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Professional Communication

3 Credits | 300 Level | 45 Contact hours

Technical Communication Today, 6th edition, Richard Johnson Sheehan, 2014. ISBN13: 978-0-321-90798-1

In this class, students will develop writing and communication skills for professional and business settings. Students will also learn traditional and new media design for letters of interest, applications, resumes, email etiquette, social media, and PowerPoint presentation formatting.

• Strong Communication and Interpersonal Skills;
• Critical Thinking;
• Diverse and Global Perspectives;
• Lifelong Learning.

• Recommend improvements that align with the company’s strategy, goals, and culture;
• Integrate foundational knowledge of business functions;
• Access and evaluate relevant information to guide business decisions;
• Deliver powerful presentations and produce examples of effective business writing for diverse audiences.

Ch. 1 Introductions via informal biography.
Ch.2 Analyzing audiences
Ch. 3 Collaborative efforts: Tuckman’s stages about the activity.
Ch. 5 Letters, emails, memos
Ch. 7 Giving instructions
Ch. 8 Proposals: Identify a campus need
Ch. 10 An analytical report: Use and implement Mendeley with APA format
Ch. 11 Starting your career: Review your curriculum at LinkedIn
Ch. 12 Strategic and flexible planning
Ch. 13 How to be persuasive
Ch. 15 Organizing and drafting
Ch. 16 Persuading: Job interview
Ch. 17 Designing documents and interfaces
Ch. 18 Creating and using graphics: Examples of good and a bad website.
Ch. 21 Writing for the internet: Write a webpage about Study abroad in Valencia

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Define and explain terms and principles of competent communication in business.
• Identify communication theories and processes such as: structuration, culture, identification, socialization, leadership, power, conflict, and change.
• Apply communication theories and concepts to one’s own communication behavior or through case analysis.
• Analyze and evaluate business communication processes and outcomes.
• Create a comprehensive career portfolio for prospective employers.
• Identify communication strategies to enhance effectiveness of communication practices.

• Criteria for effective business communication.
• Importance of effective communication in the workplace.
• Grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and style.
• Writing selected business documents.
• Writing for different business audiences.
• Communication technologies.
• Case study analysis.
• Stages of research.
• Library use and evaluation of sources.
• Information literacy – online databases.
• Oral presentation.
• PowerPoint or other presentation tools.

Assignments
Students are required to complete weekly assignments based on course readings, lectures, and discussions. Each assignment will include a writing task between three-four pages in length.

Midterm/Final Exam
Students are required to complete a midterm and final exam. Each exam will cover topics, readings, and lectures from previous classes. The exams will include multiple-choice questions.

Class Attendance 10%
Assignments 50%
Final Exam 20%
Midterm Exam 20%