2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.

View Undergraduate Section View Graduate Section

Explore Programs

Explore programs to find a fit for you.

Search Courses

Explore courses by subject and keyword.

Bachelor of Arts in English

Technical and Scientific Communication Major

Program Curriculum

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Degree Core Requirements
Foundational Theories and Content
ENGL 1004	Books, Libraries, Archives	3
ENGL 1514	Language and Society	3
ENGL 2604	Introduction to Critical Reading	3
ENGL 3324	Acts of Interpretation	3
ENGL 3754	Advanced Writing and Research	3
English and Cross-cultural Representation
Select two of the following:		6
ENGL 3144	Language and Ethnicity in the United States
ENGL 3644	The Postcolonial Novel
ENGL 3654	Ethnic American Literature
ENGL 3834	Intercultural Issues in Professional Writing
Subtotal		21
Major Requirements
Foundational Course (Required)		3
ENGL 2844	Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing ¹

Technical and Scientific Communication Electives		15
I. Select one of the following:
ENGL 2634	Writing and Social Justice
ENGL 2814	Writing for Podcasts
ADV 2134	Introduction to Health Communication
STS 2454	Science, Techology, and Environment
STS 2664	Technology Ethics
II. Select two of the following:
ENGL 3474	Rhetoric for Professional Writers
ENGL 3804	Technical Editing and Style
ENGL 3814	Creating User Documentation
ENGL 3824	Visual Rhetoric and Document Design
ENGL 3834	Intercultural Issues in Professional Writing
ENGL 3844	Writing and Digital Media
III. Select two of the following:
ENGL 4474	Special Topics in Professional and Technical Writing
ENGL 4804	Grant Proposals and Reports
ENGL 4814	Developing Online Content
ENGL 4824	Science Writing
Internship Experience ²		3
Select one of the following:
ENGL 4964	Field Study ³
ENGL 4744	Editing an Undergraduate Research Journal: Philologia
ENGL 4754	Editing a Literary Journal
ENGL 4764	Small Press Publishing
Bridge Experience		0

ENGL 3900	Bridge Experience
Capstone Experience		3
ENGL 4874	Issues in Professional and Public Discourse
Subtotal		24
Free Electives
Select 30 hours of Free Electives		30
Subtotal		30
Pathways to General Education
Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse
ENGL 1105	First-Year Writing	3
ENGL 1106	First-Year Writing	3
Select three credits in Pathway 1a		3
Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities
Select six credits in Pathway 2		6
Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences
Select six credits in Pathway 3		6
Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences
Select six credits in Pathway 4		6
Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking
Select six credits in Pathway 5f		6
Select three credits in Pathway 5a		3
Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts
Select three credits in Pathway 6a		3
Select three credits in Pathway 6d		3
Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States
Select three credits in Pathway 7		3
Subtotal		45
Total Credits		120

¹: Neither ENGL 3764 Technical Writing nor ENGL 3774 Business Writing can be substituted for ENGL 2844 Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing or counted as a Technical and Scientific Communication elective.
²: Only one internship experience course can count toward the major. Additional internships cannot be substituted to cover either of the two 4000-level electives.
³: The subject of ENGL 4964 Field Study must be relevant to the field of Technical and Scientific Communication and must be approved by the department's Internship Coordinator.

Prerequisites: All English courses above the 1000-level have as a pre-requisite completion of the First-Year Writing Requirement— i.e., completion of ENGL 1106 First-Year Writing or COMM 1016 Communication Skills. Some courses required for this major have other pre-requisites/co-requisites and/or enrollment requirements. Please refer to the Undergraduate Catalog or consult your advisor for information about the specific pre-req/co-req or enrollment requirements for a specific course.

Satisfactory Progress Toward the B.A. in English, Major in Technical and Scientific Communication

Satisfactory progress toward the B.A. in English, Major in Technical and Scientific Communication, requires that upon having attempted 72 credits (including transfer, advanced placement, advanced standing, credit by examination, and course withdrawal), students must have passed 12 of the required credits in the English Core (Section I) and have attained a GPA of 2.0 or better both within the major and overall.

Graduation Requirements

The B.A. in English with a Major in Technical and Scientific Communication requires 45 credits in English, distributed as follows, and 120 hours overall. In accordance with university guidelines, courses satisfying degree core requirements may not be double counted to satisfy other areas of a degree (e.g. Pathways).

In order to graduate, students must complete the degree with a GPA of 2.0 or better both within the Technical and Scientific Communication and overall.

Foreign Language Requirement

3 years in high school or
2 years in high school + an 1106 foreign language (e.g., FR, GR, SPAN) or
Less than 2 years in high school + an 1105-1106 foreign language (e.g., FR, GR, SPAN) grouping.