The course helps trainees learn new patterns to replace the old by using their own sentences as examples. The teaching, practice, and tests are based on the trainee's own writing as much as possible. It is highly individualized. The instructor carefully evaluates five writing samples and prescribes study and practice based on the trainee's unique needs. Trainees work on only the specific skills they need to learn.

The skills evaluated and taught are not limited to these, but most business writers need training in these areas:

• Abbreviations • Adverbs • Affect - Effect • Apostrophes to Show Possession • Articles • Bolding • Capitalization • Colloquialisms • Colons • Commas and Periods with Quotation Marks • Comma Overuse • Commas in a Series • Commas with "However," "Therefore," "Thus" • Commas with Coordinate Adjectives • Commas with Coordinating Conjunctions • Commas with Dates, States, Addresses, and Numbers • Commas with Introductory Elements • Commas with Nonrestrictive Appositives • Commas with Nonrestrictive Elements • Commas with Parenthetical Elements • Commonly Confused Word Pairs • Conciseness • Consistency • Contractions

• Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers • Ellipses • Errors Unique to My Writing • Formatting • Fragment Sentences • Gerunds, Infinitives, and Participles • Hyphens and Dashes • Hyphens with Compound Adjectives • Hyphens with Numbers • Hyphens with Prefixes and Compound Words • Idioms and Word Usage • Lists • Modal Auxiliary Verbs • Mood Shift • Number (Singular or Plural) • Numbers Format • Omitting Space or Inserting Too Much Space • Parallelism in Lists and Sentences • Parentheses • Passive Voice • Periods • Plurals • Prepositions • Pronoun Reference • Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

• Pronouns • Proofreading • Questions • Quotation Marks • Run-on Sentences • Run-ons Using "Therefore," "However" • Semicolons • Simple Sentence Structures • Simple Vocabulary • Slashes • Spelling • Subject/Verb Agreement • Tense Endings • Tense Shifts • Tense • "There," "Their," and "They're," • Using Case Correctly • Using Key Words • "Whom," "That," and "Which" • Word Choice • Word Omitted • Word Unnecessary • Wordiness • Wording Problems

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language.

TUITION

$345

TEXTS

$64.00

DURATION

Five writing samples, approximately 24 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php . Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC100 Basic Grammar for Business

The Basic Grammar for Business course is for people who have a good command of the English language, but would like to have an in-depth knowledge of grammar. The course is a survey, meaning that it covers all of the major rules of grammar and usage. You will go through a large part of a grammar textbook during the course.

The course is not designed for the average business person who has usage problems. It is for the business person who already has good language skills, but would like to learn the grammar rules well enough to polish his or her own writing and even edit or proofread others' writing.

Alternative courses:

If you have usage problems in your writing, we recommend the individualized course in which you learn only the usage rules that pertain to specific problems you display. The course is the Basic Writing Skills Tutorial course.

If you have few usage problems but would like to learn to proofread your writing better and would like to have a general survey of the grammar rules without learning them in-depth, we recommend the Editing, Polishing, and Proofreading Your Business Writing course. It explains the most important grammar rules briefly and teaches basic proofreading skills.

List of usage areas covered in the Basic Grammar for Business course:

Developing clear, correct sentences
1. Combining sentences
   
2. Avoiding dangling and misplaced modifiers
   
3. Using adverbs correctly
   
4. Using modifiers correctly
   
5. Avoiding passive voice

   Using punctuation correctly

6. Using apostrophes correctly
   
7. Using semicolons correctly
   
8. Using periods after polite questions
   
9. Using dashes correctly
   
10. Using quotation marks correctly
    
11. Using colons correctly
    
12. Avoiding comma overuse
    
13. Commas with who and which
    
14. Commas in a series
    
15. Commas with parenthetical elements
    
16. Commas with introductory elements
    
17. Commas with dates
    
18. Commas with coordinating conjunctions
    
19. Commas with conjunctive Adverbs
    
20. Commas with conjunctions
    
21. Commas with restrictive and non-restrictive clauses
    
22. Commas with appositives

    Using other usage skills correctly

23. Capitalizing correctly
    
24. Using numbers correctly
    
25. Keep constructions parallel
    
26. Using "who" and "whom" correctly

    Proofreading effectively

27. Proofreading principles
    
28. Proofreading techniques

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language. Consistent problems in usage.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

$64.00

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 26 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

 

BWC110 Basic Writing Skills Tutorial

 

The Basic Writing Skills course is for people who have a good command of the English language, but have basic usage problems such as consistent errors in grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling. It is suitable for nonnative speakers of English as well as people who are native speakers.

The course helps trainees learn new patterns to replace the old by using their own sentences as examples. The teaching, practice, and tests are based on the trainee's own writing as much as possible. It is highly individualized. The instructor carefully evaluates five writing samples and prescribes study and practice based on the trainee's unique needs. Trainees work on only the specific skills they need to learn.

The skills evaluated and taught are not limited to these, but most business writers need training in these areas:

• Abbreviations • Adverbs • Affect - Effect • Apostrophes to Show Possession • Articles • Bolding • Capitalization • Colloquialisms • Colons • Commas and Periods with Quotation Marks • Comma Overuse • Commas in a Series • Commas with "However," "Therefore," "Thus" • Commas with Coordinate Adjectives • Commas with Coordinating Conjunctions • Commas with Dates, States, Addresses, and Numbers • Commas with Introductory Elements • Commas with Nonrestrictive Appositives • Commas with Nonrestrictive Elements • Commas with Parenthetical Elements • Commonly Confused Word Pairs • Conciseness • Consistency • Contractions

• Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers • Ellipses • Errors Unique to My Writing • Formatting • Fragment Sentences • Gerunds, Infinitives, and Participles • Hyphens and Dashes • Hyphens with Compound Adjectives • Hyphens with Numbers • Hyphens with Prefixes and Compound Words • Idioms and Word Usage • Lists • Modal Auxiliary Verbs • Mood Shift • Number (Singular or Plural) • Numbers Format • Omitting Space or Inserting Too Much Space • Parallelism in Lists and Sentences • Parentheses • Passive Voice • Periods • Plurals • Prepositions • Pronoun Reference • Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

• Pronouns • Proofreading • Questions • Quotation Marks • Run-on Sentences • Run-ons Using "Therefore," "However" • Semicolons • Simple Sentence Structures • Simple Vocabulary • Slashes • Spelling • Subject/Verb Agreement • Tense Endings • Tense Shifts • Tense • "There," "Their," and "They're," • Using Case Correctly • Using Key Words • "Whom," "That," and "Which" • Word Choice • Word Omitted • Word Unnecessary • Wordiness • Wording Problems

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language.

TUITION

$345

TEXTS

$64.00

DURATION

Five writing samples, approximately 24 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

 

BWC310 Basic Grammar and Writing Skills
     for Business The Basic Grammar and Writing Skills for Business course combines parts of the Basic Writing Skills course and Business Writing Skills courses. The focus is on providing the business writer who has some usage problems with the instruction to make his or her writing clear, effective, and correct. Business people with many basic writing skills problems should take the Basic Writing Skills course.

