IT

Best Technical Writing Courses Compared

Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported, which means we earn commissions from links on Crazy Egg. Commissions do not affect our editorial evaluations or opinions.

Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.

After closely evaluating dozens of the top technical writing courses on the market, we determined that University of Wisconsin Eau Claire’s Basic Certification in Technical Writing is the best course for most. The course bundles three trainings into one, teaches technical writers at any level, and it is taught by highly qualified instructors.

The Best Technical Writing Course for Most

UWEC logo

Basic Certificate in Technical Writing

Best for Most

With introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses available to take either individually or together, the Basic Certificate in Technical Writing from UW Eau Claire is the most comprehensive and accessible tech writing course for most people.

Basic Certificate in Technical Writing by University of Wisconsin Eau Claire is the best course for most writers. It packs three courses into one, covers a wide range of important topics, and tests its students to ensure that they have internalized its principles. The course is all online, and its individual parts can be purchased separately if the full package isn’t within your budget. 

The Best Technical Writing Course Options to Consider

  1. University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Basic Certificate in Technical Writing – Best for Most
  2. Technical Writing HQ One Week Certification – Best for Rapid Training
  3. Udemy Technical Writing: Master Your Writing Career – Best for Students on a Budget
  4. American Management Association Effective Technical Writing – Best for Technology Professionals, Engineers, and Scientists
  5. University of Washington Business Writing: Reports, Proposals, and Documents – Best for Business Writing

When It Makes Sense to Invest Into a Technical Writing Course

There are two main reasons to invest in a technical writing course. The first reason is if you want to become a full-time or part-time technical writer. The second reason is if you need technical communication skills in your existing industry. 

A study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for technical writers will grow a total of 10% between 2014 and 2024. It’s becoming an increasingly popular career path, especially for freelancers. Purchasing a technical writing course is crucial if you are switching to or starting on this career path. 

A technical writing course can teach you how to communicate effectively, how to read audiences, how to respond to interview questions, and how to secure freelance clients. Jumping into the industry with no training is not recommended, so pick up a course that best suits your needs.

Industries like engineering, health, technology, business, and manufacturing require technical communication skills for certain roles. If your position in one of those industries requires you to take a complex set of information and communicate it to an audience, it makes sense to purchase a technical writing course. It also makes sense if your current position doesn’t require those skills, but you’re looking to move into one that does, either through a promotion or a career pivot.

#1 – University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Basic Certificate in Technical Writing — The Best for Most

UWEC logo

Basic Certificate in Technical Writing

Best for Most

With introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses available to take either individually or together, the Basic Certificate in Technical Writing from UW Eau Claire is the most comprehensive and accessible tech writing course for most people.

Basic Certificate in Technical Writing by the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire is the best course for most technical writers. The course covers advanced technical communication knowledge, delivery techniques, communication skills, language skills, and more. It is an online program that packs three individual courses into one.

This 15-year-old program is taught by highly qualified instructors. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to implement publication projects, create content specifications, and draft information plans. It helps students evaluate project failures and successes and manage production processes. 

Students will learn how to get rid of redundant phrases, correct improper usage, and write clear sentences. The course teaches students how to add tables, charts, and graphics to convey key points. It helps them incorporate user feedback and editorial changes to write effective technical documents for the specified audience. 

The first of the three individual courses is Introduction to Technical Writing for Industry. It teaches user testing, key terms, style guide analysis, standard procedures and tasks, and writing and editing instructions. 

Intermediate Technical Writing is the second included course, focused on troubleshooting problems, task and audience analysis, instruction writing, and best design practices. 

The third included course is called Advanced Technical Writing. It focuses on recording and interpreting data, writing and editing technical documents, defining proposal purposes, analyzing readers, and more. 

In this section, students will create a comprehensive final proposal that includes research, graphics, and supplemental materials. A minimum score of 80% means a student has mastered the topic. 

The entire course is online, and it costs $975. If that price is too steep or students prefer not to do the whole certificate at once, students have the option to purchase the three individual courses separately. Introduction for Technical Writing for Industry, Intermediate Technical Writing, and Advanced Technical Writing cost $335 each.

Students can register and begin the course any time, and it is approximately 90 hours long. However, the course must be completed within a specified time period given to new students at their time of registration. 

