STC offers multiple online courses where participants can earn a certificate of successful completion. These courses let you explore a subject in depth over the course of several weeks. In addition to the practical work skills that you will develop, participating in a certificate program provides you with a unique, live opportunity to learn directly from an instructor and to also exchange ideas and tools virtually with the other participants in the program.

STC Online Courses provide six (6) CEUs towards the continuing education requirement for CPTC. CEUs apply only to those who are certified and cannot be counted retroactively. Requirements.

Technical Illustrating in Adobe Illustrator

18 February to 1 April (Fridays) | 9:00 to 10:00 AM ET (GMT-5, GMT-4 after 13 March)
Instructor: Adam Bradley
Registration closes 16 February

Technical illustrations visually depict complex concepts to convey the intended information to the end-users in a comprehensible and engaging manner. Learn how to create visually sophisticated technical illustrations in Adobe Illustrator. Throughout the course, we will learn how to use Adobe Illustrator's foundational tools and settings. By the end of the course, you can expect to create isometric projections and orthographic views to develop technical illustrations in Adobe Illustrator.

So You Want to Be a Technical Writer

23 February to 30 March (Wednesdays) | 4:30 to 6:00 PM ET (GMT-4; GMT-5 after 13 March)
Instructors: Guiseppe Getto and Christina Mayr
Registration closes 21 February

This is a class for anyone interested in landing their first job as a technical writer. Whether you are a career changer, a student, or someone working in a closely related field looking to learn more, this course will introduce you to the field of technical communication and one of the core jobs within it: technical writer. The course will also introduce you to the best practices, tools, and job hunting skills you'll need to be successful as a first-time technical writer. And you'll be introduced to lots of examples, stories, and case studies culled from the instructors combined 25+ years of experience in the field.

Crafting Memorable and Influential Presentations

3 to 31 March (Thursdays) | Asynchronous course
Instructor: Danielle Hennis
Registration closes 24 February
THIS IS AN ASYNCHRONOUS COURSE. The recording for each week's session will be opened on Thursday morning. Students may view the recording at a time convenient for them. Homework assignments will be due on the day and time specified by the instructor. There will be two optional live sessions for students to ask the instructor questions in real time. The first will be on 10 March at 3:00 PM ET. The second one will be 24 March at 3:00 PM.

This workshop will review how the brain processes visuals, stories, data, and information, and then will apply that knowledge to a step-by-step process for you to use in order to make a more memorable and engaging presentation. This course will also cover how to apply the principles discussed in PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides, and will review how virtual presentations should be designed differently than in-person presentations. With your new skills, you will leave with the tools needed to ensure your next virtual or in-person presentation engages your audience, persuades them, and is memorable.

Instructional Design for Technical Communicators

8 to 29 March (Tuesdays) | 1:30 to 3:00 PM ET (GMT -5; GMT-4 after 13 March)
Instructor: Saul Carliner
Registration for this course closes on 4 March 2022 at 5:00 PM ET
This course will not be presented again in 2022.

Have you developed tutorials but are looking to do so more effectively? This 4-session, course provides you with the skills needed to successfully produce effective learning programs, including following the ADDIE approach, writing instructional objectives, developing criterion-referenced quizzes and tests, describing the dominant Kirkpatrick model of evaluation, choosing an instructional strategy then applying it, and creating engaging, supportive instructional programs.

Technical Communication Manager

8 March to 12 April (Tuesdays) | 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM ET (GMT-5; GMT- 4 as of 13 March )
Instructor: Saul Carliner
Registration for this course closes 4 March 2022 at 5:00 PM ET
This course will not be presented again in 2022.

This course will help you learn how to effectively manage a technical communication group using a unique set of skills: clearly communicating expectations regarding jobs, effectively evaluating performance, establishing a vision for your group, making a business case for proposed projects, and selling the services of your group. This course develops these skills through a combination of discovery exercises (which leverage your existing knowledge), formal presentations (which describe the "must knows") and action planning segments, which give you a chance to consider how you'll apply what you learned back on the job. At the end of this course, you'll know how to: manage the performance planning and evaluation process, motivate your workers, develop a strategic plan for your group, prepare a business case for proposed projects, and market services to skeptical internal "customers" (or sponsors).

TechComm Fundamentals Bootcamp

14 March to 25 April | Asynchronous course
Instructor: Leah Guren
Registration closes 8 March
THIS IS AN ASYNCHRONOUS COURSE. The recording for each week's session will be opened on Monday morning. Students may view the recording at a time convenient for them. Homework assignments will be due on the day and time specified by the instructor. There will be two optional live sessions for students to ask the instructor questions in real time. There will also be a final exam that will be completed the last week of the course.

Kickstart Your TC Career. TechComm Fundamentals Bootcamp is the fastest, most efficient way to jump-start your career in technical communication. It covers key theory that you can immediately apply to your work. It also gives you the skills you need to continue to learn and grow. Each element of theory is presented with hands-on exercises, real-world examples, and plenty of discussion. The course is sure to leave you feeling enthusiastic and well prepared to get started in the field. You will understand the role of the technical communicator, identify how TC writing differs from other kinds of writing, correct common mistakes in writing, master the correct writing style for TC, be able to target your audience, and plenty more!

