90-717, Strategic Writing Skills

6 units

Prerequisites: None

Skills: Basic competence in writing

Required for: MS, MAM and MPM Students

Delivery Format: On-Campus

Sample Syllabus

Information:

Enrollment: limited to 25 students per section

Description:

Successful policy and management professionals constantly use writing to inform and persuade other decision makers. This course is designed to expose students to principles of effective professional written communication. An important emphasis in the course is on writing in the professional setting where documents are produced through collaboration with others. The course also provides students with style manuals and other guides that they can use throughout their careers to improve the effectiveness of their written materials.

Objectives for the course:

To introduce students to basic communication principles.
To help students gain a working knowledge of the factors affecting written communication, including the interrelationships between audience, purpose, information, language, form and the social/organizational context.
To help students understand the dynamics of collaborative writing.
To give students practice writing in a variety of situations, both individually and in a group.

This course takes a situation-based approach towards writing.

Assignments may include memos, letters, an analytical report, and a formal report. The instructors for the course are professionals who use writing every day in their work, and who can bring an applied perspective to the classroom. Students should take the time to learn about the background of each instructor before selecting an appropriate section of Professional Writing.

Last modified on November 12, 2007