Essential Writing for Professionals and Graduate Students

This course on expository writing consists of five sections, each covering an important aspect of the writing process, along with an optional appendix that reviews grammar and writing mechanics. The first section provides an overview of the writing process; discusses the importance of audience, purpose, and tone; and introduces the concept of prewriting. The second section covers the best strategies for researching a topic, including choosing appropriate keywords and differentiating trustworthy from untrustworthy sources. The third and fourth sections focus on writing itself, including how to construct an argument, how to be persuasive, and how to optimize the drafting and revision processes to create writing that is precise, concise, and clear. The final section covers the emerging area of how to use generative AI and large language models during the writing process, (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot) to help your writing, including the vital topic of prompt engineering. This last section concludes with a discussion of APA Style, including how to use APA Style to write academic papers and how to apply key concepts from APA Style to business and professional contexts.

Because the best way to learn the skills covered in the course is to actually use them, you will be given ample opportunities to practice the concepts that you’re being taught, including citing, revising, and proofreading. By the time you finish this course, you will understand how to write effectively, and your own writing skills will be greatly improved.