Professional Writing and Technical Communication

University of Massachusetts Amherst

What is PWTC?

PWTC is a five-course certificate in Professional Writing and Technical Communication that provides:

  • practice in technical writing, editing, and software documentation;
  • hands-on training in a range of industry-standard software;
  • an introduction to theories and practices of information design.

Since 1990, the PWTC program has enjoyed an impressive record of job placement, with graduates embarking on careers in technical writing, user experience (UX), and information design. Some are employed by nonprofits and government agencies, others by firms involved with healthcare, software development and information technology.

Some of the firms that employ PWTC graduates include: Azenta Life Sciences, Amazon, athenahealth, Google, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, ISO New England, Meta, MongoDB, Oracle Corporation, Pega, and RSA Security.

Who can enroll?

The PWTC certificate is open to English majors, as well as interested students from other majors. To enroll in PWTC courses, you must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and at least junior standing. Learn more.

Questions? Contact:
David Toomey or Janine Solberg

Architect's rendering of the new South College building
In The South College building (above) is home of the PWTC lab. Thank you to everyone for your contributions to the program and the lab!