The course uses the lessons from the Business Writing Skills course without the 12 practice activities. The time the trainee would have spent on the practice activities is devoted to the grammar training in BWC310.

The training materials include an online index for continued use of the reference tools after the course is finished. Course materials remain online for the duration of the course and may be purchased after the course is finished.

BUSINESS WRITING CONTENT

Pre-write

Follow e-mail protocol.
Set goals.
Know your readers.
Choose strategies based on the goals and readers.
Use a standard letter format.
Use a standard memo format.

Prepare the Information

Learn how to overcome writer's block
Prepare notes for your e-mail, memo, letter, or report.

Organize the Writing

Have an organizational pattern in mind.
Use special organizational patterns for some messages.

Introduce the Content

For e-mails and memos, always write a clear, meaningful subject line.
For letters, use a "Subject" or "Re" line if your company customarily uses it.
Write a clear, complete e-mail introduction.
Write a clear, complete report introduction.
Write a clear, complete letter introduction.
Write a clear, complete memo introduction.
For e-mails, letters, and memos, write a cordial beginning or buffer.
State the contents of the e-mail, letter, or memo.
State the contents of the report.
For reports, state conclusions and recommendations in the introduction.

Write a Clear Document

Write the explanations in blocks.
Keep explanations of a subject together in one block.
Check each block for focus.
Check each block for completeness.
Open each block with a statement of the contents.
Use headings to open blocks.
Bold field or data names to identify them as blocks.
Create lists.
Open list blocks.
Mark the list items clearly.
Keep list items in a single list.
Keep list items in the same format.
For reports, present information in tables when possible.

Write Clear, Complete Explanations

Write to build conclusions in the reader's mind.
For reports, write clear, complete, relevant explanations.
Use key words consistently.
Fully explain each new concept word or phrase.
Use full phrases to define words clearly.

Write a Conclusion with Impact

Write a conclusion that achieves your goals.

Write Clear, Effective Sentences, Paragraphs, and Words Use paragraphs to organize information.
Write concisely.
Combine sentences to show relationships. Separate sentences to make them clearer.
Write clear, simple, straightforward sentences.
Write strong, direct sentences.
For reports, write clearly and simply for non-technical readers.
Use words the reader will understand.

Prepare a Polished, Correct Final Draft

Use your spell checker and grammar checker.
Proofread.
Format the e-mail to be readable.

USAGE TRAINING CONTENT

Course Pre-test

Lesson 1: Proofreading Principles
Lesson 2: Grammar and Punctuation

Practice Diagnostic Test
Lesson 3: Omissions, Additions, Typos
Lesson 4: Number Accuracy
Lesson 5: Transposition Errors
Session 1 Optional Practice
Session 1 Diagnostic Test
Lesson 6: Abbreviations
Lesson 7: Word Division
Lesson 8: Number Expression
Lesson 9: Capitalization
Session 2 Diagnostic Test
Lesson 10: Commas
Lesson 11: Other Punctuation
Lesson 12: Special Punctuation
Lesson 13: Spelling
Lesson 14: Confusing Words
Session 3 Diagnostic Test
Lesson 15: Subject/Verb Agreement
Lesson 16: Pronoun Agreement
Lesson 17: Using Defined Terms Consistently
Lesson 18: Citing Sources
Session 4 Diagnostic Test

Course Post-test

PREREQUISITES

No severe basic writing skills problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXT

All materials are online.

DURATION

Approximately 30 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC421 Business Report Writing

CONTENT

Plan the Report

1. Set goals.
2. Know your readers.
3. Choose strategies based on the goals and readers.

Competency Examination 1
Submit a report.

Prepare Your Notes

4. Learn how to overcome writer's block.
5. Prepare notes for your report.

Organize the Writing

6. Have an organizational pattern in mind.
7. Use special organizational patterns for some messages.

Introduce the Content

8. Write a clear, complete report introduction.
9. State the contents of the report.
10. State conclusions and recommendations in the introduction.

Present Explanations in Blocks

11. Write the explanations in blocks.
12. Keep explanations of a subject together in one block.
13. Check each block for focus.
14. Check each block for completeness.
15. Open each block with a statement of the contents.
16. Use headings to open blocks.
17. Bold field or data names to identify them as blocks.

Competency Examination 2
Submit a report.

Present Lists Clearly

18. Create lists.
19. Open list blocks.
20. Mark the list items clearly.
21. Keep list items in a single list.
22. Keep list items in the same format.
23. Present information in tables when possible.
24. Consider information blueprinting to be explicit.

Competency Examination 3
Submit a report.

Write Clear, Complete Explanations

25. Write to build conclusions in the reader's mind.
26. For reports, write clear, complete, relevant explanations.
27. Use key words consistently.
28. Fully explain each new concept word or phrase.
29. Use full phrases to define words clearly.

Write Conclusions that Have Impact

30. Write a conclusion that achieves your goals.

Competency Examination 4
Submit a report.

Write Clear, Effective Paragraphs, Sentences, and Words

31. Use paragraphs to organize information.
32. Write concisely.
33. Combine sentences to show relationships.
     Separate sentences to make them clearer.
34. Write clear, simple, straightforward sentences.
35. Write strong, direct sentences.
36. Write clearly and simply for non-technical readers.
37. Use words the reader will understand.

Prepare a Polished, Correct Final Draft

38. Use your spell checker and grammar checker.
39. Proofread.

Competency Examination 5
Submit a report.

PREREQUISITES

No severe usage problems

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

All course materials are online.

DURATION

The course has 39 skill guidelines. It requires approximately 26 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC420 Business Research Report Writing

The Business Research Report Writing Skills course teaches business researchers how to prepare reports summarizing the results of their research for use by internal clients in accomplishing business goals. One specific example of such a report is the report that presents information about a potential customer to enable account representatives, marketing specialists, and strategic planners to enhance or develop a business relationship with the potential customer.

The course teaches the researcher how to decide what information is pertinent and how to summarize or synthesize the information into a coherent presentation without interjecting bias.

CONTENT

Diagnostic 1: Initial diagnosis of writing ability

Lesson 1: The client and audience

Lesson 2: Objectives and specifications for the research report

Lesson 3: Methods of filtering and recording information

Lesson 4: Facts, conclusions, inferences, and judgments

Lesson 5: Paraphrasing, summarizing, synthesizing, and filtering objectively

Diagnostic 2: Writing objectively

Lesson 6: Organizing

Lesson 7: Using guideposts for clarity

Diagnostic 3: Synthesizing and organizing

Lesson 8: Writing clearly

Lesson 9: Bibliographic methods

Diagnostic 4: Complete sample report

Lesson 10: Editing

Lesson 11: Writing concisely

Lesson 12: Research report format and publishing

Lesson 13: Proofreading

Diagnostic 5: Final complete report

PREREQUISITES

Basic library research skills; no severe usage problems

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

$14.75

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 26 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

 

BWC95 Business Writing Essentials The Business Writing Essentials course teaches students how to write letters, e-mails, memos, and reports that people understand and take seriously. The course is designed to help students feel they can write an e-mail tomorrow morning confident that it will be understood and generate the desired response.

