Business Writing Course


  • More training exercises and instructor feedback than the Business Writing Essentials course
  • Training for all business writing: emails, memos, letters, reports, and other business documents
  • Four business writing sample evaluations with instructor feedback
  • Twelve business writing activities with instructor coaching
  • Dozens of interactive exercises to help you learn the business writing skills
  • PhD college of business instructor
  • Extensive feedback and coaching to learn the business writing skills
  • Tuition $295

Business Writing Course Syllabus:

The Business Writing Skills course teaches the best practices business people must know to be able to create clear, effective, professional business writing, including email, memos, letters, and reports. The Business Writing Skills course teaches a structured approach to writing that makes writing easier and guides readers through the content. Graduates report that they receive high praise for their business writing, and other employees begin to copy their style.

The course contains 12 business writing practice activities and four competency examinations. The online business writing lessons contain clear explanations and many examples. You go at your own pace and submit business writing assignments when you are ready. The instructor evaluates the activities and examinations, comments on skills you have learned and skills you still need polish, coaches you through learning the business writing skills, and certifies your competence. You receive a Business Writing Skills course graduation certificate at the end of the course.

BWC210 Business Writing Skills Course Content

Pre-write Your Business Writing

Follow email etiquette.
Set goals.
Choose strategies based on the goals and readers. 

Prepare the Business Writing Content.

Learn how to overcome writer’s block.
Prepare notes for your email, memo, letter, or report.

Organize the Business Writing.

Have an organizational pattern in mind.
Use special organizational patterns for some messages.

Introduce Your Business Writing Content.

For emails and memos, always write a clear, meaningful subject line.
Write a clear, complete introduction.
For emails, letters, and memos, write a cordial beginning or buffer.
State the contents.
For reports, state conclusions and recommendations in the introduction.

Write Clear Business Writing.

Write the explanations in blocks.
Check each block for focus.
Check each block for completeness.
Use headings to open blocks.
Create lists. 

Write Clear, Complete Explanations.

Write to build conclusions in the reader’s mind.
For reports, write clear, complete, relevant explanations. 

Write a Conclusion with Impact.

Write a conclusion that achieves your goals.

Write Well-Organized, Effective Sentences, Paragraphs, and Words.

Use paragraphs to organize information.
Write concisely.
Write clear, simple, active-voice sentences.
For reports, write clearly and simply for non-technical readers.
Use words the reader will understand.

Prepare a Polished, Correct Final Draft of the Business Writing

Use your spell checker and grammar checker.
Proofread.
Format the email to be readable.

See instructor credentials
Business Writing Course Certificate

Writing Coaching by Senior Instructor Dr. Robert Hogan

Business Writing InstructorDr. Robert Hogan teaches the coaching, tutoring, and individualized business writing courses. Dr. Hogan has been training writers for 40 years in universities, colleges of business, consulting companies, and professional writing companies. He has been a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County College, and Illinois State University College of Business. He was manager of communications in a telephone billing company and owner of a company writing documents on contract for government agencies and corporations.

More about Dr. Hogan and his courses you may take…

Worldwide Business Writing Training

Corporate and Government Training

Corporate discounts are available. Send an email to the Business Writing Center for more information: Email…

Government agencies and companies may purchase courses at the end of the fiscal year and defer registration of individuals in the courses for up to 12 months. Request information…

Dr. Hogan delivers workshops at company sites in general business writing, writing email, business report writing, writing letters, and principles of usage (grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentences, and word usage). More…

Worldwide Business Writing Training

6,600 Clients Worldwide

The Business Writing Center has trained staff from a broad range of organizations:

Companies – 5,768
Nonprofit organizations – 495
Military/government – 234
Colleges/universities – 143

See a sample list of the most recent 1,000 companies and agencies.

Writing Training Awards

Awards and Recognition

The Business Writing Center has been evaluated and has received awards or recognition from a number of organizations and media:

  • U.S. General Services Administration
  • Dun& Bradstreet
  • Department of Defense
  • National Association of Legal Assistants
  • HR-Wire
  • Florida Department of Health
  • Investor’s Business Daily
  • TechRepublic

See the list of awards