Evening & Weekend MBA Program
Evening & Weekend MBA Program Writing Requirement
Countless studies have shown, and top executives agree, that effective writing is crucial to success in business. (It is also crucial to your academic success at Haas.) Business leaders know they must understand the process of writing and its relationship to thought and communication. Whether your career goals are in investment, marketing, finance, or the non-profit sector, your persuasiveness, conciseness, clarity, and fluency as a writer will play an important role in determining your success.
The Evening & Weekend MBA program has a written communications requirement that you must pass before you can enroll in elective coursework.
Passing the Writing Requirement
To pass the EWMBA program writing requirement, turn in two individually written documents for me to review and comment on. Both papers must be turned in by May 5, 2007.
Document Option
The parameters are very flexible. You may pick any two of the following options:
- A paper written for your Marketing, Business and Public Policy, or Ethics class.
- A paper developed out of an argument for your Speech class.
- A paper written for any other MBA-level course at Haas that has both a persuasive element and is primarily prose. (Make your arguments primarily in prose rather than through bullet points or charts and graphs.)
- A professional business document that you have individually prepared in your current work setting. This document must contain a persuasive element (an analysis or description will not suffice).
- A Persuasive Recommendation written specifically for the Writing Requirement.
I will review documents 3- 5 pages in length. If you have questions about structure, format (see below), or whether a particular document fits the parameters of the assignment, please contact me before you submit it.
NOTE: The following documents are NOT acceptable submissions:
- Group-written documents
- Executive summaries
- Papers written more than three years ago
- MBA application essays
- Papers primarily in bullet points or outline form
- Previously published papers (unless you give me the first, unedited draft)
Format Requirements
Please follow the following format:
- Provide a "clean" (ungraded) copy of any document submitted.
- Use 12 point type: Palatino, Times New Roman or one of comparable size.
- Double-space the paper (NOT space and a half) with one inch margins all around.
- Enclose a brief biographical cover page for each paper (available in the EWMBA office).
- Staple all pages together, with the biographical cover page on top.
Submission Process and Assessment Criteria
Turn in papers to my mailbox in the EWMBA office.
I will assess your paper on the overall quality of the writing. I will look at your persuasiveness, large and small organization, clarity, and conciseness. I will consider paragraph structure, sentence structure, word use, grammar, and spelling. While you may turn in papers written for an academic course, you may consider revising them from a business writing perspective before you submit them to me.
After review of each paper, I will return it to your mailbox in the MBA lounge (Monday/Tuesday cohorts) or to the EWMBA office (Saturday cohorts) with comments and/or suggestions for improvement. Your paper will be clearly marked Pass or Consult.
If your first paper is marked Pass, you may submit your second paper for review. If your paper is marked Consult, you are required to contact me within two weeks to set up an appointment. We'll review your paper together and I'll assign you a due date for your revision. Some students may need additional help with their writing skills. For these students, I'll provide tutorial assistance.
After you have "passed" both papers, I will notify the EWMBA Program office that you have completed the Writing Requirement.
Submission Deadline
I accept submissions until your final deadline of May 5, 2007. I strongly encourage you to submit your first paper as soon as possible so you can begin the rigorous process of meeting this requirement.
Office Hours and Contact Information
Writing Consultant: Ericka Lutz
Office Hours: Weeknights and Saturday BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
E-mail: lutz@haas.berkeley.edu
Office: F449
Phone: (510) 643-8005
I am available for consultations about all of your writing concerns. Please contact me via email to schedule an appointment.
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