Apr 19, 2025

DRAFT 2025-2026 Academic Catalog

English, Professional and Technical Writing Concentration, BA

Professional and Technical Writing is writing done in a workplace environment designed to persuade, inform, or instruct. While “professional” generally applies to business writing and “technical” generally applies to writing about technical topics, most professional writers would find the distinction superficial because they are frequently required to do both. SJSU’s program (formerly called “Career Writing”), offered by the Department of English and Comparative Literature , has been going strong for over 30 years and our graduates work at nearly every major tech firm in the Bay Area. We have a strong job-placement record and help coordinate paid internships with local employers during the summer and the school year.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3A, 3B, 4, UD 3, or UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) 3 units (see Writing in the Disciplines)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures

Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division General Education: 19 (9 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

American Institutions/ US123 Requirements: 6 (Note: may be satisfied by GE coursework)

Upper Division General Education: 3 (6 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

Physical Education: 2

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR): 0 (3 units may be satisfied by ENGL 100W)

Major Preparation: 6-16

Major Requirements: 47-49

University Electives or Minor: 25-37

Total: 120

2. Lower Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (3 units):

3. Upper Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (2-4 units):

Complete a course offered by the College of Humanities & the Arts in a discipline other than your major.

4. Major Preparation (6-16 units)

One year of foreign language study at the college level or equivalency through examination 0-10 unit(s)

ENGL 2 - Critical Thinking and Writing 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1B / Formerly Area A3)

Complete one course (3 units):

ENGL 1A - First Year Writing 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1A / Formerly Area A2)
ENGL 1AS - First-Year Writing: Stretch English II 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1A / Formerly Area A2)

5. Major Requirements (47-49 units)

Core Courses (24-25 units)

ENGL 50 - Beginnings to the American Experiment 3 unit(s)
ENGL 60 - Literatures of the Atlantic World, 1680‐1860 4 unit(s)
ENGL 70 - Emerging Modernisms and Beyond 3 unit(s)
ENGL 100W - Writing Workshop 4 unit(s) (WID)

Literature for Global Understanding (3 units)

Complete one course:

ENGL 117B - Global Film, Literature, and Cultures 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
ENGL 122 - Topics in Comparative World Literature 4 unit(s)
ENGL 123A - Literatures of the Americas 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
ENGL 123B - Literatures of Africa 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
ENGL 123C - Literatures of the Pacific 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
ENGL 123D - Literatures of Asia 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)

Shakespeare (4 units)

Complete one course:

ENGL 144 - Shakespeare I 4 unit(s)
ENGL 145 - Shakespeare and Performance 4 unit(s)

American Literature & Ethnicity (3-4 units)

Complete one course:

ENGL 117A - American Literature, Film, & Culture 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
ENGL 162 - Indigenous American Literatures 4 unit(s)
ENGL 163 - Asian American Literatures 4 unit(s)
ENGL 165 - Black American Literatures 4 unit(s)
ENGL 166 - Latinx Literatures 4 unit(s)
ENGL 169 - Ethnicity in American Literature 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)

Professional and Technical Writing Concentration (20 units)

ENGL 103 - Modern English 4 unit(s)
ENGL 106 - Professional and Technical Editing 4 unit(s)
ENGL 107 - Professional and Technical Writing 4 unit(s)

Complete two courses (8 units):

ENGL 105 - Seminar in Advanced Composition 4 unit(s)
ENGL 110 - UX Design and Visual Communication 4 unit(s)
ENGL 111 - Strategic Digital Content and Social Media Writing 4 unit(s)
ENGL 129 - Writing for Professional Publications 4 unit(s)
ENGL 157 - Topics in Rhetorical Analysis 4 unit(s)

Major Elective (3-4 units)

Any one upper division English Course 3-4 unit(s)

About

English, Professional and Technical Writing Concentration, BA

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Summary of Degree Units

2. Lower Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (3 units):

3. Upper Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (2-4 units):

4. Major Preparation (6-16 units)

Complete one course (3 units):

5. Major Requirements (47-49 units)

Core Courses (24-25 units)

Literature for Global Understanding (3 units)

Shakespeare (4 units)

American Literature & Ethnicity (3-4 units)

Professional and Technical Writing Concentration (20 units)

Complete two courses (8 units):

Major Elective (3-4 units)

6. University Electives or Minor (18-32 units)

Total Units Required (120 units)