If students go over this time, they must pay $149 for an additional month, $179 for two additional months, and $199 for three additional months. This potential penalty may be problematic for course students who have limited time to work through it, who run into issues while working on it, or who simply work better without a sense of urgency. 

Overall, though, this course’s pros outweigh its cons, making it our top pick for most people. Head over to the university website to enroll.

#2 – Technical Writing HQ One Week Certification — The Best for Rapid Training

TWHQ logo

Technical Writing HQ One Week Certification

In a hurry to learn the basics of technical writing and get hired as a technical writer? The One Week Certification from Technical Writing HQ is your light-speed crash course in both how to write and how to find that new tech writing job.

Technical Writing HQ One Week Certification is the fastest way for students to learn technical writing and land a job if they need one. This course teaches technical writing fundamentals, how to answer technical writing interview questions, how to create stellar documentation, and how to stand out in the hiring process. 

The course can be completed in seven days. It includes over 50 lectures, more than five downloadable technical writing templates, and exclusive interviews with technical writing professionals from companies like Oracle, Sony, PlayStation, and Airbnb. Students will get lifetime access to continued bonus content and interviews with tech product leaders. 

It is different from other courses not only because of its compact length, but also because it aims to cut down on industry jargon. This allows students who are new to the industry to learn more easily. It also goes much more in-depth on the hiring process, and it gets students prepared for technical writing interviews quickly. 

This course costs only $199. It recommends students spend at least 30 minutes to one hour on course content every day during the week. It is perfect for students who are making a career change into technical writing and need to learn rapidly. If you are already an experienced technical writing professional, this course isn’t for you. 

Get started learning the basics of technical writing here.

#3 – Udemy Technical Writing: Master Your Writing Career — The Best for Students on a Budget

Udemy logo

Technical Writing: Master Your Writing Career

Best for Students

If classroom learning from an expert teacher is your style, this Udemy technical writing course will be up your alley. It’s taught by an instructor with over 20 years’ technical writing experience. And it’s only $49.99 for lifetime access!

Technical Writing: Master Your Writing Career found on Udemy is the best technical writing course for students who can’t afford the pricier trainings. This course helps students identify their technical writing goals, set realistic writing schedules, write technical books, market their work, investigate the competition, and more. 

The course is over five hours long and is taught through on-demand video. The instructor, Joseph Phillips, has written for companies like American Management Association, Pearson Education, and McGraw-Hill. He has over two decades of experience and teaches his exact process for writing effectively. 

The course covers how to work with editors, the importance of writing effectively, and the revision process. Phillips emphasizes the need to provide readers with concise and clear directions. He also teaches students the marketing process. This includes promotion through press releases, websites, webinars, and blogs. 

The course costs only $49.99 for lifetime access, but you may be able to catch it on sale. To further sweeten the deal, this course includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s the perfect no-risk course for people who want to learn from an experienced instructor without breaking the bank. While it is short in length, it packs in significant value for its low price. 

Get started for $49.99 or less here.

#4 – American Management Association Effective Technical Writing — The Best for Technology Professionals, Engineers, and Scientists

AMA logo

Effective Technical Writing

Best for Technology Professionals

Designed for technical workers who need to know how to write clearly, the AMA’s Effective Technical Writing course provides not just writing training, but premade templates and deep individual feedback to make your writing both better and easier.

Effective Technical Writing, created by American Management Association (AMA), is the most effective course tailored to engineers, scientists, workers in research and development, and IT and computer personnel. 

The program helps writers create technical documents containing solid structures, and it provides students with pre-made templates. It covers how to get past writer’s block, how to display visual information, and how to edit language for conciseness, clarity, and precision. It shows students how to clearly summarize complex problems, so readers benefit from their work. 

The course puts a strong emphasis on the editing process. It allows students to bring in one piece they’ve already created for one-on-one technical writing feedback. At the sentence level, it helps students edit for active voice, parallel structure, and to combine sentences for fluency. The course stresses the importance of eliminating wordy, unclear, and imprecise language. 

The course also helps students organize and visualize their ideas. It teaches the importance of structuring technical writing pieces, using linking words and phrases, and internalizing effective writing patterns. It also teaches writers how to display visual information and illustrations to further convey ideas to their readers. 

This course has three-day classroom schedules available in different cities throughout the year. It is in-depth and does a great job of tailoring to engineers, technicians, and scientists. However, you must be willing to pay a premium price. 

