Our Courses

GEB 3213 Professional Writing in Business id="geb3213"

Undergraduate; offered Fall and Spring: 3 credits

GEB 3213 – Professional Writing in Business is designed to teach business students the fundamental written communication skills that will allow them to express their ideas effectively and efficiently, preparing them for the demands of the business workplace. This course focuses on three areas central to professional writing in business: (1) knowledge of the types of writing central to business communication, (2) mastery of the techniques for persuasive argumentation, and (3) understanding of the fundamentals of writing clearly, specifically, and concisely. The project-based writing assignments in this course ensure that students learn professional communication principles within different organizational contexts, as they work on assignments, cases, and projects drawn from everyday business situations.

GEB 3218 Business Speaking and Presentations id="geb3218"

Undergraduate; offered Fall and Spring, 3 credits

Employers consider an employee’s ability to orally communicate their thoughts and ideas concisely and articulately as one of the most important skills they can possess. From the interview process, to interpersonally communicating every day in the office, to delivering formal and informal presentations, what we say and how we say it impacts how others perceive us at work. And that perception can greatly influence our career trajectory. This course focuses on teaching students the communication skills integral to succeeding in the business world. Skills include interviewing, formal and informal speaking and presentations, interpersonal conflict, and communicating with a diverse audience. In addition, students will practice newly acquired skills through exercises and formal class presentations. By the end of the course, participants will have the oral competencies to communicate effectively at work.

GEB 3219 Writing and Speaking in Business (online only) id="geb3219"

Undergraduate; offered Summer, 4 credits

In business, where communication needs to be clear and convincing, you must be an effective writer and speaker. We’ve designed GEB 3219 – Writing and Speaking in Business to teach business students communication fundamentals to prepare you for the business workplace by helping you:

  • learn the types of writing central to business communication;
  • master basic presentation skills and awareness of verbal and non-verbal aspects of communication;
  • learn the types of writing central to business communication;
  • deploy the techniques for persuasive argumentation; and,
  • understand the fundamentals of writing clearly, specifically, and concisely.

The assignments ensure that students learn communication principles through assignments drawn from business situations.

GEB 5212 Professional Writing id="geb5212"

Graduate; offered Fall, Spring, and Summer; 1-3 credits, depending on program

Presidents of Fortune 500 companies and top CEOs consistently place good written and oral communication among the top five must-have skills for employees. This course helps students improve the writing skills necessary to surviving and succeeding in their chosen careers. GEB 5212 focuses on strategies that enable students to write memos, emails, reports, and other documents to sell ideas, clinch promotions, or nail down an ideal job.

Professional Writing covers the basic principles that make writing work, using research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience that enables students to identify and use the optimal words, sentence structures, and document organization that make for clear, efficient, and highly effective documents. The course also focuses on methods of analyzing, persuading, and influencing different audiences in diverse communication contexts.

GEB 5215 Professional Communication id="geb5215"

Graduate; offered Fall, Spring, and Summer; 1-2 credits, depending on program

Presentations are an integral part of many occupations—especially in the business world. Now, more than ever, employees routinely deliver sales presentations, handle information sessions, or present informal progress reports. No matter what the content of these presentations, the skills behind their creation are similar. In this interactive course, students learn guidelines that help build their confidence as presenters and make their presentations more effective. Students give prepared and limited-preparation presentations and also provide feedback on the effectiveness of their peers’ presentations.

Professional Communication emphasizes the elements of communication, including audience analysis, organization, delivery, presentation and audience participation. The course also focuses on the dynamics of impromptu speaking. By the end of the semester, students will demonstrate mastery of a range of oral communication skills integral to survival and success in the business world.

GEB 6229 Professional Communication for Accountants id="geb6229"

Graduate; offered Fall and Spring: 1 credit. Prerequisite: GEB 3213 and GEB 3218 or similar

Building on the foundation of solid writing skills laid down in GEB 3218 and 3213, accounting students will learn more advanced writing techniques, focusing on communication requirements of accountants. The course will cover persuasion techniques, business letters, email, and client conferences, and PowerPoint presentations, preparing students to communicate effectively to employees, business partners, and clients.

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