Fundamentals of Professional Writing

Fundamentals of Professional Writing

This professional writing course focuses on building strong business writing skills to boost your professional effectiveness, focusing on clear, concise, and persuasive communication across multiple document types. Through practical, real-world examples, you will develop strategies for writing emails, reports, digital content (web, social, and mobile), and other common workplace communications.

Course content also covers how to leverage modern tools, including AI, to write more efficiently, tailor messages to varied audiences, and deliver polished content that achieves results.

6 Weeks Access / 24 Course Hrs
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  • Details
  • Syllabus
  • Requirements
  • Instructor
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$162.00 CAD

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Details

This professional writing course is designed to help you strengthen your writing skills and enhance your professional impact. You will learn effective strategies for crafting clear, concise, and compelling written communication, including emails, reports, proposals, and digital content.

Through practical guidance and the introduction of modern tools such as AI, you will gain techniques to improve efficiency, accuracy, and clarity. Whether you work in administration, engineering, leadership, or any other field, this online business writing course will help you recognize and correct common writing challenges, adapt messages for diverse audiences, and produce polished documents that inform, engage, and drive meaningful results.

Syllabus

Lesson 1 begins your journey into business writing by focusing on one of the most important foundations of effective communication: understanding your audience. You'll learn how to identify and segment your readers into smaller groups based on their interests and needs, so you can tailor your messages more effectively. We'll also consider the cultural and organizational factors that shape how your writing is received, and we'll introduce the concept of tone, which is an essential element we'll revisit throughout the course. Together, these skills will provide a strong foundation for creating clear, professional, and impactful business communication.
Lesson 2 focuses on one of the most important elements of professional writing: defining your purpose. Before you begin any communication, it's essential to know what you want your reader to know, think, or do and how to structure your message to achieve that goal. This lesson will introduce techniques for identifying and staying focused on your purpose, including using outlines to organize ideas and applying formatting or headings to improve readability. We'll also explore four common types of business communication: instructional, persuasive, informative, and executive writing. We'll discuss how understanding whether your goal is action or awareness can greatly enhance your clarity and impact.
Lesson 3 focuses on clarity and tone, two often-overlooked elements at the heart of effective communication. Clarity ensures your message is easily understood, while tone conveys your attitude and shapes how it is received, building trust and engagement while avoiding misunderstandings. This lesson will cover strategies for simplifying complex ideas, using plain language, analogies, and logical organization, and identifying common pitfalls like jargon or dense sentence structures. You'll also practice reviewing and revising your writing with exercises and checklists to ensure your content is clear and tonally appropriate. By the end of the lesson, you'll have the tools to apply clarity and tone effectively in real-world business writing.
Lesson 4 explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming business writing, from researching and organizing ideas to generating content and refining tone. You'll learn about widely used AI platforms and digital writing tools, gaining strategies to work more efficiently while maintaining clarity and professionalism. The lesson will also address ethical considerations, including privacy, data security, authorship, and transparency, and provide best practices for integrating AI responsibly. Finally, you'll practice interpreting feedback from both AI and human reviewers to enhance your writing, preparing you to make informed decisions about using AI in professional workflows.
Lesson 5 focuses on the importance of how you communicate in professional settings, not just what you communicate. Whether drafting an internal email, preparing a report for leadership, or responding to a customer, your tone and style can greatly affect the impact of your message. This lesson will help you tailor your tone for different audiences and explore how subtle shifts in style can enhance clarity, build trust, and ensure your message is received as intended.
Lesson 6 focuses on the essentials of clear and professional business writing, emphasizing grammar, formatting, and overall presentation. You'll learn how to apply consistent formatting techniques like alignment, spacing, fonts, and layout to make documents organized and easy to navigate. The lesson will also review key grammar concepts, including punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure, while providing strategies for spotting and correcting common errors. By combining strong writing fundamentals with polished presentation, you'll gain the tools to create professional documents that communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact.
Lesson 7 explores the role of visual elements (like tables, charts, infographics, and screenshots) in effective business communication. You'll learn how visuals can clarify complex data, highlight key points, and make information more engaging and accessible, while also understanding the importance of accessibility and ethical use. The lesson will cover strategies for integrating visuals seamlessly with text, applying formatting and design standards, and analyzing content for clarity and potential bias. By the end, you'll be able to create professional documents where visuals enhance the message, support the audience's needs, and maintain credibility.
Lesson 8 focuses on the importance of research credibility and clear presentation in business writing. You'll learn how to identify and evaluate trustworthy sources while understanding the ethical and legal responsibilities of proper attribution to maintain transparency and professionalism. The lesson will also cover best practices for grammar, formatting, and reviewing content for bias or misinformation, ensuring your documents are clear, persuasive, and reliable. By combining accurate research with careful presentation, you'll be able to produce business communications that are ethical, credible, and impactful.
Lesson 9 examines the ethical and legal responsibilities that underpin professional business writing. You'll learn how to maintain integrity by properly attributing sources, respecting intellectual property, protecting confidential information, and presenting accurate, straightforward content. The lesson will also cover strategies for reviewing and revising your work to minimize risk, ensure compliance, and uphold organizational standards. By applying these principles consistently, you'll build credibility, foster trust, and produce professional communications that are both responsible and effective.
Lesson 10 focuses on editing and revising as essential steps in creating clear, professional business writing. You'll learn techniques to improve clarity, coherence, and overall quality while tailoring your edits to the purpose of the message and the needs of your audience. The lesson will also cover how to incorporate feedback from peers, instructors, and AI tools, as well as assess tone, structure, visual consistency, and impact. By the end, you'll be equipped to apply targeted editing strategies to produce polished, purposeful, and effective business communications.
Lesson 11 explores digital writing and how it differs from traditional formats, covering social media posts, blogs, and branded website content. You'll learn to tailor your writing to audience, platform, and purpose while applying strategies like SEO to enhance visibility and engagement. The lesson will also focus on aligning digital content with a brand's identity and messaging goals, helping you create online communications that are clear, compelling, and strategically effective.
Lesson 12 addresses common obstacles in the writing process, such as writer's block, time constraints, and waning motivation. You'll learn strategies for recognizing these challenges, managing time effectively, and developing habits that enhance focus, productivity, and confidence. The lesson will also emphasize revising and refining ideas, helping you approach drafting as a process and equipping you with tools to write with clarity, efficiency, and self-assurance.

Requirements

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to complete this course.


Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 10 or later.
  • Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
  • Microsoft Word Online
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Instructor

Ann Linquist

Ann Linquist is a continuing education instructor on college campuses, at corporations, and with non-profit organizations. She has helped thousands of adults learn to tackle their writing tasks with enthusiasm. Having written everything from novels to newsletters, articles to ad copy, Linquist is able to address the writing needs of each individual. The breadth of her background ensures a powerful, involving learning experience that builds on the strengths of each participant.

Instructor Interaction: The instructor looks forward to interacting with learners in the online moderated discussion area to share their expertise and answer any questions you may have on the course content.

Instructor-Moderated Course Code: bwc
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