Best Business Writing Courses Online 2024

16 Best business writing courses online to communicate professionally

You’d be hard-pressed to find a professional who regrets investing in an online business writing course or doesn’t partly attribute their success to their strong communication skills. One of the most successful businessmen to have ever existed, Steve Jobs, is celebrated as much for his inventiveness as his remarkable ability to communicate.

With this in mind, this article covers a list of some of the best business writing courses online to help you propel your career into the future.

Business Writing Courses Online – Overview

Business writing refers to any form of professional communication that one can typically expect to produce in a business-oriented role. This may range from an everyday email to a presentation, report or business proposal. Business writing skills capture the clarity of thought, accessible, non-jargonistic language, polished grammar and conciseness.

Why invest in online business writing courses? Your approach to drafting a business document can make or break your career as a successful professional in business.

Imagine being a finance colleague reading an unconvincing and poorly supported business case that is also difficult to read. Would you grant that project the requested funds after reading a business case of this standard? Probably not. Similarly, are you likely to think highly of the author of an unprofessional email that is full of misspellings?

By investing in your business writing skills today, you can save yourself from landing up in similar career-damaging situations. Let’s look at some of the best business writing courses.

Best Business Writing Courses Online 2024 – Top Picks

Coursera	GetSmarter	Udemy	LinkedIn Learning
from $59/month	$1,800	from $11.99/class	from $26.99/month
Try with free trial.	Free prospectus	Up to 95% off.	Try with free trial.
Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure at the end of this post.

Note: This list gives an overview of the best business writing courses online. We cannot claim comprehensiveness as there are many other business writing classes available.

1. Effective Communication: Writing Specialization – Coursera

The University of Colorado Boulder (visit website) invites you to master your business writing, graphic design and communication skills in this self-paced and accredited beginner course. By honing in on these skills, the goal is to help you present yourself and your thoughts as confidently and convincingly as you can, both verbally and on paper.

This is a great online business writing course if you are looking for a holistic approach to professional development, as you not only get to try your hand at drafting business documents but also presentation and poster design. In the final module, you’ll apply the top ten principles of good business writing to a capstone project.

By using communication as a means of shaping your unique brand identity, you can reap the transformational benefits of this class, emerging a more commanding and confident professional. The course’s value also lies in the short projects that you get to undertake throughout your learning to reinforce the foundational principles of business writing.

Provider: University of Colorado, Coursera | Type: Specialization
Pricing: Free trial. $59/month Coursera Plus. | Review: 4.8 ★★★★★
Info: View course. Browse: Search all business writing courses on Coursera.

2. Professional Communication: Business Writing and Storytelling – GetSmarter

Are you interested in maximizing the impact and clarity of your business writing? Word choice, structure and storytelling are key in elevating your pitch from “unconvincing” to “unforgettable”. It is in the spirit of a carefully crafted business narrative that Economist Education offers a six-module course on professional communication (visit website).

Before you even put pen to paper, this course looks at the practical skills you need to get a business document off the ground, like sourcing accurate information. You’ll then explore the purpose of storytelling and learn to use it as a tool for ethically hooking the audience.

For storytelling to have the desired impact, you cannot underestimate the significance of data visualization. With that in mind, this hands-on course dedicates an entire module to making data beautiful and compelling, helping you capture the audience’s attention.

The program rounds off by teaching you to constructively and collaboratively edit your document in the final stages of business writing. It is one of the best business writing courses online for managers, executives, and professional writers.

Provider: Economist Education, GetSmarter | Time: 6 weeks | Certificate: Yes.
Level: Professionals, Freelancers | Pace: Instructor-lead | Price: $1,800 or £1,475
Info: Visit course website. Get free prospectus. Browse all online courses in this category.

3. Professional Certificate in Communication Skills – RIT, edX

This professional certificate (visit website) by the Rochester Institute of Technology is your go-to guide for employers’ most coveted communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal. The program will equip you with a proven blueprint of effective communication.

