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Studies & Degrees in Technical Communication

Technical communication is the work of explaining technical products and processes to the people who use them. tekom Europe, the European Association for Technical Communication, defines it as the process of defining, creating and delivering information products for the safe, efficient, effective and sustainable use of products, which can be goods, technical systems, software or services. In practice that means the instruction manual, the online help, the assembly guide, the training video or the FAQ page that comes with a product.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) treats "technical writer" and "technical communicator" as two names for the same occupation. A programme in the subject teaches students to find out what the users of a document need, to write and edit clearly, to work with engineers and developers, to combine text with illustrations, graphics and video, to keep content consistent across platforms and media, and to test documents in usability studies.

Qualifications and levels

Technical communication is taught at several levels, and many people enter the field from another discipline.

  • Bachelor's degrees. According to tekom Europe, a bachelor's programme in technical communication generally takes three to four years. In the United States the BLS says employers generally prefer a bachelor's degree in English, communications, journalism or a related field, and that knowledge of a technical subject such as science or engineering is an advantage.
  • Master's degrees. tekom Europe distinguishes consecutive master's programmes, which build on a bachelor's degree in technical communication, from non-consecutive ones, which are open to graduates of other subjects.
  • Certificates. US colleges offer short certificates that can be combined with other studies. The Technical Communications Certificate of American River College in Sacramento is an interdisciplinary programme of 10 to 12 units that draws on technical communications, art and new media, and computer information systems. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison the undergraduate Technical Communication Certificate, designed mainly for engineering students, requires at least 21 credits; it no longer admits new students after summer 2025 and will be discontinued in autumn 2027.
  • Professional certification. The BLS notes that some associations offer certification for technical writers and that it is not mandatory. In Europe, tekom runs its own certification: career changers without professional experience must first train with a provider accredited by tekom.

Programmes open and close, as the Wisconsin example shows, so check with the school that the programme still admits new students before planning around it.

Where to study technical communication

SpainExchange lists 12 active schools for technical communication: nine in the United States and three in Spain. The US schools include community colleges such as American River College, College of Lake County and Bellevue College, and universities such as Ferris State University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The schools in Spain are in Madrid, Valencia and Málaga. Teaching in the United States is in English; ask each school in Spain which programmes it currently offers in this field and in which language.

In Europe, tekom Europe states that the largest number of universities with technical communication programmes is in Germany, and it publishes a map of study programmes across the continent. Related subjects such as software localisation, terminology and language technology are another route into the field.

Careers

Graduates work as technical writers, documentation specialists, information developers and content managers, and some write grant proposals for research institutions. The BLS counts 46,400 technical writer jobs in the United States in 2025 and projects employment to grow 1 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,200 openings a year, most of them to replace people who leave the occupation. Jobs are concentrated in the computer industry and in management, scientific and technical services.

A degree in the subject is not the only way in. tekom Europe estimates that about 20% of the people in the profession studied technical communication directly; the rest came from another occupation. The BLS likewise notes that some technical writers start as specialists or research assistants in a technical field and move into writing later.

Frequently asked questions

Is technical communication the same as technical writing?

The terms overlap. The BLS uses "technical writers" and "technical communicators" for the same occupation; "technical communication" is the wider term because the work also covers illustrations, video, online help and content management.

Do I need a degree in technical communication to become a technical writer?

No. According to tekom Europe, about 20% of people in the profession studied technical communication directly, and the others changed from a different field. In the United States, employers generally prefer a bachelor's degree in English, communications, journalism or a related subject, together with some technical knowledge.

How long does it take to study technical communication?

A bachelor's programme generally takes three to four years, according to tekom Europe. Certificates are much shorter: the Technical Communications Certificate at American River College has 10 to 12 units.

Is certification required to work as a technical writer?

No. The BLS states that certification is offered by some associations and is not mandatory, although it can make a candidate more attractive to employers.