CMNS 1291 - Introduction to Professional Writing

Delivery Online, self-paced and Online, paced

Course Description

Students study the theories and practice of professional organizational communication, learning the importance of effective communication to meeting goals, developing and maintaining relationships and the overall facilitation of work. Students develop skills in evaluating communication scenarios, designing communication strategies that meet goals and audience need, including requests, information sharing and persuasion. In addition, students learn to employ writing techniques and editorial skills relevant to professional communication contexts.

Learning outcomes

Write with grammar and style suitable to a professional context.
Analyze communication scenarios and design appropriate professional communication documents that are responsive to goal, context and audience need.
Explain the best practice strategies for producing rhetorically and stylistically effective communication documents.
Explain the purpose of and produce different communication strategies, including request, response, information sharing, and persuasion.
Explain best practice strategies for and produce effective visual support for professional communication documents.
Explain the purpose of and produce properly formatted emails, memos, letters and short reports.

Course topics

Module 1: Introduction to Professional Writing
Module 2: The Writing Process
Module 3: How to Write Clearly and Effectively
Module 4: Straightforward Messages
Module 5: Delivering Unwelcome News
Module 6: Persuasive Messages
Module 7: Graphics and Visuals
Module 8: Informal Reports
Module 9: Proposals
Module 10: Formal Reports

Required text and materials

Students are responsible for purchasing the required materials on their own:

Meyer, C. (2025). Communicating for results: A Canadian student’s guide (6th ed.). Oxford University Press Canada.
ISBN: 9780190167660 / 9780190167646

Note: This item can be purchased from the following link.

Assessments

Please be aware that should your course have a final exam, you are responsible for the fee to the online proctoring service, ProctorU, or to the in-person approved Testing Centre. Please contact exams@tru.ca with any questions about this.

To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course, and 50% or higher on the final mandatory exam.

Assignment 1: Writing Exercises	10%
Assignment 2: Effective Writing	5%
Assignment 3: Straightforward Messages	10%
Assignment 4: Appropriate Responses	15%
Assignment 5: Short Report	10%
Assignment 6: Proposal	10%
Assignment 7: Formal Report	20%
Final Exam	20%
Total	100%

Exclusions

CMNS 1290
CMNS 1811
CMNS 1810
CMNS 1250

Enrol now - select a section to enrol in

CMNS 1291 - 71505

Start: Any Time

Online, self-paced

Available

Introduction to Professional Writing

Any Time (30 weeks duration)

Online, self-paced

Canadian in BC/YT non-credit	$548.39	Click here to get more information
Canadian outside BC/YT non-credit	$657.47	Click here to get more information
International Student non-credit	$1,661.15	Click here to get more information

3 credits

CMNS 1291 - 61266

Sep 09, 2026

Online, paced

Available

Introduction to Professional Writing

16 weeks

Sep 09, 2026 to Dec 29, 2026

Online, paced

Canadian in BC/YT non-credit	$558.76	Click here to get more information
Canadian outside BC/YT non-credit	$670.00	Click here to get more information
International Student non-credit	$1,708.78	Click here to get more information

3 credits

Section Notes

Note: Online paced delivery method requires approval due to class size as the minimum number of students registered must be met in order for the course to run. We will contact you via email with more details upon registration.

Open Learning faculty member information

An Open Learning faculty member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.