The course uses the same training materials as the Business Writing Skills course, but without the practice activities. The trainer evaluates four competency examinations. The reduced trainer time results in the reduced tuition. As with all other Business Writing Center courses, trainees still have unlimited access to the instructor to ask questions during the course.

CONTENT

Pre-write

Follow e-mail protocol.
Set goals.
Know your readers.
Choose strategies based on the goals and readers.
Use a standard letter format.
Use a standard memo format.

Prepare the Information

Learn how to overcome writer's block
Prepare notes for your e-mail, memo, letter, or report.

Organize the Writing

Have an organizational pattern in mind.
Use special organizational patterns for some messages.

Introduce the Content

For e-mails and memos, always write a clear, meaningful subject line.
For letters, use a "Subject" or "Re" line if your company customarily uses it.
Write a clear, complete e-mail introduction.
Write a clear, complete report introduction.
Write a clear, complete letter introduction.
Write a clear, complete memo introduction.
For e-mails, letters, and memos, write a cordial beginning or buffer.
State the contents of the e-mail, letter, or memo.
State the contents of the report.
For reports, state conclusions and recommendations in the introduction.

Write a Clear Document

Write the explanations in blocks.
Keep explanations of a subject together in one block.
Check each block for focus.
Check each block for completeness.
Open each block with a statement of the contents.
Use headings to open blocks.
Bold field or data names to identify them as blocks.
Create lists.
Open list blocks.
Mark the list items clearly.
Keep list items in a single list.
Keep list items in the same format.
For reports, present information in tables when possible.

Write Clear, Complete Explanations

Write to build conclusions in the reader's mind.
For reports, write clear, complete, relevant explanations.
Use key words consistently.
Fully explain each new concept word or phrase.
Use full phrases to define words clearly.

Write a Conclusion with Impact

Write a conclusion that achieves your goals.

Write Clear, Effective Sentences, Paragraphs, and Words Use paragraphs to organize information.
Write concisely.
Combine sentences to show relationships. Separate sentences to make them clearer.
Write clear, simple, straightforward sentences.
Write strong, direct sentences.
For reports, write clearly and simply for non-technical readers.
Use words the reader will understand.

Prepare a Polished, Correct Final Draft

Use your spell checker and grammar checker.
Proofread.
Format the e-mail to be readable.

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with no serious usage problems.

TUITION

$147 if you enroll for the course alone. $127 if you also enroll for BWC85: Basic Grammar Essentials at the same time.

TEXT

All text materials are online.

DURATION

Approximately 12 to 18 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within two months. If you enroll for both BWC85 and BWC95, you have four months to complete both courses in any order. You may have a one-time extension of a month for each course if you need the extra time to finish.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace.

BWC210 Business Writing Skills

The Business Writing Skills course teaches trainees how to write letters, e-mails, memos, and reports that people understand and take seriously. The course is designed to help trainees feel they can write a document tomorrow morning confident that it will be understood and generate the desired response.

The training materials include an online index for continued use of the reference tools after the course is finished. Course materials remain online for the duration of the course and may be purchased after the course is finished.

CONTENT

Pre-write

Follow e-mail protocol.
Set goals.
Know your readers.
Choose strategies based on the goals and readers.
Use a standard letter format.
Use a standard memo format.

Prepare the Information

Learn how to overcome writer's block
Prepare notes for your e-mail, memo, letter, or report.

Organize the Writing

Have an organizational pattern in mind.
Use special organizational patterns for some messages.

Introduce the Content

For e-mails and memos, always write a clear, meaningful subject line.
For letters, use a "Subject" or "Re" line if your company customarily uses it.
Write a clear, complete e-mail introduction.
Write a clear, complete report introduction.
Write a clear, complete letter introduction.
Write a clear, complete memo introduction.
For e-mails, letters, and memos, write a cordial beginning or buffer.
State the contents of the e-mail, letter, or memo.
State the contents of the report.
For reports, state conclusions and recommendations in the introduction.

Write a Clear Document

Write the explanations in blocks.
Keep explanations of a subject together in one block.
Check each block for focus.
Check each block for completeness.
Open each block with a statement of the contents.
Use headings to open blocks.
Bold field or data names to identify them as blocks.
Create lists.
Open list blocks.
Mark the list items clearly.
Keep list items in a single list.
Keep list items in the same format.
For reports, present information in tables when possible.

Write Clear, Complete Explanations

Write to build conclusions in the reader's mind.
For reports, write clear, complete, relevant explanations.
Use key words consistently.
Fully explain each new concept word or phrase.
Use full phrases to define words clearly.

Write a Conclusion with Impact

Write a conclusion that achieves your goals.

Write Clear, Effective Sentences, Paragraphs, and Words Use paragraphs to organize information.
Write concisely.
Combine sentences to show relationships. Separate sentences to make them clearer.
Write clear, simple, straightforward sentences.
Write strong, direct sentences.
For reports, write clearly and simply for non-technical readers.
Use words the reader will understand.

Prepare a Polished, Correct Final Draft

Use your spell checker and grammar checker.
Proofread.
Format the e-mail to be readable.

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with no serious usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXT

All text materials are online.

DURATION

Approximately 24 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC520 Coaching through Writing
     Actual Documents In the BWC520 Coaching through Writing Actual Documents course, the instructor evaluates drafts of actual documents and coaches the business person through revising them to produce a polished final draft. The documents may be e-mail, memos, letters, proposals, personnel documents, or any type of report. The participant learns while producing high-quality final documents.

The number of documents depends on their length, but normally the course goes through three longer documents or up to six shorter.

PREREQUISITES

None

TUITION

$395

TEXTS

Vary

DURATION

The work varies because the course is individualized. All work must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your instructor will contact you and work with you to develop your individualized course of study. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

 

BWC330 Comprehensive Understanding
     of English Usage The Comprehensive Understanding of English Usage course consists of thirteen lessons reviewing all of the major areas of English usage. You will be tested at the end of every lesson and will receive your test scores immediately. The scores will be e-mailed to your instructor.

Because of the amount of work involved in the course, there are no writing assignments. You must study and learn conscientiously until you are ready to take the test for each lesson. Tests are timed. You will not be able to look up answers in your book.

