South Georgia State College President Dr. Ingrid Thompson-Sellers is pleased to announce that the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents approved a fifth bachelor’s degree for SGSC during the Regents’ September 11 meeting in Atlanta.
The Bachelor of Arts in Professional Business and Technical Writing offers instruction in business and technical writing, digital literacy, multimedia composition, document development, interpersonal skills, legal issues, research, and theories of rhetoric and composition. It is an interdisciplinary program that will provide students with critical knowledge and skills focusing on professional business and technical writing, building on English and other existing courses from SGSC’s current bachelor’s degree in management.
The need for workforce expertise in technical writing for business and industry is based on projections data for national and state employment of entry-level and managerial occupations. These occupations relate to technical writing in fields that include but are not limited to technical writing, marketing, public relations, fundraising, media communications (including electronic media) and research analysis.
April 2018 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook projects these occupations will experience “faster than average” to “much faster than average” growth rates through 2026. The occupation of editor is the only one related to technical writing that is projected to maintain an “average” growth rate.
According to the Projections Managing Partnership, Georgia (16.7 percent) is among a group of six southeastern states predicted to realize growth in the technical writing sector. Moreover, Florida (28.5 percent) leads this group, and is also at the forefront with the largest number of out-of-state students attending SGSC.
The new Bachelor of Arts in Professional Business and Technical Writing expands SGSC’s academic offerings that include Bachelor of Science Degrees in Biological Sciences, Management, Nursing and Long-Term Healthcare Management. Tuition for SGSC’s bachelor’s degree programs is offered at the same tuition rate as its associate’s degree pathways. This makes earning a bachelor’s degree from SGSC more affordable than similar bachelor’s degree programs.