Engineering Communication Program

Beginning in the 2012–2013 academic year, these courses will be administered through the College of Engineering Dean's office.

The Engineering Communication Program (ECP), within the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE), provides high quality, state-of-the-art instruction in technical writing and oral presentation to undergraduates in the College of Engineering (COE) and to other units across the UW campus.

The ability to communicate effectively is a vital skill for engineering professionals and is one of the criteria established by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The ECP plays an important role in preparing UWs undergraduates for communication in the engineering workplace. It serves over 1200 students annually with its two course offerings: 

• HCDE 231 Introduction to Technical Writing
• HCDE 333 Advanced Oral and Written Communication

The ECP welcomes the opportunity to establish partnerships with other interested departments, divisions, and colleges across campus. The ECP currently partners with the College of Public Health to offer a special version of TC 333 to environmental health students and with the College of Forest Resources to support its students’ technical communication needs.

The ECP has a history of demonstrated excellence. In autumn 2004, the ECP was awarded a Conference on College Composition and Communication's (CCCC's) Writing Program Certificate of Excellence. The program was cited for its excellent work, in that it successfully addressed the needs and opportunities of its students, instructors, and locale; offered exemplary ongoing professional development for faculty; used current best practices in the field; used effective, ongoing assessment and placement procedures; modeled diversity and served diverse communities; had appropriate class size; and had an administrator with academic credentials in writing. In particular, the University of Washington program was noted for its exemplary ongoing professional development for faculty; its strategic alliances with campus units and initiatives; and its modeling of diversity and service to diverse communities.