Technical Writing Course For Individuals and Groups

This technical writing course teaches the foundational, bedrock skills required to produce skilled core technical documents. It is designed to elevate overall technical writing skills.

Download the Course Outline

Learn to write the core technical writing documents and their iterations—standard operating procedures (SOPs), policies, procedures, and specification documents—to maintain consistency, compliance, and quality in all technical communication.

SOPs outline step-by-step processes for routine tasks, ensuring that operations run smoothly and consistently.
Policy documents define the rules and principles governing an organization
Procedure documents provide detailed instructions on how to execute specific tasks.
Specification documents provide precise technical details for products, systems, or projects, ensuring that all stakeholders adhere to the same standards.

Our expert-led technical writing courses teach the key principles of technical writing, focusing on clarity, precision, and usability. Through practical exercises and customized feedback, participants gain the skills needed to produce documents that are not only compliant but also easy to understand and follow, even for non-technical readers.

INDIVIDUALS

$645

Online self-paced course available for individuals.

Enroll now

GROUPS

Online self-paced course and instructor-led training can be customized to match your needs. Group discounts apply.

Customize for Groups

This Course Includes:

Ten interactive lessons on the fundamentals of effective technical writing, addressing both substance and syntax.
Information and mapping tools to organize information hierarchy.
When, if, and how to use AI tools effectively and safely.
A list of job aids and resources to continually hone essential
technical communication skills.
Detailed, individualized written instructor feedback.

Download the Full Outline

Skills gained in this course:

Synthesize complex, technical information and present it understandably to readers.
Learn to write the requisite technical documents of SOPs, policies, procedures, specification documents, and reports.
Learn to structure logical information architecture.
How to craft understandable technical language for non-technical readers.
Reduce technical time writing by at least 25%, and become a better technical writer.
Write with clarity and precision, using correct grammar and punctuation.

Individual written feedback for every student

Receive detailed, individualized written feedback on your technical writing from an expert instructor.

Our feedback includes both subjective and objective feedback, a personal grammar diagnosis, feedback on tone, and additional helpful resources.

Objective feedback:

Is the document based fully on reader's needs and perspective? Even if they are unfamiliar with the technical information?
Is the hierarchy of the information logical and well sequenced?
Does the reader have all the information needed (and none that is not needed) to achieve the objective of the document?

Subjective feedback:

Is your tone neutral and professional?
Is word choice clear, strong, and instructive?
Can you cut any unnecessary words?
Are there any grammar errors?

Flexible Technical Writing Course Deliveries to Match Your Needs

Online course for individuals or groups

This online, self-paced technical writing course allows individuals and teams to train on their own schedules. Students have 24/7 access to the course, a dedicated instructor, and also receive instructor feedback.

This video will illustrate the course and instructor feedback. (It's based on another course, but the model is the same.)

Virtual instructor-led course for groups

Virtual training allows for highly engaging instruction, exercises, and discussion in a professional setting. Learners complete activities in breakout rooms with fellow students, break down documents individually, and are encouraged to participate in conversations and ask questions about these essential skills.

Onsite instructor-led course for groups

In-person training is highly interactive, with many individual and shared activities. Groups work together at your location to deconstruct documents, deep dive into individual writing concerns, plan an upcoming document, and more.

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Certificate of Completion

Participants will earn a personalized digital technical writing certification of completion after finishing this course. This can be displayed on a LinkedIn profile, downloaded to print and hang, or mentioned in a résumé.

What is included in this course?

This technical writing course is structured to guide participants through the essentials of crafting clear, professional, and effective technical documents.

Getting Started

An Introduction and Self-Assessment

Review the objectives and breakdown of the course content. Share your specific course goals, and tell us about the technical documents you write.

Lesson 1

6-Steps to Effective Technical Writing

Learn a practical framework for writing any technical document. This six-step writing process helps you understand the strategies needed to write a clear report, SOP, procedures document, user manual, etc. This process will allow you to spend 25% less time on every document you write while considering your target audience. This applies to all documents conveying technical information.

