| | All courses in the Professional Communication Program are listed below in numerical order.
Undergraduate Courses
661.110 Professional Communication for Science, Business, and Industry
661.150 Oral Presentations
661.310 Writing about Science and Engineering
661.315 The Culture of the Engineering Profession
661.390 Advanced Professional Communication Workshop
661.410 Research Writing
Graduate Courses
661.610 Research Writing
661.650 Oral Presentations
661.710 Dissertation Writing Workshop
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| Distribution Credits: Writing Intensive
No prerequisite courses
(formerly as both Technical Communication and Business Communication)
This course teaches students to communicate effectively with a wide variety of specialized and non-specialized audiences. Projects include production of resumes, cover letters, proposals, instructions, reports, and other relevant documents. Class emphasizes writing clearly and persuasively, creating appropriate visuals, developing oral presentation skills, working in collaborative groups, giving and receiving feedback, and simulating the real world environment in which most communication occurs. Not open to students who have taken 661.110 as Technical Communication or 661.120 Business Communication. Manus, Porosky, Reiser, Rice, Sheff, Vohr 3 credits fall and spring |
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Distribution Credits: Writing Intensive
No prerequisite courses
The fear of public speaking is so intense that most of us would prefer dying than giving a public speech. While very few people manage to rid themselves completely of their fear, many people do learn how to channel that fear effectively and become compelling, persuasive speakers. This course is designed to help students push through any anxieties about public speaking by immersing them in a practice-intensive environment. They learn how to speak with confidence in a variety of formats and venues —including extemporaneous speaking, job interviewing, leading a discussion, presenting a technical speech, and other relevant scenarios. They learn how to develop effective slides that capture the main point with ease and clarity, hone their message, improve their delivery skills, and write thought-provoking, well-organized speeches that hold an audience's attention. Dungey, Heiserman, Kulanko, Porosky, Reiser, Sheff 3 credits fall and spring |
| Distribution Credits: Writing Intensive
No prerequisite courses Conventional wisdom says that scientific writing is dull and arcane. The truth is that good scientific writing is interesting and easy to read. Scientists who have the broadest audiences know how to tell a good story and know how to engage and persuade their readers. Students work closely with the professor and each other in a seminar/workshop setting. The goal is to weld critical thinking to compelling writing. Reiser, Rice, Sheff 3 credits fall and spring |
| This course focuses on building understanding of the culture of engineering while preparing students to communicate effectively with the various audiences with whom engineers interact. Working from a base of contemporary science writing (monographs, non-fiction, popular literature and fiction), students engage in discussion, argument, case study and project work to investigate: the engineering culture and challenges to that culture, impacts of engineering solutions on society, ethical guidelines for the profession, and the ways engineering information is conveyed to the range of audiences for whom the information is critical. Additionally, students will master many of the techniques critical to successful communication within the engineering culture through a series of short papers and presentations associated with analysis of the writings and cases. Reiser, Rice, Sheff 3 credits spring |
| Distribution Credits: Writing Intensive
Prerequisite Courses: At least one writing intensive course and/or permission of the instructor. This interactive course, open to students from all academic disciplines, produces JayStreet, a publication modeled on the Harvard Business Review, focusing on businesses with a Johns Hopkins connection. Participating entrepreneurs will work directly with students, sharing insights into their business ventures. Using the case method, students will evaluate key business and technological strategies and challenges while honing their research, writing, editing, design and presentation skills. Serving as both writers and editorial board members, students will choose a theme for the publication, develop cases, articles and interviews and design the publication in print and online, providing themselves a key credential for the future.
Sheff 3 credits |
| Research writing—whether in the sciences, social sciences, medicine, or humanities—is a critical component for success as an academic. Yet, for many, the process of writing becomes less a labor of love than a source of dread, performance anxiety, and procrastination. This course is designed to be user-friendly "kick in the pants" that helps students succeed in planning, developing, editing, and finishing a 20-30 page writing project specific to their disciplines. Projects can include a research report, journal article, literature review, dissertation chapter, grant proposal, or other relevant document. The course is run as a workshop and tailored to meet the specific needs of each group. Course focuses on refining content, organizing ideas, deploying appropriate citation practices, formatting correctly, working with writer's block, and setting workable goals to facilitate the writing process. Class meets together and individually with instructor. Co-listed with 661.610.
Reiser, Rice, Sheff 3 credits | | | |
| No prerequisite courses Research writing—whether in the sciences, social sciences, medicine, or humanities—is a critical component for success as an academic. Yet, for many, the process of writing becomes less a labor of love than a source of dread, performance anxiety, and procrastination. This course is designed to be user-friendly “kick in the pants” that helps students succeed in planning, developing, editing, and finishing a 20-30 page writing project specific to their disciplines. Projects can include a research report, journal article, literature review, dissertation chapter, grant proposal, or other relevant document. The course is run as a workshop and tailored to meet the specific needs of each group. Course focuses on refining content, organizing ideas, deploying appropriate citation practices, formatting correctly, working with writer’s block, and setting workable goals to facilitate the writing process. Class meets together and individually with instructor. Co-listed with 661.410. Reiser, Rice, Sheff |
| No prerequisite courses Designed for graduate students, particularly students with little or no experience, this course will train students in the skills needed for giving effective oral presentations in academic and real-world situations. Students will learn the principles of developing and delivering effective oral presentations, including getting to the point and staying there; developing clear and audible structure; engaging (and gauging) the audience; using effective delivery techniques; dealing with nerves; choosing and designing strong visual aids; and using technology (PowerPoint) effectively. Students will practice these skills in a variety of modes, from short impromptu talks, to technical presentations meant for lay audiences, to professional interview situations. They will speak on topics of their own choosing and live videotaping will be used to help students strengthen their skills. Students will be expected to deliver some form of presentation every class meeting and they will also be asked to submit written speaking scripts for critique. |
| Prerequisite Courses: 661.610 Research Writing
This course focuses on helping doctoral students complete work on their dissertations. Course materials and activities emphasize goal setting, project planning, building and defending claims, documenting research, learning citation practices, building a daily writing practice, dealing with the isolation/depression common to dissertation writers, and, in general, supporting the overall dissertation writing process. Reiser, Rice, Sheff |
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