CoLab: Professional Writing

Level: Undergraduate

This brief course will delve into the basics of writing and communicating in a professional space, exploring the rhetorical foundations, best practices, and research skills necessary to turn writing and language into a proactive tool that can be used for ethical action in a multitude of situations. Beginning with a broad perspective, we'll develop an understanding of the rhetorical foundations of writing in a public space. We'll learn about common audiences and contexts in professional settings, discuss how professional writing differs from academic writing, and analyze how empathy can be applied to effective document creation. This will culminate in an overarching understanding of how you can use effective professional writing, and even simple shifts in language, to not only apply for jobs but also create change in whatever professional space you may find yourself in.