Good writing is a fundamental skill that can help you communicate ideas clearly and effectively. In the business world, your writing could be the difference between landing a lucrative contract, earning a promotion, or making your resume stand out. Successful businesses and business people rely on hard work and dedication, but good writing can truly set them apart from their competitors. Whether you are composing emails, memos, business proposals, newsletters, or presentations, writing is a necessary skill that you can always benefit from learning more about. You don’t need to learn how to write the next great novel to become a better writer, but learning more about the craft and mechanics of language will help you become an effective communicator.
Writing matters, and how you articulate something even more so. A deft, clear sentence can turn even the most banal instruction or response into a communication that elicits positive or productive feedback. Writing isn’t always easy, but getting to a point where you feel confident goes a long way into outwardly exuding visible confidence. Learning how to maximize writing’s utility will save you a lot of time and help you achieve excellence. Writing, too, is an equalizing force; even the best writers have issues from time to time! Be sure to read this amazing article on writing by esteemed Stanford Business Professor Bob Sutton for his take on writing.
If you are looking to improve your writing abilities or simply hone your grammar and punctuation skills, there are a number of online courses suited for your needs. Many online business courses are offered for professional development credit or as a certificate program, though there are some courses that are offered for college credit or as part of a degree program. Online Courses Review has scoured through hundreds of online classes to bring you the top business writing courses. These courses will teach you how to identify and clearly communicate your message to your intended audience, the basics of style and voice, and how to write a persuasive, uncluttered sentence. The benefits of these courses will not only help you in the workplace, but also aid you in being more confident and articulate in your everyday life.
College Degrees
Self Guided Courses
MOOCs / Open CoursesSelf Guided Online Business Writing Courses
Udemy: Are you looking to quickly improve your business writing skills but do not have the time or money to invest in an expensive class? Are you looking to hone your copy writing to improve sales and marketing pitches? Udemy offers affordable online courses that teach useful business correspondence skills that will help you improve your writing abilities. These courses will help you demonstrate your command over language and help focus your message to your readers, clients, and perspective consumers. These courses are perfect for those looking to take short lessons and cannot devote much time to a comprehensive course. All courses Currently Onsale!
ed2go: Do you feel as though improving your writing has the potential to also improve your career prospects? Do you want to learn how to convincingly message or communicate your ideas? ed2go offers a range of courses that will help you become a better writer so that you may establish your voice and make your ideas concise and to the point. From marketing to grant writing, ed2go has affordable courses that will make you more confident in communicating with coworkers, selling your product or services, or presenting an idea.
American Management Association: Are you or your business looking to improve your communication and writing skills? The American Management Association offers thorough online, live classroom, and on-site courses that will help you or your team learn how to correctly use grammar, tone, and craft to impress your coworkers, clients, or bosses. AMA is an excellent resource for business professionals looking to develop new abilities and knowledge, but is courses are offered to anyone interested in improving their skill set.
Having difficulty with a particular project? AMA encourages you to bring in a current project and get one-on-one feedback, which will provide you hands-on experience editing and improving your writing. These productive seminars are taught by experienced facilitators who will teach you the skills to write all sorts of business documents. AMA will help you become a confident, proactive writer and will equip you with the skills needed to succeed. Professional development credit is available. More information and complete course listings available at AMA’s website.
| Provider | Course |
|---|---|
| American Management Association | How to Sharpen Your Business Writing Skills |
| American Management Association | Business Writing for the Multilingual Professional |
| American Management Association | Business Writing for Administrative Professionals |
| American Management Association | Writing for the Web |
| American Management Association | Business Grammar Workshop |
Learning Tree International: Do you find yourself feeling frustrated by trying to craft a perfectly written email or feel frightened by giving a big presentation or speech? Learning Tree International offers comprehensive online courses in communication training that will help improve your writing and speaking skills. With Learning Tree, you will gain the skills and knowledge and feel more confident in your writing. These comprehensive, hands-on classes will help you identify your audience and tailor your writing and communication to command your reader’s attention. These courses are directed toward business professionals wanting to fast-track their learning experience. Professional development credit is available.
| Provider | Course |
|---|---|
| Learning Tree International | Communication Skills Training |
| Learning Tree International | Communication Skills: Results through Collaboration – Course 292 |
| Learning Tree International | Influence Skills: Getting Results without Direct Authority – Course 294 |
| Learning Tree International | Assertiveness Skills: Communicating with Authority & Impact – Course 244 |
| Learning Tree International | Technical Writing Introduction – Course 319 |
| Learning Tree International | Business and Report Writing Introduction – Course 219 |
| Learning Tree International | Public Speaking: Compelling Speeches & Presentations – Course 903 |
| Learning Tree International | Personal Skills for Professional Excellence – Course 297 |
| Learning Tree International | Time Management Essentials – Course 344 |
JER Online: Are you seeking to improve your business communication and writing skills? JER Online offers many affordable online classes that will help you learn how to become a better communicator and writer. JER Online course offerings include mastering presentation skills, writing emails and memos, a comprehensive Writers at Work Certificate, and many more classes. These courses will teach you proven tools, tips, and writing skills that will help you articulate your ideas cogently and effectively. This course is perfect for business professionals who want to take quality business writing class, but don’t have a lot to spend.
