What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

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.

Requirements Writing

UNSW Sydney (The University of New South Wales)

Requirements Writing

Instructors: Sondoss Elsawah

23,994 already enrolled

Included with

Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

358 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

4 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

358 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

4 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Apply INCOSE guidelines for writing clear requirement statements.
Identify and correct ambiguity in requirement statements.
Develop precise, text-based requirements for various projects.
Enhance project communication and outcomes through effective requirements.

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

5 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

There are 4 modules in this course

This course teaches INCOSE-aligned requirements writing — a step-by-step system for crafting clear, precise, text-based statements that drive project success.

Perfect for project managers, engineers, QA specialists, operations leads, and technical pros looking to sharpen technical writing. No prior experience needed — just a desire to eliminate vague specs. What you'll master by course end: - Apply INCOSE guidelines to write unambiguous requirement statements - Spot and fix ambiguity — from subtle vagueness to multilayer problems - Develop precise requirements for any project context - Boost communication — turning stakeholder needs into actionable engineering gold Practice through interactive dialogues and role plays that build analysis, rewriting, and stakeholder defense skills for real-world impact.

Welcome to the Requirements Writing course. Over the next five weeks, you will learn how to write clear and effective requirements using proven guidelines and best practices. Each week, you will complete a module and reinforce your learning through quizzes drawn from a large question bank. These practice activities are designed to help you prepare for the final course exam in Week 5. In this module, you will be introduced to the course structure and learn how to get started. You will understand how the course is organized, how you will be assessed, and what to expect each week. To succeed in this course, it is important to plan your study time and stay consistent with your weekly progress.

What's included

2 videos4 readings1 assignment

Building on our previous module, this week focuses on removing ambiguity from requirement statements. You will learn key rules for writing requirements, specifically addressing vague and superfluous words. By the end, you will identify and correct common wording issues. To succeed, pay close attention to word choice examples.

What's included

1 video1 assignment

Continuing from our last module, we address more rules for developing clear requirement statements. This module focuses on avoiding conjunctions without formal logical conditions, unbounded statements, and escape clauses. You will learn to identify and correct these issues. To succeed, practice applying these rules to various requirement examples.

What's included

1 video1 assignment

This module concludes our rules for writing requirements. You will focus on precision, using units, ranges, and tolerances correctly. Also, learn to avoid common pitfalls like cross-references, pronouns, and negative requirements. By the end, you will apply these final rules to create robust requirements. For success, review all rules and practice applying them.

What's included

3 videos2 assignments

Instructors

Instructor ratings

(85 ratings)

Sondoss Elsawah

UNSW Sydney (The University of New South Wales)

2 Courses102,850 learners

Offered by

UNSW Sydney (The University of New South Wales)

Explore more from Electrical Engineering

University of Colorado System
Requirements Specifications: Goals and Conflict Analysis
Course
University of Colorado System
SRS Documents: Requirements and Diagrammatic Notations
Course
SkillUp
Project, Stakeholder, and Requirements Management Fundamentals
Course
SAP
Requirements Gathering and Documentation
Course

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

5 stars
68.43%
4 stars
23.74%
3 stars
5.58%
2 stars
0.83%
1 star
1.39%

Showing 3 of 358

Reviewed on Oct 29, 2019

The course was extremely informational and useful. I thank Coursera for providing me with Financial aid for this course.

Reviewed on Jun 23, 2020

Make sure you take notes, a lot of this material is so handy to refer to and explained a lot easier than in the INCOSE Guide

Reviewed on Sep 2, 2025

This is definitely a good overall view of requirements writing. I like the ability to download the course material.

View more reviews

Unlock access to 10,000+ courses with a subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 4,700 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Frequently asked questions

Requirements writing is the art and science of crafting clear, precise, verifiable statements that define exactly what a system, product, or project must deliver. It's the foundation that turns stakeholder visions into actionable engineering reality.

Vague requirements kill projects — they breed misunderstandings, trigger costly rework, and leave teams building the wrong thing. Crystal-clear specs align everyone, minimize risks, and ensure the final product actually solves real problems.

You'll master INCOSE-aligned technical writing, learn to surgically spot and eliminate ambiguity (even in complex, multi-layered cases), and practice rewriting messy specs into precise, testable statements — plus defend them in stakeholder role plays.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. 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.