Academic Residency Requirement - 30 of the last 60 hours earned must be from USF.
Internship Opportunities - Professional and Technical Communication B.A.
It is highly recommended that students take advantage of participating in an internship. The Department of English and the Professional and Technical Communication program have developed a number of long-term relationships with organizations. Talk to your advisor or one of the faculty about these opportunities.
Optional Honors Program - Department of English
The Department of English Honors Program provides a carefully selected group of seniors with opportunities for advanced scholarship:
- Closer contact with faculty tutors than students in the regular major program;
- An opportunity to work and exchange ideas in the stimulating environment of a small group of fellow students with similar aims and abilities;
- An opportunity to develop individual initiative and sophisticated critical skills.
The English Honors Program will benefit those interested in graduate work, advanced professional study, or greater intellectual challenges.
Admissions Criteria
Students may apply for the program after completing 60 hours of coursework. Applicants should have a GPA of 3.30 in the major and an overall GPA of 3.00 and should submit signatures of recommendation from two English faculty supporting their applications. After screening all applications, the Department’s Honors Committee will select participants for each year’s program. Requirements for Completion of Departmental Honors
- The Honors student will complete the requirements of their chosen English Department major as described in the current catalog.
- The Honors program requires 9 hours of Honors-level work.
- All Honors students are required to complete at least one (three-hour) Honors seminar (ENG 4935 - Honors Seminar I or ENG 4936 - Honors Seminar II ).
- Students may select from the following options to fulfill the remaining six hours of credit in Honors:
- Up to two more (three-hour) Honors seminars (ENG 4935 or ENG 4936 ).
- A three-hour independent study. The independent study should be connected to an eligible upper-level course in the major being taught in that semester.**
- A list of courses available for this option will be made available prior to registration each semester. Students will attend some or all of the scheduled course meetings but will be enrolled in an independent study with the instructor. The independent study will be considered a special “Honors section” of the course and will require additional work that may include extra reading, class presentations, and advanced research-based writing. To enroll in an independent study, students will need written permission of the instructor, who will determine an Honors-appropriate workload for the course. The proposed plan for independent study must be approved by the Honors Committee and filed with the Undergraduate Director prior to registration. Students may count a maximum of one independent study in fulfillment of their degree requirements.
- A three-hour Honors thesis, supervised by a member of the English faculty. The Director of the English Honors Program will serve as instructor of record for the thesis hours. Under the direction of the instructors of the Honors seminars and/or the Director of the English Honors Program, the student will choose a member of the English Department faculty to serve as director of their thesis and one or two additional faculty members to serve as readers of the thesis. The completed thesis must be at least 25-pages in length, not including a bibliography.
- A three-hour graduate-level course. Enrollment in a graduate course is limited to Honors students in their final semester and requires written permission of the Undergraduate Director, Graduate Director, and the instructor of the course. To be eligible, students must have completed at least one Honors seminar with a grade of A- or higher.
3. To graduate with Departmental Honors, the student must satisfy the following requirements:
- Complete 9 hours of English Honors courses as described above with a 3.30 GPA;
- Complete all major requirements with a 3.30 GPA and academic coursework with an overall GPA of 3.0.
4. The student who completes all requirements above will graduate with Honors in English.
**Faculty who are willing to accommodate the extra needs of Honors students will notify the Undergraduate Director before registration to have their course put on the list of eligible courses. The Honors student will enroll in an independent study but will attend the scheduled course and complete the bulk of the reading and writing requirements for the course in addition to a special Honors project for the course (this could include a formal presentation of research, an independent research project, a longer research paper, a long annotated bibliography, a larger collection of creative work, etc. The independent study represents 3 hours of coursework.
Research Opportunities - College of Arts and Sciences
Undergraduate students in any degree program are able to participate in undergraduate research. Several options exist to show mentored undergraduate research activity on a student’s official transcript. Those who wish to enroll in an undergraduate research course should consult with their academic advisor to understand how the credit will apply towards the degree requirements. If no credit is needed, students may be eligible to enroll in the 0-credit IDS 4914 course. This course will not impact degree credits or GPA but will show on an official transcript and document the experience. The Office of High Impact Practices and Undergraduate Research is able to assist with further inquiries.
Advising Information - College of Arts and Sciences
Undergraduate Advising Information
The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Advising Team provides students with support to create timely graduation plans that will integrate both their academic and professional goals. Each of our undergraduate programs has dedicated professional advisors with specialized knowledge and understanding of the major requirements, course offerings, undergraduate research, and career opportunities in their field. Additionally, we have dedicated pre-health and prelaw advisors to help students prepare for admission to professional graduate programs.
CAS Academic Advisor Contact information can be found here: CAS Advisors
To schedule an advising appointment: Advising Appointments
Plans of Study - Professional and Technical Communication B.A.
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