Build Communication Skill for Professional Success. Master business writing, graphic design, and business presentation skills

4.8

stars

2,998 ratings

Dr. Quentin McAndrew +2 more instructors

56,069 already enrolled

Offered By

Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation SpecializationUniversity of Colorado Boulder

What you will learn

To Write Masterfully

To Design Elegantly

To Speak Powerfully

To Present Your Ideas and Your Best Self to the World

Skills you will gain

Business WritingPresentationGraphic DesignWritingGrammarCommunicationGraphicsTypographyPublic Speaking

About this Specialization

22,998 recent views

Over seventy companies and tens of thousands of students worldwide have used Effective Communication to deliver ideas powerfully in the workplace. By taking Business Writing, Graphic Design, and Successful Presentation, you’ll hone your written, visual, and verbal business presentation skills. You'll learn to write well-organized, clear business documents; to design elegant presentation slides, reports, and posters; and to present and speak with confidence and power. In the final Capstone Project, you'll develop a portfolio of work—including a memo, a slide deck, and a presentation—to showcase your communication skills and represent your personal brand. The Effective Communication Specialization takes you on a journey of self realization. You’ll learn that excellence in communication involves the ability to express who you are—your best self—in everything you do. What our students say: "A life-changing specialization." "Simple yet powerful rules." "Essential for everyone."

Applied Learning Project

Each course offers you short projects that take you step-by-step through the foundational principles, organizational strategies, and concrete steps of writing and designing business documents and delivering a public presentation. In the capstone, you'll create a memo, slide deck, and presentation that synthesize your learning to give you the tools to communicate your ideas powerfully in the workplace.

Learner Career Outcomes

40%

Started a new career after completing this specialization.

19%

Got a pay increase or promotion.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

No background required. These courses teach foundational skills in writing, design, and speaking that everyone needs for professional success.

Approximately 5 months to complete

Suggested pace of 4 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English, Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, Spanish

Learner Career Outcomes

40%

Started a new career after completing this specialization.

19%

Got a pay increase or promotion.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

No background required. These courses teach foundational skills in writing, design, and speaking that everyone needs for professional success.

Approximately 5 months to complete

Suggested pace of 4 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English, Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, Spanish

How the Specialization Works

Take Courses

A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.

Hands-on Project

Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.

Earn a Certificate

When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 4 Courses in this Specialization

Course1

Course 1

Business Writing

4.8

stars

3,269 ratings

•

1,009 reviews

Writing well is one of the most important skills you can develop to be successful in the business world. Over seventy companies and thirty thousand students--from professional writers to new employees to non-native English speakers to seasoned executives--have used the techniques in Business Writing to power their ability to communicate and launch their ideas. This course will teach you how to apply the top ten principles of good business writing to your work, how to deploy simple tools to dramatically improve your writing, and how to execute organization, structure, and revision to communicate more masterfully than ever. From the very first lesson, you'll be able to apply your new learning immediately to your work and improve your writing today. Your ideas are powerful. Learn how to deliver them with the clarity and impact they deserve.

"Thank you for giving me the knowledge I need in life. [Business Writing] was helpful, life changing, and has made a huge impact in my writing." -- Message from a Business Writing student The principles you'll learn in this course enable you to become a great business writer. They also provide the foundation for moving into Graphic Design and Successful Presentation, so that you can unleash your best professional self whenever--and however--you present your ideas in the workplace.

Course2

Course 2

Graphic Design

4.8

stars

2,476 ratings

•

603 reviews

Welcome to Graphic Design, the second course in the Effective Communications Specialization. Over 70 different companies have provided this specialization to their employees as a resource for internal professional development. Why? Because employers know that effective visual communication is the key to attracting an audience, building a relationship, and closing the sale.

