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Internationally Educated Applicants - visit www.rrc.ca/credentials for credential assessment information.
However, if you apply within 6 weeks of the program start date, admission requirements are due within 5 days of applying.
Regular Admission Requirements
Mature Student Admission Requirements
If you are 19 years of age or older and have been out of high school for a minimum of one year at time of application, and you do not meet the regular admission requirements, you may apply under the Mature Student admission requirements.
Consider this program if you like technology, science, and writing.
Typically, technical communicators are comfortable in the world of writing and the world of science and technology. They like to figure out how things work and then tell others about what they've learned. They often have a wide variety of interests.
To be a good technical communicator, you should:
Basic computer and keyboarding skills are required for this program.
Students may apply for financial assistance through the Manitoba Student Aid program. For general information on applying please call 204-945-6321 or 1-800-204-1685, or visit their website at www.manitobastudentaid.ca, which also includes an online application. For detailed information, please visit one of the RRC Polytech Student Service Centres or call 204-632-2327. Applicants requiring financial assistance should complete their student loan applications well in advance of the class start date.
Red River College Polytechnic is a participating institution in the HigherEdPoints program. Through this program, students are able to convert Aeroplan® Miles and TD Points into funds to help cover their tuition. Family members and friends can also contribute to a student’s education by converting their loyalty points - anyone can donate their points to an individual student.
Visit the HigherEdPoints website for more information about the program and/or to set up an account to convert your points.
The purpose of this course is to give students an overview of the business environment – both internal and external. By the end of this course, you will be able to: understand the contemporary mixed economic system in Canada and the role of business firms in that system, understand how a firm is organized and managed, identify the major areas of business decision making and how decisions are made, and comprehend the high degree of interdependence between business and society and the role of current affairs. This course will be made up of lectures, guest speakers, class discussion, individual and group assignments.
In this introductory course, students learn to write technical reports and basic business correspondence in letter, e-mail, and memo formats. Students submit their documents for peer reviews. This course is a prerequisite for almost all of the courses in Term 2, including Tools of Technical Communication 2, Document Layout and Design, Writing Manuals, Newsletter Production, Electronics for Technical Communicators, and Manufacturing Processes for Technical Communicators.
During the co-operative work education term, students complete 14 weeks of paid work in a technical writing work placement. To be eligible to receive credit for co-op placement, students must have completed all courses in first and second terms with an overall GPA of 2.0 or greater.
In this course, students will learn to use word processing software to create documents that are highly readable, stable, and maintainable. They will also learn how to create charts using spreadsheet software and how to import tables and charts from spreadsheets into other documents. While mastering the use of these basic tools, students will also learn to apply layout and design principles to create documents that look professional, are highly readable, and are inviting to the reader.
Technical Illustration 1 is an introductory course in technical graphics communications. This course is designed as an introduction to the standard practices used to graphically communicate technical ideas using sketching and CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting). Students will learn how to graphically communicate in engineering drawings. Topics to be covered include: sketching, multi-view (orthographic) drawings, auxiliary views, sectional views, three dimensional views (pictorial projections), working drawings with dimension and tolerance applied, and assembly drawings. CAD software will be used to generate 3D models and assemblies.
As technical communicators, students will be called upon to develop a wide variety of documents. In this course students will learn how to develop public relations documents such as news releases, pitch letters, corporate biographies, and fact sheets. They will also get to stretch their writing muscles by learning to develop creative writing skills. Students will write creatively on a regular basis both outside class and in in-class sweatshop conditions. The initial focus will be on developing stories through a series of drafts to a polished final draft. Students will also develop story concepts, synopses, and outlines.
This is the first of two courses designed to develop your writing skills through helping you understand English grammar and the process of writing, showing you how different forms of writing work, encouraging you to practice a variety of types of writing, and teaching you practical techniques for editing your own material.