Enrolling in an in-person class or an online version costs $2,345 for regular students and $2,090 if you’re an AMA member. There is also an option to hire them to visit your company location, and you can contact AMA for more information. 

To get started, contact AMA today!

#5 – University of Washington Business Writing: Reports, Proposals, and Documents — The Best for Business Writing

UofW logo

Business Writing: Reports, Proposals, and Documents

Best for Business Writing

Business writing and technical writing are surprisingly similar, and this course brings qualified writing instruction to the intersection of business and tech. With seven weeks of professional guidance, it’s worth the time--and it costs under $1000.

Business Writing: Reports, Proposals, and Documents is a course developed by the University of Washington to help technical writers in the business world. It has a focus on long-form technical business writing. It teaches students how to write persuasively and always keeps the reader as the main focus. 

This is a seven-week course that’s hosted in the evenings, and it costs $940. Although it is a University course, anyone can sign up. Experience with writing or reading long-form articles is encouraged, but not required. Students are expected to spend between seven to nine hours per week on the course material. 

While this is an online course, students will get the benefit of instructor interaction via phone, web conferencing, and chat. This course’s interactivity, professional instructors, and business focus make it a great option if you need help with business technical writing. 

The only drawback is that you must wait for it to begin, and you do not have control of what time of day you learn. A non-interactive online course can be started immediately and completed on your own time. However, if you want to speak with a qualified instructor and ask important questions, it may be well worth the inconvenience. 

Enroll in this course here.

Methodology for Choosing the Best Technical Writing Courses

It’s helpful to understand a few criteria before deciding which technical writing course best suits your needs. 

Teaching Format

The teaching format for technical writing courses can vary tremendously. Some are all online and can be done at any pace, some are conducted in a classroom with set times, some are live webinars, and some courses have a hybrid approach. 

The teaching format is relevant depending on your learning style. If you need to start learning right away, and you like going at your own pace, an online course is your best option. If you like the ability to interact with a teacher, invest in an in-person or live webinar course. 

Course Length

Make sure to take note of a course’s length before purchasing it. Courses usually range from one week to three months. Some courses can be completed at the student’s pace and range from a few hours to 100 plus hours. 

If you need to learn technical writing skills as soon as possible, purchase a one-week course or a course that only takes a few hours to complete. If you are not in a rush, then one of the longer courses is fine to invest in. 

Financial Investment

Normally this is a no-brainer, but because the financial investment required for technical writing courses can vary so greatly, you need to keep this in mind when deciding on a course. Courses on the low end can cost less than $100, while high-priced courses cost more than $2,000! 

A broke college student should go with a cheaper option, while a seasoned engineer can afford to purchase a higher-end one. If you see a course well over $2,000, it’s probably not worth the investment as this is about as high as you typically need to pay. 

It may also be worth exploring whether your job might be willing to fund all or part of the cost of a course for you! Many companies have budgets for continuing education and professional development, and making a case for bringing a new skill to your work might convince them to foot the bill.

Course Specialization

Technical writing courses specialize in different industries, career paths, and skillsets. Courses can cover writing, illustrations, editing, audiences, and more. 

A scientist who needs to learn technical writing should look for courses that are tailored to his or her appropriate industry. A technical writer looking for work should buy a course that covers the interview or client-obtaining process. Make sure to choose one that tailors to your needs. 

UWEC logo

Basic Certificate in Technical Writing

Best for Most

With introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses available to take either individually or together, the Basic Certificate in Technical Writing from UW Eau Claire is the most comprehensive and accessible tech writing course for most people.

Summary

Most technical writers will want to go with Basic Certificate in Technical Writing taught by University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. For quick learning, check out Technical Writing HQ’s One Week Certification. If you’re trying to save money, Udemy Technical Writing: Master Your Writing Career is a great option for you. 

Scientists and engineers should consider American Management Association Effective Technical Writing, and businessmen and women should investigate University of Washington Business Writing: Reports, Proposals, and Documents

With so many diverse options to choose from, picking the right technical writing course requires some research up front. Make sure to pay attention to each course’s format, length, price, and focus during your research process.


Make your website better. Instantly.

Over 300,000 websites use Crazy Egg to improve what's working, fix what isn't and test new ideas.

Free 30-day Trial