Universal Class: Do you have a suspicion that you or your business is suffering from ineffective communication? Do you want to improve your messaging and writing? Universal Class offers courses that cover the basics of good and bad business communication, as well as in-depth sections on formatting, grammar, punctuation, and other fundamentals of good writing. These cost-effective courses are perfect for anybody at any point in their career who wishes to become a decisive communicator.
| Provider | Course |
|---|---|
| UniversalClass | Online Course Search |
| UniversalClass | Business Writing 101 – CEU Certificate |
| UniversalClass | Advertising, Marketing and Sales Writing – Learn How to Sell with Writing |
University of Texas at Austin: The University of Texas at Austin’s Writers at Work Certificate offers busy professionals a self-paced, comprehensive program consisting of four 10-hour courses. These courses will help you gain knowledge and understanding of sentence mechanics and parts of speech, as well as how to identify ineffective and improper writing. Throughout this course, you will learn how to edit your own work, as well as generate clear and succinct writing. This is a perfect course for those looking to revamp their writing abilities and gain advanced instruction on how to achieve a professional style within your writing.
The program will include a comprehensive review of grammar and punctuation, an introduction to sentence mechanics and style, how to write clearly and concisely, and other excellent writing tips and tools. You will have access to exercises and instructor feedback to ensure that you will learn how to be a better writer. If you want to invest in becoming a better writer, this certificate program might be perfect for you. Writers at Work Certificate
Duke University: Do you want to improve your writing and are interested in a certificate in Nonprofit Management? Duke University’s Effective Business Writing is a cost-effective course that will help you improve your writing with purposeful, straightforward strategies for effective writing. Topics include writing memos, reports, presentations, catalogs, and websites. This course is approximately 5 hours of in class learning but will teach you an incredible amount about how to improve your writing, editing, and revising skills.
This course may be taken individually or credit may be applied to Duke’s Certificate in Nonprofit Management. No matter your interests, this course will help you learn how to apply all forms of business writing in a professional manner that will engage your audience. Find out if this course is writing for you! Certificate in Nonprofit Management
Rutgers University: Are you interested in learning business or technical writing from expert writing teachers and professors? Rutgers University offers a wide range of online, professional writing courses that may help you on your way to becoming an effective writer. Rutgers offers writing-specific courses to help narrow the focus of what you would like to improve in your writing.
The online courses offered include email writing, advertising writing, effective business writing, questionnaire writing, and business plan writing. These thorough, short courses will train you to be more adept in your everyday writing. Rutgers offers one-on-one instruction, which will provide you with close, confidential lessons to help you improve your writing abilities. Business and Technical Writing Courses
Business Writing MOOCs (Open College Courses)
Professional Writing Course by Saylor.org: Have you ever found yourself struggling trying to write memos, proposals, or presentations? Is it difficult to clearly express your ideas through writing? Saylor.org’s free Professional Writing course might be right for you. This course provides hands-on experience developing your own projects, as well as practice writing common business documents. Additionally, this course allows you to learn how to become a good editor of your own work in order to maximize the impact of your writing. If this interests you, please follow the link to the course page.
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Other Business Resources
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Business Writing Workshop by Gotham Writers: Do you want your writing to be compelling and concise? Do you think your writing could improve by working with professional writers? The Gotham Writers’ Workshop offers a unique environment to maximize the impact of your learning. Originally started with creative writing courses in mind, the Gotham Writers’ Workshop has expanded into one of the premier private venues for writing.
Workshops are taught online and instructors and students work closely with each other in an interactive environment designed to maximize students’ productivity. Lessons are carefully crafted to introduce you to the ins and outs of language and different types of business writing you may encounter in an office setting. The faculty at Gotham Writers are professional writers and professional teachers; it is their job to care about writing. Professional development credit is available.
Emphasis: Emphasis is the UK’s leading business-writing consultancy. Founded in 1998, they have a vast amount of experience training all sorts of clients—government agencies, law firms, corporations, among others. Comprised of writing professionals, they have a deft grasp on what effective writing looks like. Their blog, Write Now, contains an abundance of information on the minutiae of syntax and tips on how to effectively articulate your ideas through words.
Purdue University Online Writing Lab: Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) is the one of the most comprehensive online databases for any grammar, syntax, or writing related query. This free resource contains detailed entries on how to write professionally and coherently so as to set your writing apart from your coworkers. While one may learn a vast amount from Purdue’s OWL, it is also a great reference for those learning about how to better their business writing, as well as those who have nitpicky grammar questions.
Online Writing Courses by Syntax Training: Lynn Gaertner-Johnston has transformed her passion for effective communication into one of the best online resources for business writing. Her commitment to clear, concise writing has led her to found Syntax Training, which operates in Seattle and provides communication training and consulting. Syntax Training administers in-house workshops as well as online courses suited to your needs. Lynn runs the blog Business Writing, which provides a unique perspective on the importance of everyday writing as well as links to writing resources.