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Parts of Speech and Sentence Structures

Lesson 2: Verbs

Lesson 3: Case and Pronoun Reference

Lesson 4: Agreement, Adjectives, and Adverbs

Lesson 5: Sentence Problems: Fragments, Splices

Lesson 6: Awkward Sentences

Lesson 7: Conciseness, Coordination/Subordination, Parallelism

Lesson 8: Sentence Variety and Emphasis, the Meaning of Words

Lesson 9: The Effect of Words, Spelling, Hyphenation

Lesson 10: Periods and Commas

Lesson 11: Semicolons, Colons, Apostrophes, Quotation Marks

Lesson 12: Dashes, Parentheses, Brackets, Ellipses, Slashes, Capitals, Italics, Abbreviations, and Numbers

Lesson 13: Review

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with few basic usage problems. This course is not intended for people who have basic usage problems. It assumes that the trainee has few or no usage problems and wants to learn more about English usage.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

$64.00

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 36 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC410 Editing Skills The Editing Skills course teaches trainees how to manage editing projects and rewrite to polish documents. Trainees learn how to

• edit sentences to make them clear, concise, cohesive, and elegant
• develop paragraphs that are clearly organized
• select vocabulary that is accurate and descriptive
• edit for organization so you can produce documents that readers cannot misunderstand

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Prepare for Editing

Lesson 2: Edit to Give the Document Focus

Lesson 3: Edit to Give the Document Cohesiveness

Lesson 4: Edit the Introduction, Format, and Conclusion

Competency Examination 1

Lesson 5: Edit Paragraphs for Focus and Continuity

Lesson 6: Edit Paragraphs for Emphasis and Variety

Competency Examination 2

Lesson 7: Know the Basic Structure of a Sentence

Lesson 8: Build Meaningful Sentences

Lesson 9: Write Effective Sentences

Lesson 10: Add Sentence Variety

Lesson 11: Work with Problem Sentences

Competency Examination 3

Lesson 12: Write Concisely

Lesson 13: Use Precise Words

Lesson 14: Use Clear Words for Concepts

Competency Examination 4

PREREQUISITES

Requires good English language skills with few or no consistent usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

All text materials are online.

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 30 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC220 Explicit Business Writing The Explicit Business Writing course teaches trainees the best practices explained in the book, Explicit Business Writing: Best Practices for the Twenty-First Century.

CONTENT

Trainees master all of the following skills and demonstrate mastery in writing examinations:

Plan and organize.
• Have clear objectives.
• Provide information that suits the reader's knowledge of the subject, educational background, technical expertise, need for concrete explanations, and need for depth of knowledge.
• Include everything every intended reader needs to achieve your objectives.
• Respond to requests by providing precisely what the person asked for under the conditions specified.
• Give readers the information they need at the specific points where they need it for maximum understanding.
• When readers have differing needs or abilities, write different versions or sections of the document to match the readers' needs and abilities.
• Present topics in the same order throughout and link all the contents in each part.

Build the communication infrastructure.
• In e mails, letters, and memos, write thanks, commendations, and genuine statements of good will that build teams and partnerships with clients.
• Present the information with consideration for the reader's possible reaction to the subject and you.
• Use the tone and level of formality that fit the objectives and the reader.
• Ask for and give feedback on the clarity and relevance of documents and writing.

Prepare readers to understand and act.
• Write e mail subject lines using words that alert the reader to the contents, required action, or critical information in the e mail.
• In the introduction, explain everything readers need to know to understand fully why they are receiving the document.
• In the introduction, describe all actions the reader is expected to perform and any critical information the reader must know.
• Summarize conclusions and recommendations at the beginning.
• Write a clear statement of the contents at the end of the introduction so readers know what to expect and can prepare for reading.

Provide a clear framework that guides readers.
• Put the information into clearly defined blocks that the reader can read, understand, and remember, one block at a time.
• For each information block, write an explicit opening statement the reader can use to begin putting the block's details into a framework.
• For lists with items that are each several paragraphs or pages long, open the lists with statements of the contents and open each list item with a description of the item's contents.
• For lists with items that are a few lines long, break out the lists with numbers and bullets.
• Present information in a clear visual blueprint so readers can see the organization as they read.
• Use tables to organize the information so readers can place the details into a clear framework.
• End the document with a conclusion that helps readers achieve your objectives.
• Include feedback loops that reflect the importance of the content and your assessment of the likelihood this reader will understand or act as expected.

Use explicitly clear explanations.
• Write concrete, detailed descriptions of problems and issues.
• Write requests that state directly, unambiguously, and completely what you are requesting.
• Use key terms consistently.
• Fully explain the concept behind every new key term as the reader encounters it.
• Have a clear focus for the document and for each part.
• Communicate technical subjects clearly to non technical readers.
• Write instructions and procedures that are complete and concrete.
• Provide sufficient, relevant evidence for statements.

Write clear, concise paragraphs, sentences, and words.
• Write concisely.
• Write clear, focused, organized paragraphs that help readers identify, understand, and remember concepts.
• Write sentences that are complete, simple, clear, and straightforward.
• Use only simple punctuation.
• Use words every intended reader will understand.

Write a final draft that has correct usage (grammar, punctuation, and spelling) and uses clear formatting.
• Polish and proofread all documents.
• Use formatting that makes the text easy to read.

PREREQUISITES

Requires good English language skills with few or no consistent usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

Explicit Business Writing: Best Practices for the Twenty-First Century, provided free.

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 30 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Fill out the registration form at http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC225 Explicit Business Writing with
     Additional Training BWC225 Explicit Business Writing with Additional Training is a thorough, in-depth, competency-based course that teaches all the best practices that business-writing professionals now know create explicit e-mail, memos, letters, and reports. It is competency based, so it teaches the skills to a mastery level. The training is sufficiently thorough that graduates are able to edit others' work and teach the principles. As such, it is suitable for training trainers. We know of no other training program in business writing that teaches these best practices and no other that teaches business writing skills to a mastery level of competence.

The course is taught by R. Craig Hogan, Ph.D., author of the book, Explicit Business Writing: Best Practices for the Twenty-First Century. The course includes a free copy of the book and teaches all of the best practices explained in the text. It contains 39 activities and 17 competency examination writing samples that Dr. Hogan evaluates. As such, it requires the amount of work expected in a three-credit-hour college course.

CONTENT

Trainees master all of the following skills and demonstrate mastery in writing examinations:

Plan and organize.
• Have clear objectives.
• Provide information that suits the reader's knowledge of the subject, educational background, technical expertise, need for concrete explanations, and need for depth of knowledge.
• Include everything every intended reader needs to achieve your objectives.
• Respond to requests by providing precisely what the person asked for under the conditions specified.
• Give readers the information they need at the specific points where they need it for maximum understanding.
• When readers have differing needs or abilities, write different versions or sections of the document to match the readers' needs and abilities.
• Present topics in the same order throughout and link all the contents in each part.

Build the communication infrastructure.
• In e mails, letters, and memos, write thanks, commendations, and genuine statements of good will that build teams and partnerships with clients.
• Present the information with consideration for the reader's possible reaction to the subject and you.
• Use the tone and level of formality that fit the objectives and the reader.
• Ask for and give feedback on the clarity and relevance of documents and writing.

Prepare readers to understand and act.
• Write e mail subject lines using words that alert the reader to the contents, required action, or critical information in the e mail.
• In the introduction, explain everything readers need to know to understand fully why they are receiving the document.
• In the introduction, describe all actions the reader is expected to perform and any critical information the reader must know.
• Summarize conclusions and recommendations at the beginning.
• Write a clear statement of the contents at the end of the introduction so readers know what to expect and can prepare for reading.

