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  • Berkeley Global

Writing Skills Workshop

ENGLISH X13

41070
Delivery Options Online

Good writing isn't fussy. It's clear, concise and grammatically correct, no matter the audience or purpose. In this course, you’ll draft, write and revise your own work; read literary essays as examples of effective syntax and coherent structure; share work in a supportive, focused workshop environment; and review common grammar pitfalls. Build your writing skills and confidence through critical reading of outside work, frequent writing exercises and class discussions. The skills emphasized in this course lend themselves to business or technical writing, as well as journalism or college-level essay writing.

Course Outline

Expand or collapse section

Course Objectives

  • Understand the writing process
  • Critique writing effectively and appropriately
  • Identify characteristics of effective prose, including audience, purpose and tone
  • Develop an individual voice
  • Choose an effective structure for a piece of writing
  • Revise writing based on self-editing and comments from others
  • Express ideas with greater assurance and precision
  • Understand and use coherent syntax and style
  • Identify and correct common grammatical errors

What You Learn

  • Purpose, audience and the writing process
  • The sentence as a building block
  • The paragraph as a building block
  • Putting the building blocks together to develop structure
  • Choosing the right words for tone and voice
  • Using the right words for details, metaphor and points of view
  • Revision, including content, organization and word choice
  • Revision of punctuation, spelling, grammar and formatting
  • How to critique others’ work and accept criticism as feedback

How You Learn

  • Discussion forums
  • Journal assignments
  • Practice exercises
  • Short essay and revision
  • Final project revision

Is This Course for Me?

This course is designed for those wishing to hone their skills for any writing need.

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Sections

Section 084

Sep 16 to Nov 25

Type: Live Online

Instructor:

  • Cameron Scott

Cost: $885.00

See section 084 Details

Type Live Online

Days

T

Time

6:00PM to 9:00PM Pacific Time

Dates

Sep 16, 2025 to Nov 25, 2025

Location

Live Online

Schedule and Location

View Details

Instructional Hours

30.0

Location

Live Online

Delivery Options

Online

Available for Credit

2 semester units

Section Notes

This Live Online course meets from September 16 to November 25 with no class meeting on November 11.

Students will receive access to the course in Canvas on the course start date. Zoom meeting information will be emailed to enrolled students before the first class meeting and posted to the announcements page in Canvas.

Section Materials

  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present by Phillip Lopate, editor

    © 1997 Knopf Publishing Any edition ISBN 978-0385422987
  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    A Writer's Reference with Achieve by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers

    © 2020 Bedford/St Martin's 10th edition ISBN 978-1319169404
  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    On Writing Well, The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser

    © 2006 Harper Perennial 30th Anniversary edition ISBN 978-0060891541

Fall 2025 enrollment opens on June 16!

This course applies to the following programs:

Certificate Program in Creative Writing

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Required Courses

  • The Craft of Reading
  • The Craft of Writing
  • Writing Skills Workshop

Electives (Literature)

  • American Fiction
  • Contemporary Voices: Speaking From the Margins
  • Great Writers Steal: How the Work of Other Writers Can Inform and Inspire You
  • The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing Dystopia, the Female Gothic and Social Commentary
  • Re-envisioning the Past Through Historical Fiction
  • Reading the Postmodern: Writing and Rewriting Genre, Gender, and Culture
  • Shakespeare
  • Adaptations & Retellings
  • Banned Books

Electives (Writing Workshop)

  • Exploring Creative Writing
  • Introduction to Writing Fiction
  • Intermediate Fiction Writing
  • Advanced Fiction Writing
  • Writing Genre Fiction: Science Fiction, Mystery, Romance and More
  • Mystery Writing
  • Developing the Novel
  • Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
  • Poetry Workshop
  • Creative Nonfiction Workshop
  • Developing the Memoir

Courses of Related Interest

Learn More About This Program

Professional Writing Program

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Required Courses

  • Effective Writing in the Workplace
  • Introduction to Public Relations Writing
  • Writing for Social Media

Electives

  • Writing Skills Workshop
  • Journalism Workshop
  • Writing the Feature Story
  • Editorial Workshop I: Introduction to Copyediting
  • Technical Communication I
  • Creative Nonfiction Workshop
  • Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
  • Science Writing

Capstone Project

  • Professional Writing Program - Final Project

Course of Related Interest

Learn More About This Program

Notes

Departmental contact: extension-letters@berkeley.edu

Instructional Types

Live Online
Live Online courses provide an interactive learning experience with scheduled synchronous online sessions held via Zoom video conferencing (Pacific Time). Learn more about the Live Online format.
Online, Start Anytime
Continuous enrollment course begins when you enroll. You have a minimum of 90 days and a maximum of 180 days to complete the course.
Online, Fixed Date
Enroll in this course by its start date and complete it by its specified end date. There are no live sessions, but plenty of opportunities to collaborate with your classmates and instructor.
Classroom
Take classes in-person at one of our buildings or partner locations.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

All of our courses are taught in English. If English is not your first language, please use the following test scores as guides in order to be successful:

  • TOEFL: 90
  • IELTS Academic Format: 7
  • DAAD: C1
  • TEM-4 or TEM-8: Level 70
  • Duolingo: 125

Note: You do not need to submit test scores.

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ENGLISH X13 - 084 - Writing Skills Workshop

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