Technical Writing & Arts

If you enjoy writing, have a logical mind, like to tease order out of complex situations, and have a knack for problem-solving and putting yourself in the readers’ shoes, tech writing may be for you. It’s a rewarding, well-compensated career, ideal for team-oriented people with linguistic dexterity, good communication skills, and a desire to contribute to the success of an organization. BCIT’s Associate Certificate in Technical Writing is an excellent launch pad into an exciting career or second career. Clear writing, good structure and logical, audience-specific organization are critical in the industry. From instruction and procedure manuals to proposals and grant applications, technical writers are needed on engineering, research and production teams. Technical writers help enhance productivity, reduce errors, improve safety, and increase customer satisfaction. As more and more business is conducted via cyberspace, clear communication and effective editing are more important than ever; technical writing is a field that will continue to grow in scope and demand.

The Program

BCIT’s Associate Certificate in Technical Writing is a part-time, evening program, offered by our Communication Department. It consists of 11 courses of either 18-hour or 36-hour duration, with each course meeting for one three-hour session per week. Those taking one course per term (three hours per week) can finish in 7 terms or just over 2 years. Those taking two courses per term (two three-hour classes per week) can finish in 4 terms or just over one year. You have up to seven years to complete the program. Most courses are held at the Downtown campus or the Burnaby campus, two are offered online, and one is blended format (half online, half face-to-face). You can also enrol course-by-course, and commit to the full program later on, if it’s right for you. All instructors are industry experts still active in the field and vetted for their teaching ability, not just the excellence and currency of their knowledge.