EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Also see Distance Learning, below.

Keeping up with the ever-changing medical and technical writing fields can be difficult, and not many courses are available yet strictly in medical communications. In developing a list of educational resources, we've concentrated on courses offered in Northern California, Nevada, and Hawai'i, and online (distance education) courses. Professional organizations usually present good educational (and networking) opportunities as well.

AMWA Certificate workshops and noncredit seminars
See the AMWA national site (www.amwa.org) for information on medical writing certificate programs and coursework and noncredit seminars offered at regional conferences and the annual national conference.

Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (BELS)
BELS was founded to evaluate the proficiency of manuscript editors in the life sciences and to award credentials similar to those obtainable in other professions. The Editor in Life Science (ELS) credential and Diplomate program are offered.

San Francisco State University
SFSU's Technical and Professional Writing Program offers general technical writing and English courses.

University of California at Santa Cruz Extension
You can take individual classes or complete all the requirements for a Clinical Trials Design and Management certificate. Many of the classes are pertinent to medical writing in the pharmaceutical industry.
UCSC Extension also offers Technical Writing certificate courses, which include general technical writing and English courses.

University of California at Santa Cruz
UCSC has separate Science Writing and Science Illustration programs. The Science Writing Program is a full-time only, 10-month program which leads to high-profile science and medical writing, editing, and reporting positions. Minimum qualifications include a degree in physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering, and research laboratory experience.

Editcetera: A Berkeley-based business that offers editing services as well as classes on editing.

DISTANCE LEARNING

California State Hayward University Extension: Certificate program in Technical and Professional Communication offers general technical writing courses online.

Utah State University Online: Offers a Graduate Technical Writing Program. All of the classes for this degree are offered online.

UCLA Extension OnlineLearning.net:  Offers some technical writing and English courses.

University of Maryland University College (UMUC): Undergraduate certificate program in Workplace Communication offers technical and business writing courses.

Searching the Web for Educational Resources
The Society for Technical Communication's educational resources may be helpful.

Al's List of Distance Education Schools and Resources: Featured in Syllabus magazine and Computer Perspectives, this comprehensive site is designed for those who want to search for exactly the class they want.

 

Know of additional resources that belong on this list? Email the webmaster.