Graduate studies are just one option for continuing your education. Take this learning assessment 
to find out which learning option best meets your goals, personal situation, finances,
and learning style.
If you're looking for "easy," you won't find that here. SPSU is an accredited member of the University System of Georgia, with high standards of learning and conduct.
Although the way you receive your education will be different from traditional, on-campus students, your learning experience will be just as, if not more rigorous.
Just like our traditional, on-campus undergraduate students, your classes follow the SPSU semester system. You'll even get holidays, like Labor Day and Spring Break. You'll interact with your professors and fellow students through projects, real-time chats, discussions, lectures, and a range of media.
Wait until your professors tell you the specific software and hardware requirements for each course before you buy or upgrade.
You'll need reliable, steady access to a computer (Mac or PC) and high-speed Internet connection. You'll also need speakers and a mic (or a two-in-one headset), as well as a flat-bed scanner.
As a student, you are qualified to purchase discounted software from the University System of Georgia Software Resources & Services (SRS). Your software requirements may include:
We also recommend a consistent file back-up system, such as an external hard drive, to protect your work.
While not required of all students, a thesis is one option for completing the MSc degree programs. If this option doesn't meet your needs, you
can choose instead to take the all coursework option, or the internship option . Review the graduate program requirements for more information.
You are seeking admission into a special department at a special school. As such, we have unique procedures and requirements:
Your application materials are due for consideration by these dates:
If you have at least 2 years' relevant work experience or if you have earned the Graduate Certificate in Technical Communication from Southern Polytechnic State University you may be exempt from taking the GRE. In either case, you will instead submit an online portfolio of your professional or certificate work for review by the Graduate Review Committee.
If you are an international students who did not earn a baccalaureate degree from a college in the U.S., you should submit TOEFL scores.
For more information about the GRE, visit www.ets.org/gre.
Graduate-level courses require more work: reading, studying, researching, writing. And the assignments—individual and collaborative—are significantly more complex. You should plan on 1 course taking at least 15 to 20 hours per week.
We want you to succeed, so we limit your first semester to 1 course. This gives you the opportunity to adjust to the workload and the online learning environment.
If you are an MSc student, you can find an internship that will count for 3 or 6 credit
hours towards your degree. Visit Graduate Internships for more information.
You have numerous options for self-registration. Read the instructions on the registration process, and note that your tuition and fees are due by the end of the phase in which you register. Visit Tuition & Fees for current rates, phases, and due dates.
Because Southern Polytechnic State University is an accredited school that's part of the University System of Georgia, you are also qualified to pursue an education at the Master's or PhD level.
After finishing the Graduate Certificate in Technical Communication, you may be interested in the MSc in Information Design and Communication program.
If you are interested in pursuing the MSc in Information & Instructional Design, you will need to begin your studies in that program. Your credits from the Graduate Certificate in Technical Communication will not transfer.
Once you earn a Master's degree in professional or technical communication (either at SPSU or another accredited university) or complete SPSU's Graduate Certificate in Technical Communication program, you may be interested in the advanced certificate programs we offer that allow you to focus on a select core competency as a way to increase your expertise:
Our master's students are also qualified to pursue an education at the doctoral level. Students with our master's degree have gone on to study at the PhD level at schools like Georgia State, Texas Tech University, and Old Dominion.
SPSU’s Continuing Education Center offers short courses that provide hands-on, practical skill training in the fundamentals of technical communication, including technical writing, project management, Web design, and instructional design.
These non-credit courses cover the basics in only a few sessions and are a cost-effective way to learn if technical communication is the right career for you!
English, Technical Communication & Media Arts Department | Southern Polytechnic State University
Atrium Building, J333 | 1100 South Marietta Parkway | Marietta, GA 30060
678-915-7202 | 678-915-7425 (fax) | tcom@spsu.edu | Site Map