Lesson 2

Organizing a Technical Document

Organize your technical documents for clarity.

This lesson addresses the critical issue of logical information hierarchy to ensure your reader can clearly understand instructions and required steps.

Lesson 3

Statement of Work

Learn how to apply the 6-Step Process to a sample statement of work technical document. This includes audience analysis, generating content, drafting, and more.

Lesson 4

Policies and Procedures

Understand the difference between a policy and a procedure document, plan and write an actual procedures document, and receive instructor feedback on your document.

Lesson 5

Conveying Technical Information in Internal Reports

Reports can feel overwhelming because there are so many variations. Learn how to assemble a well-organized technical report.

This lesson also looks at the important consideration of writing an executive summary.

Lesson 6

Specifications Documents

In this lesson, you'll learn the purpose of a specifications document and how to plan an effective specifications document. You'll learn the difference between these technical documents and internal reports and review a sample specifications document.

Lesson 7

Format Considerations

Technical information is dense. Learn formatting techniques to create a visually appealing, easy-to-scan document that helps your reader easily understand complex, technical information. Think of an instruction manual and how critical it's formatting is.

Headings, white space, typography, visual structure, and the best graphical representation of data are addressed.

Lesson 8

Clarity and Word Choice

Make sure your technical communication is a pleasure to read with concise and clear language that presents complex technical information competently and confidently.

Ensure that your sentences are accurate, easy to understand, and engaging.

Lesson 9

Professional, Confident Tone

Typically, technical documents require a neutral tone, unlike business writing, which often uses tone to emote meaning. However, the tone may vary depending on the technical document you're writing.

This lesson teaches you how to write with a competent, polished, confident tone for your specific document.

Lesson 10

Grammar and Syntax

Proofreading and grammar directly impact technical writing clarity, professionalism, and credibility. Little mistakes emote carelessness or, worse, confuse your reader.

Learn to correct grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors that can lead to misunderstandings, distort the intended meaning, and reflect poorly on both the sender and the organization.

What will writing look like after this training?

Complex information is conveyed clearly.

Writing time is significantly reduced.

Well-organized, relevant content is included.

Designed and formatted to be easy to read.

Any executive summary is tightly summarized.

Writer’s block is avoided through planning.

Information is tiered appropriately.

Persuasion is clear and effective.

Competent, clear, and professional.

Grammar errors are identified and corrected.

This course’s expert instructors

Katie Almeida Spencer

Katie is an experienced Business Writing and English as a Second Language instructor, business English writing coach, and teacher trainer. She taught Business Skills and Academic Writing at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

She is very skilled at evaluating both the substance and language of business documents. Her writing critiques, instruction, and coaching have received stellar evaluations from our clients at Chartis Consulting, DuPont, Shell, Southern Middlesex Opportunity Council, and the World Wildlife Fund.

She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Rhode Island and an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her areas of expertise include business writing and technical report writing, proposal writing, English courses, and syntax and non-native writing.

Bailey Lang

Bailey is a professional writer, editor, and accountability coach with more than a decade of experience.

She began her career in marketing communications for a global HR outsourcing company before taking a detour into academia. She earned her MA in rhetoric and writing at the University of Findlay and then completed her Ph.D. in rhetoric and writing studies at Bowling Green State University. Along the way, she wrote and published a book, numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, and more.

When she’s not writing or editing, you'll find her reading, hiking, or knitting.

Elisabeth O'Quinn

Elisabeth has a unique combination of business and business writing acumen, with an extensive background in effective writing, editing, and content marketing management.

She has supported a wide range of businesses, writing blog articles, white papers, presentations, and editing business documents. She has supported many of our clients with rave reviews of her writing feedback, helping countless participants with their technical writing certifications.

Elisabeth lives in Georgia with her cat and rescue pup. In addition to writing, she loves traveling with her twin sister, learning German, and creating watercolor prints.

Grace Cuddy

Grace has extensive experience in Instructional Solutions' online English courses and also works with individuals and groups from several international companies across Europe as a business writing coach. She is an expert in business writing and loves to help students advance their technical writing careers or new technical writing jobs.