Provide a clear framework that guides readers.
• Put the information into clearly defined blocks that the reader can read, understand, and remember, one block at a time.
• For each information block, write an explicit opening statement the reader can use to begin putting the block's details into a framework.
• For lists with items that are each several paragraphs or pages long, open the lists with statements of the contents and open each list item with a description of the item's contents.
• For lists with items that are a few lines long, break out the lists with numbers and bullets.
• Present information in a clear visual blueprint so readers can see the organization as they read.
• Use tables to organize the information so readers can place the details into a clear framework.
• End the document with a conclusion that helps readers achieve your objectives.
• Include feedback loops that reflect the importance of the content and your assessment of the likelihood this reader will understand or act as expected.

Use explicitly clear explanations.
• Write concrete, detailed descriptions of problems and issues.
• Write requests that state directly, unambiguously, and completely what you are requesting.
• Use key terms consistently.
• Fully explain the concept behind every new key term as the reader encounters it.
• Have a clear focus for the document and for each part.
• Communicate technical subjects clearly to non technical readers.
• Write instructions and procedures that are complete and concrete.
• Provide sufficient, relevant evidence for statements.

Write clear, concise paragraphs, sentences, and words.
• Write concisely.
• Write clear, focused, organized paragraphs that help readers identify, understand, and remember concepts.
• Write sentences that are complete, simple, clear, and straightforward.
• Use only simple punctuation.
• Use words every intended reader will understand.

Write a final draft that has correct usage (grammar, punctuation, and spelling) and uses clear formatting.
• Polish and proofread all documents.
• Use formatting that makes the text easy to read.

PREREQUISITES

Requires good English language skills with few or no consistent usage problems.

TUITION

$595

TEXTS

Explicit Business Writing: Best Practices for the Twenty-First Century, provided free with the course.

DURATION

39 activities and 17 competency examinations, requiring 50 to 60 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your course materials will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC430 Grant-Writing Skills

The Grant Writing Skills course teaches trainees how to develop grant proposals from conception of the concept through publishing the proposal. The course pertains to proposals for private companies, non-profit agencies and foundations, and government agencies. Trainees produce a grant proposal for a hypothetical or real granting entity. If trainees are currently working on grant proposals, the proposals will be used as the projects in the course.

CONTENTS

Lesson 1: Course Introduction

Lesson 2: Getting to Know Granting Agencies

Lesson 3: Preparing to Develop the Grant

Lesson 4: Developing the Grant Idea

Lesson 5: Developing the Statement of Purpose

Lesson 6: Developing the Statement of Need

Lesson 7: Developing the Project Description

Lesson 8: Developing the Qualifications

Lesson 9: Developing the Budget

Lesson 10: Packaging

Lesson 11: Procedures for Preparing the Grant

Lesson 12: Variations on the proposal format

Lesson 13: Evaluation of Sample Proposals

PREREQUISITES

Good English language skills with few or no usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

$27.00

$34.95

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 36 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC510 Individualized Writing Course The Individualized Writing course is developed based on the trainee's needs and/or wishes to pursue an area of writing skills. This course is taught by Dr. R. Craig Hogan, director of the Business Writing Center and author of Explicit Business Writing: Best Practices for the Twenty-First Century. Trainees may have a clear conception of what they would like to learn, or may ask the instructor to diagnose their writing and develop an individualized course of study.

Trainees may combine portions of existing writing courses. For example, one trainee wanted to learn business writing skills and how to edit. The instructor combined lessons from the two courses into an individualized course of study.

PREREQUISITES

None

TUITION

$395

TEXTS

Vary

DURATION

The work varies because the course is individualized. All work must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your instructor will contact you and work with you to develop your individualized course of study. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC130 Individualized Writing for Nonnative
     Speakers of English The Individualized Writing for Nonnative Speakers of English course is for people who have a good command of the English language, but have basic usage problems resulting from speaking English as a second language.

The course helps trainees learn new patterns to replace the old by using their own sentences as examples. The teaching, practice, and tests are based on the trainee's own writing as much as possible. It is highly individualized. The instructor carefully evaluates eight writing samples and prescribes study and practice based on the trainee's unique needs. Trainees work on only the specific skills they need to learn.

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language.

TUITION

$345

TEXTS

$64.00

DURATION

Coaching through five writing samples. The instructor evaluates one sample at a time, provides a report on errors and skills needed for each sample, coaches the person through learning the skills, provides assignments from the grammar textbook, and tests whether the skills have been learned. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC480 Legal Proofreading Skills The Legal Proofreading Skills course trains anyone working in the legal profession to proofread effectively. It begins with a review of proofreading principles and techniques. The course then goes through a review of English usage, ending with a lesson on legal definitions and another on checking citations. The course includes pre- and post-tests for the course and each lesson.

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Proofreading principles

Lesson 2: Proofreading techniques

Practice diagnostic test

Lesson 3: Omissions, additions, typos

Lesson 4: Number accuracy

Lesson 5: Transposition errors

Lesson 6: Abbreviations

Lesson 7: Word division

Lesson 8: Number expression

Lesson 9: Capitalization

Lesson 10: Commas

Lesson 11: Other punctuation

Lesson 12: Special punctuation

Lesson 13: Spelling

Lesson 14: Confusing words

Lesson 15: Subject/verb agreement

Lesson 16: Pronoun agreement

Lesson 17: Using defined terms consistently

Lesson 18: Citations

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with few usage problems.

TUITION

$175

TEXTS

Online

DURATION

18 lessons, approximately 16 to 24 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC485 Legal Writing Skills The Legal Writing Skills course trains anyone working in the legal profession to write effectively, especially attorneys.

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Have clear objectives

Lesson 2: Know the reader

Competency exam 1

Lesson 3: Use content to accomplish objectives

Lesson 4: Check organization and reorganize

Lesson 5: Write clear openings for new information

Lesson 6: Use explicit guideposts for readers

Competency exam 2

Lesson 7: Use strategies to have the impact you want

Lesson 8: Quote and cite correctly

Competency exam 3

Lesson 9: Use key words, definitions, explanations, and examples

Lesson 10: Write using clear, simple words

Lesson 11: Write clear, simple sentences

Competency exam 4

Lesson 12: Write clear, simple paragraphs

Lesson 13: Write concisely

Competency exam 5

Lesson 14: Use an attractive, easy-to-follow format

Lesson 15: Proofread for correctness

Competency exam 6

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with few usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXT

$10.88

DURATION

15 lessons, approximately 30 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months

 

BWC440 Proofreading Skills The Proofreading Skills course contains clear, thorough explanations of the proofreading process, proofreader's marks, and tricks of the proofreading trade. It takes trainees through a comprehensive review of basic English usage to help them locate writing errors even experienced proofreaders may not notice.

The Proofreading Skills course has six diagnostic tests. To graduate from the course, the participant must have achieved an average of at least 70 percent on the six diagnostics.

