My son is 18, homeschooled, and is finishing up his last class. He would like to focus on a career in science/technology writing and has recently had the opportunity to have a piece accepted for publication. We're thinking of a year or 2 at a community college where SAT's won't be required. It would be distance learning. He'd take basics there, then focus on a degree from another school. -does this sound like a sound path? -any pitfalls to look out for? -I know there are schools that offer resident degrees in science and technology communications. Ever hear of something like this in distance learning? Thanks for any input. Anne
Anne, Perhaps your son would be interested in a career in technical communications. Technical communicators are those who write technical manuals, articles, and other works related to science and technology. Your son could complete his general education requirements through coursework from the community college you mentioned, then transfer to a four-year school to complete a B.A. Three schools that offer a B.A. in technical communications entirely by distance learning come to mind: Utah State University, Reannsalear Institute of Technology, and Texas Tech University. I'm most familiar with Texas Tech's program, as I am looking into thier M.A. in technical communications. Here is the URL: http://www.english.ttu.edu/degree_programs/undergraduate/ug_tech-comm.asp Pitfalls? Yes, there are some. Most of them have been dug by degree mill operators. I suggust that you stick with only regionally-accredited (RA)programs. Degrees in science, technology, and writing are common enough that you shouldn't have to settle for a non-RA credential. There is at least on other consideration. Most distance-learning programs have been designed around the needs and skills of working adults with job experience and a requirement for flexibility. You might have difficulty finding a good fit for your son. Tracy Gies <>< Father of four homeschooed children
Tracy, Thanks for the input. Sounds like we as parents have similar goals. What did you mean about a challenge in finding a good fit? How do you select a community college's basic English, math, etc. so its transferable to one of the schools you've mentioned? It seems that you'd have to almost commit to a school for the final 2 years if you figured out exactly what would transfer... is there a risk of another school not accepting part of the CC work? Would a published article carry any weight in admissions or credit or anything? Thanks to you and whoever else who wants to wade in here and help with these questions. Anne
My stepson went to an alternative high school and, while we all survived his teen years and he learned to learn, he did not graduate with a grade point average. Thus, he went to a nearby community college for a couple of years and proved that he could manage more traditional classes quite well and then transferred to a four-year school. I think he did take the ACT, but his proven performance probably carried more weight. If your son goes to a community college and then a state university in the same state, he should be able to transfer in as a junior, having completed his first two years of college at probably a lower cost. If he goes to a private school or a school in another state, they may not accept all of his credits. Still, it sounds like a reasonable plan. I've run across several graduate degree and certificate distance learning programs in communication, journalism, and writing. Your son might want to browse http://techwriting.about.com/ to get an idea of what the field is like. And congratulations to him on getting an article accepted! He's getting an early start on building a portfolio. ------------------ Kristin Evenson Hirst DistanceLearn.About.com
A possible way to improve his chances for admission is to do technical writing for local non-profit organizations. Most of these organizations use computers, and could always use someone to create web sites, write manuals on how to use the organization's computers, etc. Gerry Ashton electrical engineer volunteer firefighter
