English - Technical Writing Online

  • Master of Arts
  • College of Arts & Letters
  • Department of English

Develop professional skills in writing, document design, and textual analysis through the technical writing concentration of our master's degree program in English. Courses in this concentration focus on the theory, practice, and dynamics of writing in a variety of workplace settings.

Core English courses cover rhetoric, research, theories, and the impact of technology on writing practices. You can also select courses in specific technical writing topics, such as:

  • digital writing
  • management writing
  • visual rhetoric and document design
  • professional writing theories and practices
  • new media theory and practice

This program can also help you prepare for doctoral work in professional and technical writing.

When you graduate, you will earn a Master of Arts with a major in English and a concentration in Technical Writing.

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  • Best Online Master's Degree Programs in English, 2024 - AcademicInfluence.com

    • 30 credit hours

    You will take four core courses and then choose from a variety of topics to focus on your area of interest.

    This degree has the following final exam options:

    • Portfolio project and oral exam: The portfolio is a collection of individual texts with a meta-narrative, 10,000-15,000 words in length.
    • Comprehensive oral exam only
    • Thesis and oral exam
  • Access course materials online from any location. Some classes will have live, regular online meeting times, while others will not. The instructor may schedule assignments and exams at specific times. All courses follow ODU's regular academic calendar.

  • In-state Virginia Residents
    $599 per credit hour*
    Out-of-state Students
    $623 per credit hour

    Rates are effective Fall 2023 and subject to change.
    * In-state rate assumes residency requirements are met.

You'll have a dedicated academic advisor for this program.

Contact us if you have questions about admission requirements, transferring credits, or application deadlines.

  • GRE is not required. You must submit a writing sample that demonstrates your readiness for graduate-level writing. An undergraduate degree in English or a related field is preferred but not required. (For non-English majors, an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is required.)

    International students must submit TOEFL scores, a sample of scholarly writing, and three recommendations, one of which evaluates ability in English. Regular admission requires a score of 230 on the computer-based TOEFL (the equivalent of 570 in the older, paper-based score scale or 80 on the TOEFL iBT).

  • You may be able to take up to four courses (12 credit hours) as a non-degree graduate student, before you are accepted into a specific degree program. 

    Please contact us to discuss this option with an expert advisor.