This course’s work will have two main components: writing skills and an introduction to non-fiction writing. The first of these will focus on grammar, punctuation and word use. The second will focus on essay types and structure, with a discussion of how developing essay writing skills will help you become more effective as a technical communicator.
This course is self-contained but acts as a foundation for Professional Writing: Strategies and Process 2, which is concerned with applying the skills learned here to professional writing and editing in various forms.
This is the second of two courses designed to develop students’ writing skills through helping them understand the process of writing, showing how different forms of writing work, encouraging practice in a variety of types of writing, and teaching practical techniques for composing and editing your own material.
This course’s work will focus on extending the principles and techniques learned in Professional Writing: Strategies and Process 1 and applying them to various forms of writing that students might encounter in the professional world, such as essays, articles, reviews, research reports, and writing for the web.
In this course, you learn what it takes to develop and deliver a training course. You plan a short training program by following the steps of instructional design: define skills, knowledge and abilities required; develop course objectives; develop course content. After you present the course, you evaluate its success with the instructor and with class members.
This course builds on the knowledge and practical skills gained in Technical Illustration 1.
This course will introduce students to the basics of digital video and digital photography. Through a series of studio and field assignments, students will learn to shoot with a digital video camera and digital camera. Editing and lighting techniques will also be introduced.
In this course, students learn to create documents using authoring and graphics software, and are introduced to HTML and structured authoring.
In this course students participate in the development of an academic journal article. Students will collaborate with a subject matter expert to document an applied research project. They will also study basic kinds of quantitative and qualitative research methods and basic statistical tests. Students will understand research methods in the context of the kind of research and reading they might have to do as a technical communicator.
This course will expand and build on the skills developed in COMM-1094 Professional Communication 1. This course focuses on the fundamental approach to all situations in public relations: research, analysis, communication, and evaluation. Students will apply story-making skills to the writing of scripts. Writing training scripts is becoming a key skill in technical communication, and this course will help to develop the skills necessary for this activity.
Technical communicators may work with little or no supervision, or may work as part of a team. Therefore students must learn how to manage their own projects and how to be an effective member of a project team. In this course students will learn how to conduct a needs analysis, conduct an audience analysis, define the scope of a project, develop estimates, negotiate for resources, create and keep to a schedule. They will learn how to complete a project, create project archives, and submit a completion report. This course will cover both the Hackos document development method and the Project Management Institute (PMI) Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK).
In this course students explore current issues in technical communication such as ethical behaviour, single-source documentation, and knowledge management by examining professional journals and other current writings. This course is run in seminar format.
In this course, students will use instructional design techniques to develop an online tutorial using a help authoring tool. They define the skills, knowledge, and abilities required, develop course objectives, and prepare course content.
In this course you participate in the development of a journal of applied research at Red River College.
In this course students learn to describe and apply the principles of rhetoric (invention, arrangement, expression, delivery) to develop persuasive documents. They learn about the proposal process including how a request for proposal (RFP) is developed and responded to. They also learn about the ethical uses of persuasion.
In this course, students will develop system documentation with primary emphasis on designing, creating, and maintaining user manuals. They will learn to write manuals, following a standard document development process. Although the focus is on user manuals, students will learn about other types of manuals. They will develop a manual for a client by analyzing the audience, analyzing tasks, interviewing subject matter experts, creating outlines, developing a table of content, index and glossary, and writing in drafts.
In this second course on writing and editing, students learn about the role of the editor, choosing a level of edit, and editing the documents of others. They learn how to give and receive criticism respectfully. They also learn to revise documents that have several authors so that the documents have a unified style and meet the needs of readers, and to use tools for revision. Students will explore issues such as writing for translation and for non-native speakers of English and the influence of literacy levels on writing. They examine style guides, discuss the implications of writing to style guides, and learn to write to style guides. This course is a prerequisite for all courses in Term 5.
The ability to make an effective presentation is a highly valued skill. This course focuses on improving students' oral communication skills. Students will prepare and deliver several different types of speeches.
