I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Business Communications

2. Course Prefix & Number:
BUSN 1166

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

Lab Hours: 0

4. Course Description:

This course emphasizes the importance of individual and organizational image when communicating in any matter with customers, fellow employees and employers. A concept-and-practice approach focuses on purpose, content, and planning.

5. Placement Tests Required:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Northland Community and Technical College, ADMS 1116 Business Communications, 3 credits
MN State Community & Tech College, ADMS 1116 Business Communications, 3 credits

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Business Management, AASC
Entrepreneurship, Certificate
Accounting, Diploma
Medical Administrative Secretary, AAS
Medical Administrative Secretary, Diploma

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate oral communication skills	Prepare an oral presentation.
Demonstrate written communication skills	Prepare letters, memos, emails, and a resume.
Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills	Perform an employment interview.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Understand the process of communication
• Follow the three-phrase writing process
• Organize information into outlines
• Revise messages to improve clarity
• Format letters, memos, and e-mails
• Write direct messages that make requests and respond to inquiries
• Write indirect messages that deliver negative news
• Prepare oral presentations
• Prepare a resume, references, and cover letter

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Workplace Communication Today
• Career Success Begins with Communication Skills
• Understanding the Communication Process
• Improving Listening Skills
• Mastering Nonverbal Communication Skills
• Understanding How Culture Affects Communication
• Learning Intercultural Workplace Skills
2. The Business Writing Process
• Planning Business Massages
• Understanding Business Writing Goals and the Writing Process
• Analayzing Your Purpose
• Anticipating the Audience
• Adapting to the Task and Audience
• Developing Skillful Writing Techniques
• Composing Business Messages
• Compose Messages on the Job
• Organizing to Show Relationships
• Constructing Effective Sentences
• Improving Writing Techniques
• Composing the First Draft
• Revising Business Messages
• Managing the Process of Revision
• Revising for Conciseness
• Revising for Clarity
• Revising for Vigor and Directness
• Designing Documents for Readability
• Recording Proofready Edits and Manually and Digitally
3. Communicating at Work
• Electronic Messages and Memorandums
• Communication Technology and the Information Flow in Organizations
• Organizing Emails and Memos
• Applying E-mail and Memo formats
• Adopting Best Practices for Professional E-mails
• Using Instant Messaging and Texting
• Using Podcasts, Blogs, and Wikis for Business
• Negotiating Social and Professional Networking Sites
• Positive Messages:Letters, E-mails, and Memos
• Direct Requests and Responses
• Instruction Messages
• Direct Claims and Complaints
• Adjustments
• Goodwill messages
• Negative Messages
• Conveying negatives News effectively
• Refusing Requests
• Breaking Bad News
• Persuasive Messages
• Inderstanding Persuasive Messages
• Preparing Sales and Marketing Messages
• Writing Successful Online Sales and Marketing Messages
4. Reporting Workplace Data
• Informal Reports
• Understanding Reports
• Defining the Purpose and Gathering Data
• Preparing Informal Reports
• Choosing a Writing Style and Creating Headings
• Proposals and Formal Reports
• Preparing Informal Proposals
• Understanding the Components
• Preparing Formal Proposals
• Writing Formal Business Reports
• Researching Data
• Documenting Information
5. Professionalism, Teamwork, Meetings, and Speaking Skills
• Professionalism at Work: Business Etiquette, Ethics, Teamwork
• Succeeding in Face-to-Face Situations
• Practicing Professional Telephone, Cell Phone, and VoiceMail Etiquette
• Working in Teams
• Business Presentations
• Preparing Effective Oral Presentations
• Organizing Content
• Audience Rapport
• Visual Aids
• Multimedia Presentations
• Polishing Your Delivery and Follow-up
6. Communication Employment
• The Job Search, Resumes, and Cover Letters
• Preparing a Successful Job Search
• Creating a Customized Resume
• Organizing Your Information into Effective Categories
• Polishing Your Resume
• Creating a Customized, Persuasive Cover Letter
• Interviewing and Following Up
• The Purpose and Types of Job Interviews
• Before the Interview
• During the Interview
• After the Interview
• Other Employment and Follow-up Messages