Can GMAT
test scores substitute for GRE scores?These FAQs mostly address course and degree requirements.
For FAQs on logistics (paying bills, registering, getting a PIN), go to the FAQs
Logistics page.
The admission requirements and degree requirements are essentially the same for the onsite and online versions of the MATC with this exception: Only the onsite version offers the thesis option. However, the online version requires a research paper, completed in English 5390. Thus, the major difference is in delivery: Online students work from their own sites and connect via the Internet to the instructor and classmates. Onsite students meet in classrooms at Texas Tech University. In both versions, courses are scheduled according to semesters and require synchronous as well as asynchronous discussion. Courses are taught by graduate faculty at Texas Tech University.
Students enrolled in the online courses have been working professional people who cannot
leave good jobs to attend school fulltime. Some are career changers, just getting started
in the field and using the graduate courses for on-the-job professional development.
The online course requires the self-discipline to prepare the reading and writing
assignments while still meeting job responsibilities.
Students should be prepared to commit about 10-15 hours a week to one graduate course, including the time for synchronous discussion, reading the lecture notes and other assigned readings, and preparing assignments.
Texas Tech will offer five to seven online graduate courses in technical communication each calendar year. A student who can take two courses during a semester plus one in the summer could complete the requirements in 2 1/2 years. However, most students enroll for just one course in a long term. At that rate, the 12-course degree program will take four years to complete. Some students may speed up completion by taking two approved graduate courses at another university for transfer.
Graduate study provides an excellent opportunity for professional development for
technical communicators. Some students in the distance program have used the
skills and knowledge gained in graduate study to lead their companies in new
directions. It also enhances the student's understanding of the research and
theory in the field and the ability to read critically. The master's degree can also qualify students whose undergraduate
major was something other than technical communication for careers in this field.
The degree is a good long-term investment. Promotions are often tied to degrees and are
certainly tied to performance, which should rise with the knowledge that advanced courses
can offer.
Students with bachelor's degrees can earn good
starting salaries, but students with graduate degrees may earn more or be more competitive
for the best jobs.
No. In fact, some of our best students have completed undergraduate work in fields other than technical communication. That work in another major can provide the technical knowledge that employers seek. We provide the communication skills at the graduate level. The MATC, in this respect, is analogous to the MBA (Master of Business Administration), which does not require an undergraduate business major for admission.
If you can demonstrate writing ability and the ability to complete graduate work, you should not have to complete undergraduate leveling courses. English 5371, Foundations of Technical Communication, is an introductory course that prepares students with a mixture of backgrounds for the advanced courses. The job experience of working professionals provides enough familiarity with the concepts, terms, and methods of the field to enable students to enter the program in most of the courses (excluding ENGL 5390).
Can GMAT
test scores substitute for GRE scores?GMAT scores can substitute for the GRE. Assuming you have such scores and that an original report is available, there’s no need to take the GRE. If you took the GMAT more than 5 years ago, it could be tricky getting an original report, but sometimes a notarized color photocopy of the student’s report has worked, and your MBA school may be able to verify that it has an official report.
The Graduate School waives scores altogether only for students who already have a PhD. The scores are a requirement of the accreditation body.If you do not already have GMAT scores, take the GRE test, not the GMAT.