She is bilingual in English and Spanish and has a keen sensitivity to global writing. She has a strong background in corporate communication and management and successfully developed cross-functional writing and communication processes in a large corporate team. She has also helped professional engineers and firms develop professional training programs.

She enjoys yoga, travel, and dance. She splits her time between New York City and Madrid.

Course feedback and testimonials

MITRE was established to advance national security in new ways and serve the public interest as an independent adviser. It tackles some of the biggest threats facing the U.S. and the world, taking on large-scale challenges in cybersecurity, defense, health, aviation, enterprise transformation, and more.

We are proud to have been chosen to support all technical writing courses in Mitre's Technically Write program.

View our course evaluation on Survey Monkey.

Structuring my writing process instead of just guessing and coming up with my own process. I wish I learned this in grad school!

Developer

Mitre

I need to write documentation on software for other developers. The course has made me more cognizant that there may be other audiences I need to account for. I also feel that some of the ideas I present are currently unorganized. I will use the mapping tools to help me better introduce and connect these ideas.

Engineer

Mitre

This was a fantastic class, and the discussion of user requirement documents and project status reports was illuminating. I can see already how much time I will save using these techniques.

Business Analyst

Liberty Mutual Insurance Group

I love that the course provided additional resources that I can continue to use as reference material.

Analyst

Transocean

This course taught me how to break down the writing process so that I could write an easy-to-follow policy tailored specifically to my clients' needs.

Senior Associate

Industrial Economics

I learned very valuable tips such as what to avoid when writing and how to follow a process. I will surely apply what I've learned when I write emails and risk assessment reports in the future.

Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager

Novo Nordisk

Become a better technical writer.

Sign up today or schedule a discussion to become a stronger technical writer.

INDIVIDUALS

$645

Enroll now

GROUPS

We can customize flexible online, virtual, and onsite courses and workshops to exactly match your company’s needs or technical writing certification program.

Schedule a call

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need prior experience to enroll in a Technical Writing Course?

No prior experience is needed to enroll in our Technical Writing course. This course is designed to provide a solid foundation in technical writing skills for individuals at any experience level. Whether you're new to technical writing or looking to refine your skills, the course covers essential principles and techniques to help you create clear, effective technical documents.

Will I receive a certificate upon completion of the course?

Yes, upon successful completion of our Technical Writing course, all participants will receive a certificate of completion. This certificate acknowledges your commitment to enhancing your technical writing skills and serves as a valuable addition to your professional qualifications. It can be shared with your organization or included in your professional portfolio to demonstrate your competency in creating clear, compliant, and effective technical documents.

Many of our clients share their certificates on their LinkedIn profiles.

How do I enroll in a Technical Writing Course?

Individuals can enroll here for immediate access. You will receive immediate access to the course.

If you’re interested in group training, please schedule a meeting with us to discuss your team’s writing requirements and your training goals so we can be sure to tailor the training to your specific technical writing requirements.

Can you create a custom technical writing course for my organization?

Yes! We can customize the training to reflect your specific technical documents and requirements.

What are the career prospects after completing a Technical Writing Course?

Taking our Technical Writing course can significantly enhance your career by equipping you with the essential skills needed to communicate complex technical information clearly and effectively. Technical writing skills are highly sought after across various industries, including technology, engineering, healthcare, and finance, where clear documentation is crucial.

Mastering technical writing boosts your ability to produce user manuals, reports, and process documents. Completing this course will make you a more valuable asset in your organization, opening doors to new responsibilities, advancement opportunities, and potentially higher earning potential in roles that prioritize precise and effective written communication. Learn more about technical writer salaries and job prospects here.

Can I see what instructor feedback looks like in your Technical Writing Course?

Yes, all delivery options of our Technical Writing course include personalized feedback on your writing assignments.

Our experienced instructors review your work, provide constructive feedback, and offer guidance to help you improve your technical writing style, clarity, and precision. This feedback ensures that you gain practical skills that can be applied immediately in your work.

View a demo of the detailed, individualized feedback that participants receive in the course.