This course is part of the Communication Skills for Engineers Specialization

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442 ratings

Gayle Moran +1 more instructor

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Communication Skills for Engineers SpecializationRice University

About this Course

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Engineering leaders must write extensively for their jobs, and their writing needs to be professional, reader-focused, and error-free. What leaders write in particular can affect productivity and the bottom line, so the written communication that leaders create must be clear and concise. In this course, you’ll learn essential writing skills that you can apply in your daily activities on the job as an engineering leader. You’ll learn key principles in
•	Approaching various engineering genres
•	Using the writing process to create quality documents
•	Making your writing structured
•	Making your writing clear and concise
•	Handling style, tone, and voice

Selected materials courtesy of Communication Faculty at Rice University - all rights reserved.

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Course 3 of 3 in the

Communication Skills for Engineers Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 3 of 3 in the

Communication Skills for Engineers Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

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Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.67/5 (106 Ratings)

Gayle Moran

Lecturer in Professional and Engineering Communication

Rice Center for Engineering Leadership

48,869 Learners

3 Courses

Beata Krupa

Lecturer in Professional and Engineering Communication

Rice Center for Engineering Leadership

48,869 Learners

3 Courses

Offered by

Rice University

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating97%(2,643 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

25 minutes to complete

Specialization Introduction - Communication for Engineers

25 minutes to complete

3 videos (Total 8 min), 4 readings

1 hour to complete

Course Introduction - Writing Skills for Engineers

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 5 min), 6 readings

5 hours to complete

Week 1: Things to Know Before You Begin

There are many components to good writing, and we'll focus on those that give you a foundation for building the skills that you are most likely to need in the engineering workplace. In this module, we'll talk about how to plan and begin writing, the importance of following the writing process, and formatting for readability. Then we'll look at the type of writing that engineers do every day: email.

5 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 51 min), 4 readings, 3 quizzes

8 videos

Introduction and Objectives59sStrategy Refresh3mThe Writing Process7mFormatting for Readability5mFigures and Tables11mEmail: Thinking and Planning7mEmail: Writing Your Message6mEmail: Finishing and Sending7m

4 readings

Think About It10m"What to Use When" Template and Graphics Checklist10mResources10mPersonal Communication Plan – (Course 3) Week 1: Diagnose Your Skills20m

1 practice exercise

Module 1 Quiz30m

Week2

Week 2

4 hours to complete

Week 2: Developing Paragraphs and Writing Reports

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 48 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

9 videos

Introduction and Objectives1mTopic Sentences and Unity7mABCs of Paragraph Development6mOrganizing Principles 14mOrganizing Principles 26mCohesion 1 (Echo Words, Transitions)6mCohesion 2 (Known To New)4mParagraph FAQs3mReports6m

4 readings

Think About It5mMap a Paragraph20mReview of Writing Sample20mPersonal Communication Plan – (Course 3) Week 2: Diagnose Your Skills20m

1 practice exercise

Module 2 Quiz30m

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Week 3: Clarity and Conciseness

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 44 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

Week4

Week 4

4 hours to complete

Week 4: The Finishing Touches

It takes conscious effort and discipline to work through the writing process--to plan, write a draft, revise the draft to make sure your content suits your purpose and your audience, edit for conciseness and clarity, and finally to proof for quality. When you follow the process, your writing will be stronger. But there are still some finishing touches that will make your documents even better. In this module, we'll talk about writing introductions and conclusions, writing executive summaries, writing as a team, and writing for electronic media.

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 51 min), 6 readings, 1 quiz

9 videos

Introduction and Objectives1mWriting Introductions and Conclusions8mExecutive Summary5mWriting as a Team7mWriting for Electronic Media8mFAQs - Sentences6mFAQs - Pronouns5mFAQs - Punctuation6mCourse Completion!1m

6 readings

Think About It10m"What You Read Matters More Than You Might Think ..."20mTED talk15mReview Writing Sample45mPersonal Communication Plan - (Course 3) Week 4: Diagnose Your Skills20mEnd of Course Survey10m

1 practice exercise

Module 4 Quiz30m

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TOP REVIEWS FROM WRITING SKILLS FOR ENGINEERING LEADERS

by VKJun 8, 2020

I really learned a lot from this course about writing skills,paragraph writing etc

by SSJun 26, 2020

This course is very helpful for developing professional writing skills in Engineers

by SKJan 22, 2022

A very good course indeed! I would recommend this course to all my friends.

by RSSep 8, 2020

The audience focused writing strategy - to think before you write (think about your audience, key message to convey), really helps me a lot to get my ideas across.

View all reviews

About the Communication Skills for Engineers Specialization

Build a toolkit of communication skills that will give you the knowledge and confidence to be an effective engineering leader.

Engineers who want to advance in their profession need to be effective communicators. They need to clearly communicate complex ideas and technical project plans. They also need to be strong persuaders. Engineers who are good communicators get recognized by their supervisors and by their clients. In this three-course Specialization, you will practice designing and giving strong, persuasive presentations; you will learn how to communicate across cultures, genders, and generations, how to create your personal brand and leadership presence, how to hold effective meetings with global teams; you will learn how to handle difficult conversations, and how to handle crisis communication; you will also learn writing skills immediately applicable in your daily activities. Courses are taught by faculty from the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL). RCEL is focused on developing engineering leaders within Rice University at the undergraduate, master's and PhD levels. It is home to one of a very few academically approved Certificates in Engineering Leadership.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Writing Skills for Engineering Leaders

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