 

CONTENT
Lesson 1: Introduction to Proofreading
Lesson 2: Proofreader's Marks
Lesson 3: The Proofreading Process

Proofreading Diagnostic Test 1 - Test of General Skills
Lesson 4: Spelling, Word Division
Lesson 5: Abbreviations, Capitalization

Proofreading Diagnostic Test 2 - Spelling, Word Division, Abbreviations, Capitalization
Lesson 6: Numbers, Figures
Lesson 7: Subject/Verb Agreement

Proofreading Diagnostic Test 3 - Numbers, Figures, Subject/Verb Agreement
Lesson 8: Pronoun Agreement and Selection
Lesson 9: Punctuation

Proofreading Diagnostic Test 4 - Pronoun Agreement and Selection, Punctuation
Lesson 10: Mood and Voice
Lesson 11: Modifiers and Connectives

Proofreading Diagnostic Test 5 - Mood and Voice, Modifiers and Connectives
Lesson 12: Format, Publishing
Lesson 13: Case, Tense

Proofreading Diagnostic Test 6 - Final Examination

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with few usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS
$32.95
$64.00

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 30 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at
http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php
Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

 

 

BWC470 Plain English Writing Skills The Plain English Writing Skills course is responding to the movement in law, business, government, medicine, finance, and academics to simplify contracts, reports, legal documents, research explanations, and other writing that is often fogged by gobbledygook, business-eze, lawtalk, unnecessarily complex and stilted phrasing, and jargon so thick the reader isn't able to penetrate it to get to the meaning.

CONTENT

Lesson 1: You must want to use plain English

Lesson 2: Plain English--what it is and what it isn't

Lesson 3: Know your audience

Lesson 4: Know the information you need to communicate

Lesson 5: Write concisely--avoid unnecessary detail and explanations

Lesson 6: Avoid conventions that confuse--acronyms, abbreviations, jargon, defined terms

Lesson 7: Use simple, plain English words

Lesson 8: Write plain, simple sentences

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with no serious usage errors.

TUITION

$175

TEXTS

All course materials are online

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 16 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

 

BWC320 Editing, Polishing, and Proofreading
     Your Business Writing The Business Writing Center developed the Editing, Polishing, and Proofreading Your Business Writing course to provide business writers with the skills they need to be able to understand basic grammar rules and proofread their own writing. It is not so rigorous as the Proofreading Skills course, but teaches more grammar and proofreading skills than are included in the Business Writing Skills course.

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Edit to Give the Document Cohesiveness

Lesson 2: Edit Paragraphs for Focus and Continuity

Competency Examination 1

Lesson 3: Know the Basic Structure of a Sentence

Lesson 4: Build Meaningful Sentences

Lesson 5: Write Effective Sentences

Lesson 6: Add Sentence Variety

Lesson 7: Work with Problem Sentences

Competency Examination 2

Lesson 8: Write Concisely

Lesson 9: Use Clear Words for Concepts

Competency Examination 3

Lesson 10: Proofreading Skills

Lesson 11: Typos, Accuracy, Transpositions

Lesson 12: Abbreviations, Numbers, Capitalization

Lesson 13: Commas, Other Punctuation, Spelling

Lesson 14: Subject/Verb, Pronouns

PREREQUISITES

Good command of English with few basic usage problems. The course is not for business people who need to learn how to avoid basic problems in grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling. Those with such writing problems should enroll in the

BWC110, Basic Writing Skills Tutorial.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

Materials are online.

DURATION

13 lessons and four competency examinations require approximately 36 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC215 Recording and Writing Meeting Minutes The Recording and Writing Meeting Minutes course takes you through every step in the process of deciding with your company what types of minutes to take, preparing for taking minutes, recording your notes, writing the notes into clear minutes, and distributing the minutes.

The course teaches you how to

• Decide on conventions and protocol for the organization's minutes
• Choose a format and methods of distribution
• Prepare for taking minutes
• Record meeting information in notes
• Write the minutes using appropriate vocabulary
• Write the minutes using clear, effective sentences
• Write the minutes using clear, simple punctuation

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Decide on Conventions and Protocol

Lesson 2: Types of Minutes

Lesson 3: Choosing Format and Methods of Distribution

Exam 1: Competency Examination 1

Lesson 4: Preparing for Taking Minutes

Lesson 5: Recording Meeting Information

Exam 2: Competency Examination 2

Lesson 6:  Using Appropriate Vocabulary  

Lesson 7: Writing Effective Sentences

Lesson 8:  Using Clear, Simple Punctuation

Exam 3: Competency Examination 3

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with no serious usage problems.

TUITION

$175

TEXTS

All course materials are online.

DURATION

8 lessons, approximately 12 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC450 Public Relations and Copywriting The Public Relations and Copywriting Skills course teaches the sophisticated skills required to be a successful writer of public relations materials and advertising copy.

The course teaches trainees how to

• write sentences that have impact
• identify a company, product, and service identity
• know the audience and competition
• write press releases, feature stories, and backgrounders
• write brochures and flyers
• write newsletters
• write ads for magazines and trade publications
• write for television, radio and audio-visual media
• write speeches and presentations
• write sales letters and direct mail

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Introduction - Writing for Public Relations and Advertising

Lesson 2: Writing to Motivate

Lesson 3: Preparing for Writing

Lesson 4: The News Release

Lesson 5: The Feature Story

Lesson 6: Photos and Illustrations

Lesson 7: Leaflets and Brochures

Lesson 8: Television, Radio, and Audio-visual Media

Lesson 9: Sales Letters and Direct Mail

Lesson 10: Writing Print Advertisements

Lesson 11: Avoiding Copy Problems and Generating Inquiries

Lesson 12: Writing the Headline

Lesson 13: Writing Copy that Communicates and Sells
 -- Final Exam

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with no serious usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

$14.40

$10.85

$86.40

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 26 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC215 Recording and Writing Meeting Minutes

The Recording and Writing Meeting Minutes course takes you through every step in the process of deciding with your company what types of minutes to take, preparing for taking minutes, recording your notes, writing the notes into clear minutes, and distributing the minutes.

The course teaches you how to

• Decide on conventions and protocol for the organization's minutes
• Choose a format and methods of distribution
• Prepare for taking minutes
• Record meeting information in notes
• Write the minutes using appropriate vocabulary
• Write the minutes using clear, effective sentences
• Write the minutes using clear, simple punctuation

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Decide on Conventions and Protocol

Lesson 2: Types of Minutes

Lesson 3: Choosing Format and Methods of Distribution

Exam 1: Competency Examination 1

Lesson 4: Preparing for Taking Minutes

Lesson 5: Recording Meeting Information

Exam 2: Competency Examination 2

Lesson 6:  Using Appropriate Vocabulary  

Lesson 7: Writing Effective Sentences

Lesson 8:  Using Clear, Simple Punctuation

Exam 3: Competency Examination 3

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with no serious usage problems.

TUITION

$175

TEXTS

All course materials are online.

DURATION

8 lessons, approximately 12 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC422 Technical Writing The Technical Writing course teaches business writers how to prepare letter reports and technical reports about subjects that require technical explanations, diagrams, charts, and jargon understood by technical readers. The term, "technical writing," is often used mistakenly to describe other forms of business writing, especially those in the list that follows. For each of these forms of business writing, click on the link in the "Course devoted to it" column to see the course devoted to teaching the skills specific to that form of writing. It will open a new window, so to return to this page, close the window.

