Effective Business Writing and Communication

Overview

According to former Secretary of Education Richard Riley, the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 didn’t exist in 2004.

• More than 3,000 new books are published daily.
• The number of text messages sent every day exceeds the population of the planet.
• The amount of new technological information is doubling every 2 years. It’s predicted to double every 72 hours by 2010.
• 47 million laptops were shipped worldwide in 2006.
• It is estimated that a week’s worth of New York Times contains more information than a person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18th century.

Employees may be preparing for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that have not been invented, in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet. Having employees who can write effectively, think critically, and present accurately are key to a company’s success.

Audience

Those who have written and/or verbal communication as a part of their job duties and those who wish to improve their communication skills.

Course Overview

Study and apply the principles of business writing through critical reading, analyzing, and writing paragraphs, emails, formal letters, and general business correspondence, as well as learn to develop ideas fully, organize them effectively, and express them clearly. Instruction will be given as to identifying the intended purpose of writing, whether informative, persuasive, or “bad news.” Organizational strategies will be presented on the importance of identifying target audience, when to use formal vs. informal writing and how to give effective presentations. Basic writing skills, such as sentence structure, paragraphing, and business form, will be assessed, addressed, and reviewed.

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Write a more directed, organized and grammatically correct email or letter.
• Focus the information clearly and effectively.
• Analyze the audience (reader) for efficient communication.
• Organize a document based on objectives.
• Edit for common errors in sentence and paragraph structure.
• Apply formal language for business writing.
• Give effective presentations.
• Use the Internet effectively on the job.

Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion from the University of Washington Tacoma. 

Required Textbook

Writing that Works: Communicating Effectively on the Job (10^th ed), Oliu, Brusaw and Alred, 2010, Bedford/St. Martin's ISBN   0312541821

Registration and Tuition

Payment Policy: Tuition $395 and $10 registration fee must be paid in full three days before the course.

Refund Policy: Students must make a request to withdraw in writing. Written requests can be sent to keypdc@uw.edu or mailed to the address below. Students withdrawing by 5 p.m. 24 hours BEFORE the program begins, are eligible for a full refund of all tuition except  and $10 processing fee. There is no refund for withdrawals after the first day of class.

Withdrawal Policy: If you are not planning to continue in the certificate program or course, please send a written request to withdraw to keypdc@uw.edu or to:

University of Washington Tacoma
KeyBank Professional Development Center
1900 Commerce St.
Tacoma, WA 98402-3100

Cancellations and Changes: UW Tacoma reserves the right to cancel programs or classes with low enrollment. Please note: Course, application, and registration fees are subject to change.