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I won't argue that we NEED certification, cause that's an entirely different
matter, but if we DO, a degree program won't cut it for me.
In an earlier life, I earned a Ph.D. in textual (NOT technical) editing and
Southern literature. Don't ask me WHY I slogged through 5 years of graduate
school at slave wages in a field where there are maybe two job openings a
year. Maybe I have a small masochistic streak. But I did it, and I learned a
lot about how to learn (which has served me quite well in everything I've
undertaken since), and I was really interested in the subject.
In the meantime, I've logged 7 years as a full-time teacher of technical,
business, and expository writing, and another 11 years as a full-time
technical communication practitioner.
The last thing I want--or need--to do is earn another degree. If we in this
field decide that certification is a desirable thing, I want an alternative
to a degree in technical communication. A certification program would
provide
that alternative.
