Humanities

Scientific and Technical Communication Bachelor's of Art and Bachelor's of Science Degrees

Design an In-Demand Communications Career

Join a research group, participate in Michigan Tech's one-of-a-kind Enterprise program, and create a portfolio that takes your resume to the next level. Lead communication while learning to collaborate with your peers at an R1 flagship technological university. Engage in scientific communication while embedded in a technological university. Gain the confidence and skills to develop the right message for your audience.

Michigan Tech’s bachelor's degrees in scientific and technical communication (STC) give you the unique opportunity to work directly with your fellow Huskies who are studying engineering and other STEM disciplines. You'll also work closely with scientists, researchers and engineers across multiple disciplines. You'll have the ability to choose the degree that's right for you: a bachelor of arts or a bachelor's of science in STC.

Hit the Ground Running After Graduation

Graduates in our STC program are ready to make scientific, technical, and practical knowledge available to a variety of audiences in media formats including print, video, web, and digital multimedia. We instill a growth mindset that challenges our students to reflect on every experience and adapt. Don't just take our word for it. Hear it from our students.

A Place For Growth

Caring faculty and advisors are here to support you, ensuring you have the opportunity to gain real-world experiences while on campus:

  • Use our network for co-op and internships with domestic and international businesses and organizations
  • Attend national conference and summits with scholarship funds
  • Meet with the STC Advisory Board
  • Enhance your resume, portfolio, and interview skills through workshops
  • Explore multimedia communication in our Humanities Digital Media Zone.

Schedule a Virtual Meeting

Contact your Undergraduate Academic Advisor to learn more.

  • 100%
    of STC majors complete an internship before graduating
  • $79K
    average salary for technical writers
  • 7.3:1
    student-to-faculty ratio
  • 10
    minors to pair with your degree

Which Is Better For Me, a BA or BS?

Though the degree itself takes its name from the larger rubric of "Scientific and Technical Communication," students may choose between two 120-credit streams within the degree. BS majors tend to take more math and science courses. BA majors typically take more design and multimedia courses. However, BS and BA majors have writing and design requirements, providing a strong foundation in design literacies. BS and BA majors complete an emphasis area (a series of classes taken in a different field of study in order to increase their knowledge of the fields they intend to work in). What students learn in their emphasis area helps them become better, more savvy technical communicators. Increasingly, employers are on the lookout for technical communicators who can show experience in a technical area. BS and BA majors select emphasis courses from any academic program at Michigan Tech.

Tomorrow Needs Scientific and Technical Communication Majors

Scientific and technical communicators are skilled at taking the highly technical information developers, engineers, and product managers need to convey to audiences who have varying degrees of technical knowledge. Their skills in technology and media are crucial in telling tomorrow's stories and adapting to an ever-changing world. 

Be Career Ready

Career Opportunities for Scientific and Technical Communication Majors

Scientific and technical communicators manage communication processes – developing and streamlining document content and design within various organizations, from government to business. At Michigan Tech, you are trained to address complex research questions from multiple perspectives, while gaining real-world experiences in making scientific, technical, and practical knowledge accessible to any audience.

Your STC degree means entering a high-demand field—No.8 in Best in Creative and Media Jobs according to US News & World Report in April 2025. This means plenty of choices about what field you enter: from research and development (R&D) or engineering to user experience, marketing, public relations, or media development.

Your future career options are unlimited with a degree in scientific and technical communication. Opportunities include:

    Companies Hiring Scientific and Technical Communication Majors

    These are just some of the companies hiring scientific and technical communication majors:

      Co-ops and Internships

      Ready to take the next step?

      Learn more about studying scientific and technical communication at Michigan's flagship technological university.

