COURSE TITLE: Introduction to the Principles of Professional Communication

UNITS OF CREDIT: 3 units

INSTRUCTOR: Caroline Cole

E-MAIL ADDRESS: ccole@cwp60.berkeley.edu

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION (HTTP URL): None

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: MWF, 11-12pm

PREREQUISITE(S): Junior or Senior standing, fulfillment of University's 1A and 1B requirement; or permission of instructor

CLASS FORMAT: mixture of lectures and cases.

REQUIRED READINGS: course reader

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE : Regular writing assignments, class participation, and final group project. There is no final exam for this course.
 

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES: This course introduces students to key principles and rhetorical strategies of writing texts in non-academic settings. Although informed by rhetorical theory, this course encourages students to examine and practice a range of techniques to create appropriate and effective texts. By concentrating on audiences, purposes, forms, and formats of professional correspondence, students will write and design a variety of documents which emphasize content, organization, tone, and readability. Some of the documents students may write during the semester include informative and persuasive messages, résumés and application letters, brochures, and fliers; most items will be written individually, but some assignments will be completed in teams of 3-5 students.

The course may address issues of oral communication; however, the primary focus will be on learning and conscientiously applying techniques to generate written documents in business contexts.
 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Caroline Cole received her doctorate in Writing Studies from the University of Illinois, Urbana. She has taught business and professional writing courses for 10 years.