How to Slay a Request for Proposal

4 April to 9 May | Asynchronous course
Instructor: Sean Stevenson
Registration closes 29 March
THIS IS AN ASYNCHRONOUS COURSE. The recording for each week's session will be opened on Monday morning. Students may view the recording at a time convenient for them. Homework assignments will be due on the day and time specified by the instructor.

This course is for all skill levels and aims to be the first rung on the ladder to becoming a proposal management professional. The course provides a complete walkthrough of the process to plan and develop winning responses to Requests for Proposal (RFPs). Learn how proposals fit into the broader business development lifecycle. We discuss the fundamentals of U.S. Federal Government acquisition and all proposal development phases. Along the way, we explore how you can use your skills as a technical communicator and where you need to grow. The course focuses on the U.S. Federal government, but its principals, processes, and techniques can help with any RFP.

Introduction to Technical Editing

2 May to 12 June | Asynchronous course
Instructor: Margaret "Meg" Vezzu
Registration closes 25 April
THIS IS AN ASYNCHRONOUS COURSE. The recording for each week’s session will be opened on Monday morning. Students may view the recording at a time convenient for them. Homework assignments will be due on the day and time specified by the instructor. There will be additonal live sessions for students to ask the instructor questions in real time. The last session will be presented on 6 June, and the final assignment is due 12 June.

Technical editors play a key role in the production of professional documents that are clear, organized, and useful to readers. They work with a variety of different types of writing for various audiences, purposes, and environments. Technical editors' responsibilities cover a number of areas, including language, visual design, globalization, ethics, and fairness, with their primary responsibility being to advocate for the reader. This 6-week course will introduce the major issues facing today's technical editors and cover important skills needed for success in technical editing.

Getting More Value from DITA

Tuesdays, 7 June through 5 July 2022; 4:00 to 5:00 PM Eastern time (GMT-4)
Instructor: Larry Kunz
Registration closes 1 June.

You already know the basics of DITA – things like topic-based authoring, DITA maps, elements, and attributes. In this course, you'll learn how to realize greater efficiency and increased business value through reuse (including topic-based reuse, conref, and keyref), DITAVAL, semantic elements, and methods for troubleshooting problems.

CPTC Practitioner Level Exam Preparation

Mondays 11 July to 1 August 2022; 4:00 to 5:30PM Eastern time (GMT-5)
Instructor: Dr. Craig Baehr
Registration closes 5 July.

This certification preparatory course provides an overview of the Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC) exam offered through STC and AMPG International. This course will help you prepare for the Practitioner level exam, providing an overview of the nine core competencies (project planning, project analysis, content development, organizational design, visual communication, written communication, reviewing and editing, content management, and production and delivery) and four specialization areas (project planning and analysis, visual communication, content development and organization, and writing and editing strategies) covered by the exam. Additionally, the course will provide an overview and walkthrough of the major question types, study resources, tips, and a sample examination paper.

The course trainer, Dr. Craig Baehr, is the Chief Examiner of STC's Certification Program and an accredited CPTC trainer. While the course is open to any interested participants, and no prior certification is required to attend, successfully completing the Foundation exam is a prerequisite to be eligible to take the Practitioner exam.

NOTE: The exam fee is not included in the registration fee for the course. Course participants will register directly with APMG to take the exam. The current fee for the exam is $410 USD for STC members, and $615 USD for nonmembers.

Designing for Non-Designers

Thursdays, 1 through 29 September 2022; 4:00 to 5:30 PM Eastern time (GMT-4)
Instructor: Danielle Hennis
Registration closes 22 September.

Do you struggle to make your documents look good? Do you wish you had some design tips to make your documents, or presentations look appealing to your audience?
Learn about the principles of design that can be applied to any project you're working on. Often, projects don't have the budget to bring in a graphic designer, but with this course, you'll learn how a graphic designer thinks, tools they use, and how you can apply this to your own work.
By the end of the course, you won't be thinking just about how to make something look pretty, but how you can direct your audience's attention to where you need them to look. This is the power of using the principles of graphic design in your work.

Affiliate Courses

Check out affiliate courses. The affiliate courses listed below represent independent, third-party trainers and educators with which STC has a mutual relationship. These links are provided for the user's convenience, and education taken from one of these affiliates will count as continuing education units (CEUs) for STC's CPTC certification.

Technical Author/Technical Writing Course

This course from affiliate partner Cherryleaf teaches you the key skills of technical writing for IT and software user documentation.

Online CPTC Preparatory Class

10 March to 28 April 2022 (Thursdays) 7:00-8:30 PM Eastern Time (GMT-5; GMT-4 after 13 March)
Instructor: Ben Woelk
Registration closes 9 March 2022
This course is being offered through the Rochester Institute of Technology.

In this eight-session class for certification, we will prepare you for the CPTC Foundation exam. Participants will learn the Nine Core Competency Areas for Technical Communicators that are evaluated by the Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC) Foundation Exam.