-
-
- Sciences, Mathematics
and Biotechnology - Biology
- Chemistry and Physics
- Clinical Laboratory Science
- Health Advising
- Life Science Business and Biotechnology
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Online Sciences Courses
- See the full list
- Technology and
Information Management - Writing, Editing and
Technical Communication
- Transfer Credit
- Online Learning
- Events
- Career Services
- Custom Programs
- Sciences, Mathematics
-
-
-
- Academic Services
- Course and Program Information
- Student Aid
-
-
-
Berkeley Global
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.
Loading...
Sections
Fall enrollment opens on June 20!
This course applies to the following programs:
Interdisciplinary Writing Program
Expand or collapse section
Individualized Study Plan
- Effective Writing in the Workplace
- Writing for Social Media
- Grammar, Mechanics and Usage for Editors
- Journalism Workshop
- Science Writing
- Writing the Feature Story
- Introduction to Public Relations Writing
- Writing and Editing Internship Program
- Editorial Workshop I: Introduction to Copyediting
- Writing Skills Workshop
- Writing Creative Nonfiction
- Creative Nonfiction Workshop
- Developing the Memoir
- Developing the Memoir II
- The Craft of Reading
- The Craft of Writing
- Exploring Creative Writing
- Introduction to Writing Fiction
- Intermediate Fiction Writing
- Advanced Fiction Writing
- Developing the Novel
- Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
- Poetry Workshop
- Poets Studied and in Conversation
- American Fiction
- Great Novels You Always Meant to Read
- Mystery Fiction
- Shakespeare
- Editorial Workshop II: Intermediate Copyediting
- Advanced Editorial Workshop
- Indexing: Theory and Application
- Technical Communication I
- Technical Communication II
- Technical Communication III: Information Design
Professional Writing Program
Expand or collapse section
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
- Writing Creative Nonfiction
- Creative Nonfiction Workshop
- Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
- Science Writing
Capstone Project
Course of Related Interest
Certificate Program in Writing
Expand or collapse section
Required Courses
- The Craft of Reading
- The Craft of Writing
- Writing Skills Workshop
Electives (Literature)
- American Fiction
- Contemporary Voices: Speaking From the Margins
- Fact or Fiction: Reading and Writing the Personal Essay
- Great Novels You Always Meant to Read
- 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
- Mystery Fiction
- Re-envisioning the Past Through Historical Fiction
- Shakespeare
- Short-Story Masterpieces
- Meet the Writer: Guided Study and Discussion With Fiction Writers
- Ursa Minor Production Class
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
- Screenwriting Workshop
- Writing and Appreciating Poetry
- Poetry Workshop
- Poets Studied and in Conversation
- Writing Creative Nonfiction
- Creative Nonfiction Workshop
- Developing the Memoir
- Developing the Memoir II
- Journalism Workshop
- Science Writing
- Writing the Feature Story
- Writing and Editing Internship Program
Courses of Related Interest
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: 115
Note: You do not need to submit test scores.