This practical course gives you the tools to create professional looking Powerpoints, reports, resumes, and presentations.. Using a set of best practices refined through years of experience, you’ll: • make your work look fresh and inspired. • apply simple design “tricks” to begin any project with confidence and professionalism. • receive and respond to criticism and revise your project from good to great. "This course is fantastic. It teaches a great amount of starter graphic design information but it is broken down into easily understood videos and quizzes. The quality was top notch and the interaction was as good as you would get in a brick and mortar school. I did not feel like I was missing anything by taking it online." - a recent Graphic Design student All of the course assignments can be completed with basic presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Apple Keynote. You’ll also have opportunities to explore and apply more sophisticated tools, such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Course3

Course 3

Successful Presentation

4.7

stars

2,257 ratings

•

406 reviews

Few kinds of communication can have the effect of a powerful presentation. Even a short speech can motivate people to change long-held beliefs or to take action, and a wonderfully delivered speech can transform a normal person into a leader.

In this course, Prof. William Kuskin provides a series of pragmatic videos and exercises for successful public speaking and presentations. The course develops through four themes—mastering fear, developing a creative formula, using verbal and body language, and anticipating the room—so that you can discover your personal power as a speaker and give excellent presentations. Successful presentations do not rely on perfect teeth, a deep voice, or an army of scriptwriters. They depend largely on the same skills as successful Business Writing and Graphic Design: clarity, structure, and revision. The goal of the course, therefore, is to enable you to discover your own internal power as a speaker and express it to the world. After this course, with some practice, you will be able to go into any situation and command the room for as long as you like.

Course4

Course 4

Effective Communication Capstone Project

4.7

stars

76 ratings

•

13 reviews

In the Effective Communication Capstone learners apply the lessons of Business Writing, Graphic Design, and Successful Presentation to create a portfolio of work that represents their mastery of writing, design, and speaking and that expresses their personal brand. The portfolio includes three individual elements—a written memo, a slide deck, and a presentation—integrated around a single topic. We provide the elements for a basic capstone, but we also invite our learners to create their own project if they so choose. This self-designed "Challenge Capstone" allows learners to engage meaningfully in their world by choosing a project relevant to their current job or by volunteering to write, design, and speak for a social organization of their choice.

By successfully undertaking the Capstone, learners will accomplish three main goals: 1. They will hone their writing, design, and speaking skills and build a portfolio for a job search and/or professional application; 2. They will shape these skills into a unique brand identity; and, if they choose, 3. They will undertake a transformative effect in the world around them. Ultimately, the importance of Capstone portfolio is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Its true goal lies in each student’s personal transformation and expression of their best selves. We invite you to unleash your skills and we can't wait to see the results!

Instructors

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

CU-Boulder is a dynamic community of scholars and learners on one of the most spectacular college campuses in the country. As one of 34 U.S. public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), we have a proud tradition of academic excellence, with five Nobel laureates and more than 50 members of prestigious academic academies.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
Can I take the course for free?
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. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
Time to completion can vary based on your schedule, but most learners are able to complete the Specialization in four to five months.
How often is each course in the Specialization offered?
Each course in the Specialization is offered on demand, and may be taken at any time.
What background knowledge is necessary?
Basic knowledge of presentation software (like PowerPoint, Keynote, or Prezi) or design software, such as InDesign or Illustrator.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
Although the three courses in the specialization can be taken separately, they are deeply integrated around their lessons. Upon completion of the three courses, learners will understand that the business of writing, design, and presentation is one continuous endeavor of personal branding, and that these skills rest upon the same fundamental, replicable principles. We recommend taking them in the order that they are offered.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
Coursera courses and certificates don't carry university credit, though some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
You’ll learn straightforward, broadly serviceable techniques to improve your writing, design, and presentation skills. Upon completion of this specialization, you'll:
--Understand and apply the fundamental principles that drive success in writing, design, and presentation.
--Write well organized, clear documents.
--Design impactful and elegant slides, reports, documents, and other visual products.
--Speak with confidence and power.
This specialization gives you the tools to present your ideas with impact and showcase your best professional self in your documents, slides, and speaking.
What software and hardware will I need to complete this specialization?
Wordprocessing software like Microsoft Word will be helpful for Business Writing. For Graphic Design, learners need some familiarity and access to presentation software, like Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple Keynote. Although it is not required, design students may also use programs like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign. For Successful Presentation, the ability to record and upload short videos will be useful (a phone video camera or built in camera in a computer will be suitable).

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.