This course expands on the knowledge and practice gained in the Semester 2 Electronic Publishing: Layout and Design 2 course. Students will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of design, layout, and production which will allow them to create well-designed documents and publications using the latest electronic desktop publishing technology for print and web.
This course builds on the knowledge and practical skills gained in Website Design 1.
In this course students develop a research project related to a technical communication topic of personal interest. They are encouraged to research a topic that they have encountered on the job or through co-op experience. Working with an advisor, they develop a detailed written report and an oral presentation to be given to first- and second-year students and guests. To take this course, students must be eligible to graduate in May of the same calendar year that they take this course.
This course will give you a practical working knowledge of electronic publishing, and will set the foundation for the development of skills necessary to create well-designed documents and publications using the latest desktop publishing technology. You will learn about visual communication, basic layout and design principles, using color effectively, creative typography, and image editing. You will also learn to work with the latest versions of Adobe application programs InDesign and Photoshop using the latest Macintosh operating platform. Successful completion of this course is a prerequisite for COMP-3126 Electronic Publishing: Advanced Layout & Design.
In this course you receive an overview of computer software used in the industry. You learn about systems analysis and design, file structures, database management systems, and networking.
In this course students will learn the principles of effective website design and apply these principles by creating websites using current webpage creation software. Emphasis will be placed on creating sites that serve a client's needs including the need to design sites that are easy to navigate, maintain, and update.
This course builds on the knowledge and practice gained in the prerequisite COMP-1155 Electronic Publishing: Layout and Design 1 course, and allows students to continue working with the latest Adobe application programs InDesign and Photoshop. Students will continue to expand their publication design, layout, and production skills for print and online applications.
This General Safety Training (GST) teaches basic general safety content to arm students with the core information necessary for them to protect themselves in workplaces on all descriptions. Although some examples may consider Manitoba legislation, this course has been developed by occupational safety and health professionals using generic information that is not provincially specific.
Co-operative education aims at an effective blend of classroom study and off-campus work experience in a program-related industry. The College makes every effort to secure paid work placements for co-operative education students; however, the College does not unconditionally guarantee a work placement for students. When placements are unavailable, the College will work to develop options to assist students to complete the program.
Beginning in the Fall of 2014, all first year students will be required to purchase their own PC laptop computer for the Technical Communications program.
The use of laptop computers is an integral part of this program. It will enhance your learning and competitiveness in the job market. This universal-access approach to learning is a shared one between students and the College. Laptop and software specifications will be provided to you by the College after you are accepted into the program to ensure the laptop complies with the program requirements.
You will be required to purchase a laptop computer for use throughout the program. Laptop and software specifications will be provided to you by the College after you are accepted into the program.
Do not purchase a laptop until you have been accepted and registered in the program.
The College will also provide a detailed list of required software, network access, and help desk support if you require assistance. You will have on-campus access to e-mail, College networks, and the Internet.
Off-campus access to the Internet is the responsibility of the student.
Athabasca University
Credits toward a Bachelor of Professional Arts - Communications program
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process which documents and compares an individual's prior learning gained from prior education, work and life experiences and personal study to the learning outcomes in College courses/programs. For more information, please visit www.rrc.ca/rpl.
As technology continues to evolve rapidly, employers need technical communicators to communicate changes to the public. According to Manitoba Job Futures (2008), employment prospects for technical communicators continue to be good, especially in the software industry.
In Winnipeg, technical communicators are employed by government and scientific organizations, and in the following industries:
Career possibilities are abundant, as a wide variety of companies need to produce reports and procedures manuals.
"The Technical Communication diploma program has not only shown me how to write clear, concise documentation, it has also provided me with the communication tools I need to succeed in any industry. I would strongly recommend this course to people who have a desire to make sense of the technologically dominated world we live in today."
Ben Davies
Class of 2005