Courses offered by the Professional Communication Program at Hopkins are designed to enable students from all disciplines to develop effective communication skills relevant to their educational and professional goals. These courses are consistent with the findings of Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University. The study, Reinventing Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for America's Research Universities, had as a top-10 priority "linking communication skills and course work."

Professional Communication courses also directly address ABET Criterion 3 and provide students an opportunity to gain skills needed for success in other courses as well as their future careers. The relatively small class size of the Professional Communication courses (typically 10 to 18 students) fosters close cooperation between instructor and student. Topics range from technical and business communication to oral presentations and medical writing.