Type of writing	Course devoted to it
business correspondence and standard business reports	BWC210 Business Writing Skills
user's manuals and other computer-user support materials	BWC460 Writing Computer User Manuals and System Documentation
business research reports	BWC420 Business Research Report Writing Skills
audit reports	BWC425 Writing Clear, Objective Audit Reports

The course teaches the technical writer how to present technical information to technical readers so they understand the concepts and can apply them in their work. The course is not intended to explain technical subjects to non-technical readers. The Business Writing Skills course teaches the skills required to explain any concepts to non-technical readers using clear, straightforward, simple explanations.

CONTENT

Diagnostic 1: Initial diagnosis of writing ability

Lesson 1: The client and audience

Lesson 2: Objectives and specifications for the technical report

Lesson 3: Methods of selecting information

Lesson 4: Formats for the major types of technical documents

Lesson 5: Presenting technical explanations clearly

Diagnostic 2: Writing clearly

Lesson 6: Organizing

Lesson 7: Using guideposts for clarity

Diagnostic 3: Synthesizing and organizing

Lesson 8: Writing clearly

Lesson 9: Using visual devices

Diagnostic 4: Complete sample report

Lesson 10: Editing

Lesson 11: Writing concisely

Lesson 12: Format and publishing

Lesson 13: Proofreading

Diagnostic 5: Final complete report

PREREQUISITES

No severe usage problems

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

All texts are provided online.

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 34 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC800 Train the Trainers Dr. Craig Hogan, director of the Business Writing Center, trains a company's trainers to use the Business Writing Center suite of training materials to train their own employees. Dr. Hogan has a background in training trainers, has published a book teaching administrators how to help teachers teach more effectively, and has served as the training specialist working with faculty in two universities and a medical school.

In this train-the-trainers course, Dr. Hogan helps the trainers decide the sets of materials they would like their employees to go through and guides them through the materials as though they were taking the course themselves. During the experience, he helps them understand the discipline of writing instruction and how to present the materials to trainees.

CONTENT

The training materials the trainers select from the online suites of training materials and courses.

PREREQUISITES

None.

TUITION

$495

TEXTS

All course materials are online.

DURATION

Approximately 32 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php.

BWC340 Writing Effective Business Letters The Writing Effective Business Letters course teaches you how to communicate clearly and effectively in business letters. It explains the basic skills necessary to be so clear you cannot be misunderstood, then applies that to different types of letters.

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Decide your purpose and audience.

Lesson 2: Organize your writing.

Lesson 3: Write so your readers cannot possibly misunderstand.

Lesson 4: Use words and sentences that readers understand easily.

Lesson 5: Convey your message in as few words as possible.

Lesson 6: Edit and proofread your writing.

Lesson 7: Apply the skills to letters of request, persuasion, and response.

Lesson 8: Apply the skills to good news and bad news messages.

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with few basic usage problems.

TUITION

$175

TEXTS

All course materials are online.

DURATION

Approximately 16 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC465 Writing Clear Instructions
     and Procedures

The Writing Clear Instructions and Procedures course teaches the skills required to instructions and procedures such as how to complete a transaction or change a defective part.

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Evaluate your readers.

Lesson 2: Perform a task analysis.

Lesson 3: Identify tasks, steps, and actions.

Lesson 4: Anticipate errors and identify remedies.

     Competency Examination 1

Lesson 5: Write the introduction and conclusion.

Lesson 6: Write the tasks, steps, actions, possible errors, and remedies.

     Competency Examination 2

Lesson 7: Use speed boxes and other aids.

Lesson 8: Use visual aids when possible.

     Competency Examination 3

Lesson 9: Use clear, simple sentences.

Lesson 10: Use vocabulary the readers understand.

     Competency Examination 4

Lesson 11: Create a visual blueprint.

Lesson 12: Test accuracy and usability.

Lesson 13: Edit and proofread.

     Final Competency Examination

PREREQUISITES

Good command of the English language with no basic usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

All course materials are online.

DURATION

12 lessons, approximately 30 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC425 Writing Clear, Objective Audit Reports

The Writing Clear, Objective Audit Reports course teaches the skills required to organize data from audits into clear, objective reports.

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Understanding the readers and expectations

Lesson 2: Objectives and specifications for the research report

Lesson 3: Facts, conclusions, inferences, and judgments

Lesson 4: Moving data to messages objectively

Lesson 5: Organizing

Lesson 6: Using guideposts for clarity

Lesson 7: Writing clearly

Lesson 8: Writing user-friendly audit reports

Lesson 9: Editing

Lesson 10: Writing concisely

Lesson 11: Audit report format and publishing

Lesson 12: Proofreading

PREREQUISITES

Good command of the English language with no basic usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

All course materials are online.

DURATION

12 lessons, approximately 30 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC600 Writing Coaching for Executives
     and Managers The Writing Coaching for Executives and Managers course is oriented toward executives and managers who want the individual attention and focused training that will help them write with impact and effectiveness. Dr. R. Craig Hogan, director of the Business Writing Center, teaches the course. He has been a manager and upper-level executive in several companies and has taught writing skills to executives for 25 years.

The course is developed based on the participant's needs and wishes to pursue an area of writing skills. Usually, participants submit writing they are preparing for actual work situations. Dr. Hogan works with them to learn how to improve the writing. The training may include reading assignments from online materials and texts.

Participants may combine portions of existing writing courses to form a course.

PREREQUISITES

None

TUITION

$395

TEXTS

Vary

DURATION

The work varies because the course is individualized. All work must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your instructor will contact you and work with you to develop your individualized course of study. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC140 Writing Coaching for Executive
     Nonnative Speakers of English The Writing Coaching for Executive Nonnative Speakers of English course is oriented toward executives and managers who are nonnative speakers of English and want the individual attention and focused training that will help them write with effectiveness and polish their language usage. Dr. R. Craig Hogan, director of the Business Writing Center, teaches the course. He has been a manager and upper-level executive in several companies and has taught writing skills to executives for 25 years.

The course is based on the participant's ability with the English language. Participants submit writing from actual work situations. Dr. Hogan works with participants to help them learn how to improve their language usage and writing. The training will include reading assignments from a grammar textbook.

PREREQUISITES

None

TUITION

$395

TEXTS

Grammar Text: $64.00

DURATION

Approximately five writing samples. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php. Your instructor will contact you and work with you to develop your individualized course of study. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC460 Writing Computer User Manuals and
     System Documentation The Writing Computer User Manuals and System Documentation course teaches the skills of writing computer system documentation, user's manuals, installation guides, and quick-reference guides. It teaches a task-oriented approach to developing user support materials: all of the writing is done from the user's point of view, not the system's. The goal of computer user support materials is to make the user successful and satisfied with the system.