      Watch Michigan Tech Scientific and Technical Communication (STC) Major video
      Preview image for Michigan Tech Scientific and Technical Communication (STC) Major video
      "The STC degree stood out to me. It helped me translate between people who use technology and people who create it. At Michigan Tech, where you're surrounded by engineers and accredited programs, you get the additional experience of working with technical people in a creative way."Megan Happel '22, BS Scientific and Technical Communication

      Full STEAM Ahead: Study Humanities at a Technological University

      Combine your love of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM) into a career that requires creativity, critical-thinking, and communication skills. Strengthen your capability in another language and build a broad cultural base. Develop critical skills to become a life-long learner who adapts to a rapidly transforming, increasingly technical and scientific world. Learn the skills central to solving real-world problems in sustainability, human health, social justice, technology, and globalization. Our programs and faculty enrich campus and engage scholars from diverse fields in ambitious and meaningful projects.

      • Get personalized attention: Your academic advisors and professors know you and understand your interests and needs. You’ll develop meaningful mentor relationships with faculty and receive the guidance you need in a timely fashion.
      • Customize your humanities education: Take classes across any of our three major programs—communication, culture & media, English, and scientific and technical communication. Gain exposure to a variety of humanities specialties. Tailor your degree to fit your individual pathway with minors in the department. You might choose communication studies, diversity studies, ethics and philosophy, journalism, media production, writing, or one of two modern languages (German and Spanish). Or, diversify your humanities degree with a minor from outside the department, like psychology, computer science, public health, or pre-health professions.
      • Connect to internships: Develop professional skills and gain real-world work experience. The Humanities Internship Program helps students find internships on and off campus. Our Professional Development in Humanities course teaches you how to present yourself well to employers and land a job. Through our micro-internship program, 100% of humanities majors complete an internship experience while at Michigan Tech.
      • Study Humanities in a STEM context: Work, live, and play with engineers and scientists. Learn to work in diverse interdisciplinary teams, to appreciate and seek out different perspectives, and to communicate effectively in the world of science and technology.

      Tomorrow Needs You

      Supercharge your analytical skills to meet the demands of a technology-driven society at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math. Graduate with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to solve real-world problems and succeed in academia, research, and tomorrow's high-tech business landscape.

      College of Sciences and Arts

      The College of Sciences and Arts is a community of faculty, staff, and students committed to excellence and driven by our passion for education, outreach, research, and creativity across the social and natural sciences, humanities, and the arts. Uniquely situated in the heart of Michigan's R1 flagship technological university, we specialize in human-centered potential and discovery-based learning designed to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Knowing that every student at Michigan Tech will pass through our doors, our college strives to be at the forefront of interdisciplinary collaborations that lead to breakthrough solutions.

      Our students gain a profound understanding of social and cultural contexts through experiential learning and innovative research. We welcome you to be part of our caring, expansive college community, with 32 undergraduate and 24 graduate degrees to choose from.

      The opportunities in Michigan Tech's College of Sciences and Arts are limitless. Transform into a civic leader ready to contribute to a sustainable future. Lead and participate in action-based experiences that are critical to the start of a fulfilling career. Job-shadow at a local hospital or veterinary clinic while preparing for a career in health. Design sound and lighting for a regional production. Conduct community forums on the implications of artificial intelligence. Work to purify vaccines. Study the impact of social media on society. Research the mysteries of space and galaxies beyond our universe. Explore transforming abandoned iron and copper mines into giant batteries. Understand freshwater ecosystem health. Document the nature of changes in cognitive function and motor behavior in aging and dementia.

      At Michigan Tech, your academic growth is supported by a variety of learning centers, along with our Humanities Digital Media Zone and Writing Center. Model climate in the only cloud chamber of its kind. Take part in interdisciplinary health research in our state-of-the-art H-STEM Complex. Create amazing sights and sounds in our visual art, sound, and theatre performance spaces. 

      Undergraduate Majors in Humanities

      Not sure which major is the right fit? No problem. Browse the entire list of College of Sciences and Arts majors. Or, give yourself time and declare the General Sciences and Arts major, which lets you decide when you arrive on campus. To learn more, speak to an academic advisor.

      "I'm definitely thankful for having studied STC at Michigan Tech, just because it was foundational to who I am and my career today and where I am just [in] my life today."Kirsti Wall de Cordero '20, BA Scientific and Technical Communication