English 1050- Introduction to Technical and Professional Writing

• Information Literacy (Info Lit) (3 hours) 

• For all catalogs 2024-2025 and beyond, this course (ENGL 1050) satisfies the True Blue Core (TBC) curriculum requirement (3 hours) for Information Literacy (Info Lit). To learn more about TBC requirements: https://truebluecore.mtsu.edu/core. 

• For all catalogs prior to 2024-2025, this course may NOT be used to satisfy general education requirements. Students wishing to switch to the 2024-2025 catalog should see their advisors to discuss the implications of changing catalogs. To learn more about general education requirements for catalogs prior to 2024-2025: https://w1.mtsu.edu/gen_ed/requirements.php.  

The TBC outcome for Information Literacy: Students demonstrate competence in information literacy by determining what information they need, where to access it, how to evaluate information they encounter, and how to use information effectively and ethically. 

Course Description: ENGL 1050 will introduce students to the basics of technical and professional writing – including both the principles that such writing rests on and the genres that define it – and it will develop their ability to write effectively in these contexts

ENGL 1050 will begin by exposing students to the qualities that define technical and professional writing. These include:

• Addresses specific audiences
• Seeks to solve problems
• Employs a clear, concise style
• Presents accurate and comprehensive data and information
• Consists of both words and visual elements
• Employs visual design to increase accessibility and readability
• Displays a commitment to ethical practice

ENGL 1050 will then explore a series of a series of commonly encountered technical and professional writing genres, including documents such as

·        Instructions

·        Standard operating procedures

·        Proposals

·        Lab reports

·        Other (non-Lab) reports

Students will learn the conventions associated with those genres, and they will also gain experience writing them.

Because research is a key component of that document production process, it will also be a key component of ENGL 1050. Students will learn how to both gather and evaluate the information they need to produce, say, an effective résumé. They will also learn effective and ethical citations practices. In contrast to ENGL 1020, however, which typically features Modern Language Association (MLA) style, ENGL 1050 will likely highlight citations styles such as the American Psychological Association (APA) style and/or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) style.

See the Sample Syllabus!