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Introduction to Writing User Support Materials

ASSIGNMENT: Submit a writing sample

Lesson 2: Understanding Users

Lesson 3: Planning the Project

Lesson 4: Doing the Task Analysis

Lesson 5: Working with Subject-Matter Experts

Lesson 6: Writing Steps and Actions So Users Cannot Misunderstand

Lesson 7: Using Illustrations, Screens

Lesson 8: Writing Online Help and Tutorials

Lesson 9: Choosing a Reader-friendly Format

Lesson 10: Writing the Quick-Reference Guide

Lesson 11: Usability Testing

Lesson 12: Editing, Proofreading, and Style

Lesson 13: Publishing the Manuals

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with no serious usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXT

$68.33

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 34 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php

. Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC340 Writing Effective Business Letters The Writing Effective Business Letters course teaches you how to communicate clearly and effectively in business letters. It explains the basic skills necessary to be so clear you cannot be misunderstood, then applies that to different types of letters.

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Decide your purpose and audience.

Lesson 2: Organize your writing.

Lesson 3: Write so your readers cannot possibly misunderstand.

Lesson 4: Use words and sentences that readers understand easily.

Lesson 5: Convey your message in as few words as possible.

Lesson 6: Edit and proofread your writing.

Lesson 7: Apply the skills to letters of request, persuasion, and response.

Lesson 8: Apply the skills to good news and bad news messages.

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with few basic usage problems.

TUITION

$175

TEXTS

All course materials are online.

DURATION

Approximately 16 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php . Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

BWC370 Writing Effective Sales Letters
The Writing Effective Sales Letters course teaches sales professionals how to write letters that move a potential customer to action by understanding the customer's needs and desires. Good sales copy is not a matter of simply communicating a message to the potential customer. It moves the person to feel the motivation, excitement, and conviction of the writer and to want the product or service the sales person is promoting.

Central to writing effective sales letters is having the sales mentality, which links the sales letter writer to the potential customer so intimately that both move to the same rhythm.

This course uses three books:

1. A sales-letter book that is has a practical approach to understanding the reader and purpose
2. A book that focuses on writing letters in general to customers when sales are always an issue
3. A direct-sales book that teaches the skills of writing direct mail that has impact

CONTENT Lesson 1: The importance of pre-writing

Lesson 2: Opening with a Gambit that Builds Trust

Lesson 3: Getting Your Sales Letter Delivered, Looked At, and Read

Lesson 4: Handling Pricing Issues So They Don't Short Circuit the Sale

Lesson 5: Copywriting and Writing a Powerful First Draft

Lesson 6: Rewriting to Laser Guide Your Message

Lesson 7: Using Strategies: Answering Questions and Objectives, Sparking Immediate Action, Following the Effective Letter Checklists, Using Graphic Enhancements

Lesson 8: Using Strategies: Skipping Apologies, The "Yes" Plan, The No Plan, Thank You, Used and Abused

Lesson 9: Rewriting: Rewriting for Passion and Clarity, Getting a Pretest, Bringing Your Letter to Life, Changing Graphic Enhancements

Lesson 10: Writing to Persuade

Lesson 11: Writing a Motivating Sales Plan

Lesson 12: Opening and Closing to Give the Message Impact

Lesson 13: Editing, Polishing, and Sending

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with no serious usage errors.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

$8.95

$17.95

$8.98

DURATION

13 lessons, approximately 32 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php . Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

 

BWC350 Writing Effective Workplace E-mail The purpose of the Writing Effective Workplace E-mail course is to teach business writers how to write e-mail that has the impact the writer wants, motivates readers to respond as hoped, and accomplishes the writer's business objectives. It presents a highly structured approach to writing e-mail that can be applied to all e-mail and memos.

Trainees read the core lessons teaching them how to write e-mail that produces results. As they read the lessons, they write and submit e-mails. The instructor critiques the e-mails, commenting on the use of all writing skills as well as those taught specifically in the online e-mail writing course.

The Comprehensive course is more extensive than the Essentials course and has more writing samples that are evaluated by the instructor.

CONTENT

Lesson 1: Know What Is and Is Not Appropriate

Lesson 2: Use Short, Clear Sentences and Simple Punctuation

Competency Examination 1

Lesson 3: Write Concisely

Lesson 4: Avoid Clumsy Phrases, Complex Vocabulary, and Stiff Language

Lesson 5: Format for Readability

Lesson 6: Proofread Your E-mails

Competency Examination 2

Lesson 7: Write a Clear, Meaningful Subject Line

Lesson 8: Write an Informative Beginning

Competency Examination 3

Lesson 9: Use Headings, Generalizations, and Paragraphs

Lesson 10: Write a Cordial, Informative Conclusion

Competency Examination 4

Lesson 11: Write Enough but Not Too Much

Lesson 12: Follow Up

Competency Examination 5

PREREQUISITES

Basic command of the English language with few usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

All text materials are online.

DURATION

12 lessons and 5 competency examinations, approximately 30 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at

http://www.hrtraininguniversity.com/BRCenter/Registration.php . Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace, as long as you finish them within six months.

 

BWC495 Writing Skills for Technical Call
     Center Representatives

This special course was developed in cooperation with Service Strategies, Inc., a company that specializes in working with technical call centers. It consists of two courses: one focusing on writing and the other focusing on the approach to the customer and structure of electronic messages to customers.

CONTENT

Course 1: Basic Writing Skills

Lesson 1-1 Write in Blocks
Lesson 1-2 Write Enough, But Not Too Much
Lesson 1-3 Mark the Blocks Clearly
Lesson 1-4 Use Words the Reader Understands
Lesson 1-5 Use Sentences the Reader Understands
Lesson 1-6 Write Concisely
Lesson 1-7 Use Aids to Understanding
Lesson 1-8 Write Clear Procedures
Lesson 1-9 Edit and Proofread
Lesson 1-10 Know the Commonly Confused Words
Lesson 1-11 Avoid the 30 Most Common Business Writing Errors

Course 2: Writing Customer-Support Messages Lesson 2-1 Step 1: Interpret the Customer's Message
Lesson 2-2 Step 2: Decide the Next Action
Lesson 2-3 Next Action 1: Pick Up the Phone and Call
Lesson 2-4 Next Action 2: Escalate the contact
Lesson 2-5 Next Action 3: Request Further Information
Lesson 2-6 Next Action 4: Solve the Problem
Lesson 2-7: Write the Subject Line
Lesson 2-8: Write the Greeting
Lesson 2-93: Acknowledge the Customer's Feelings
Lesson 2-104: Assure the Customer You're Working for Him or Her
Lesson 2-11: State the Problem
Lesson 2-12: Explain the Next Step or Status
Lesson 2-13: Describe Possible Causes (for Problems)
Lesson 2-14: Explain Remedies and Actions
Lesson 2-15: Explain Customer Actions
Lesson 2-16: Write the Next Step or Options
Lesson 2-17: Write a Cordial Closing
Lesson 2-18 Follow Up

PREREQUISITES

No severe usage problems.

TUITION

$295

TEXTS

All materials are online.

DURATION

32 lessons, approximately 36 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within four months. You may have a one-time two-month extension if you need the time to finish the course.

ENROLLMENT AND START DATES

Enrollment is currently open. Contact the Business Writing Center for details.