What is unique about this program is that it trains you to be an active listener and receptive to the various communication styles seen in business. As such, you’ll be in a better position to build genuine, long-lasting rapport.

This expert-led class goes beyond verbal communication by covering the best practices for quantitative data presentation and the use of visual design. The first course focuses on crafting a resonating message for your target audience to elicit the desired outcome.

In the second class, you’ll build on your confidence as a speaker by learning to use simple tools to deliver a memorable presentation. The program culminates in the third and final course on creative tips to elevate your presentation and impress your audience.

Provider: edX | University: RIT | Level: Beginner
Length: 3 Weeks | Efforts: 4-6 hours/week | Review: ★★★★★
Info: View course page. $597 with professional certification and support.

4. MicroBachelors Program in Business and Professional Communication – edX

If your goal is to strike an appropriate tone in your business messaging, especially letters, then this MicroBachelor’s program (visit website) is for you. By deep-diving into the principles of business communication and effective listening, Doane University’s program gears you up for success in both direct and indirect business communication.

The first course of this program aims to introduce you to the building blocks of business communication, exposing you to different communication styles in different professional settings. It approaches business communication through the lens of emotional intelligence – the bread and butter of a successful leader.

The second course turns the spotlight to the six C’s of business messaging, including etiquette and the acceptable use of emojis in business communication, making this a course for a 21st-century professional. Last but not least, business presentations are the crux of the third and final module of this best-rated online business writing course.

Keen to flaunt your improved business communication skills? This is the perfect opportunity for you to do so, as you get to record an engaging video presentation and design a professional handout for grading by Doane University staff.

Provider: edX | University: DOANEX | Level: Beginner, Intermediates
Length: 3 Months | Efforts: 5-8 hours/week | Review: ★★★★★
Info: View course page. $597 with professional certification and support.

5. Business Writing Skills – The Business Writing Center

This nine-part course is all about helping you avoid misunderstandings in your business writing by ensuring clarity and conciseness of communication. To bring your business message across accurately, choosing the correct vocabulary is key and this popular online business writing course helps you become an expert at doing exactly that.

The underlying goal of this self-paced, certified business writing course is to put you on the path to career advancement by teaching you the best practices for drafting memos, emails, documents, letters, reports, and much more.

This course is especially beneficial because it guides you from the process of conceptualizing your business message, to a polished, correct final draft. Document structure is the protagonist of this course. As such, you’ll learn to prepare the necessary information, organize your content and stick the landing through an impactful conclusion.

In light of many businesses’ commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, this course also teaches you to enhance the readability of your emails through proper formatting. To make your learning as practical as possible, this business writing online course includes four document evaluations and extensive coach-supported activities.

Platform: The Business Writing Center | Style: Online course
Level: Beginners, Intermediates | Price: From $295

Popular platforms: Browse our lists of the best MasterClass classes or Coursera courses or Domestika courses or GetSmarter courses or Mindvalley courses or edX courses to improve your skills further.

6. Ninja Writing: The Four Levels of Writing Mastery – Udemy

Former editor for the Wall Street Journal Shani Raja (view course) brings you this six-module course on all things composition. If you are a student looking to improve your business writing for better employability, you are the target learner of this course.

Similarly, if you are a business professional by day and blogger by night, you should check out this versatile, catch-all business writing course, as it promises to inject quality and fluidity into every corporate document, blog, book or essay – you name it!

The main aim of this course is to help you transform your disjointed ideas into an engaging narrative delivered by a more confident you. Shani does this by training you to tighten and sharpen your sentences, giving them a rhythm that brings your message into crisp focus.

Shani takes a four-level approach to craft the perfect narrative: the Narrative Level, the Paragraph Level, the Sentence Level and the Word Level. At each level, you’ll inherit the coveted tips and tricks passed onto Shani by some of the best editors of our time.

Instructor: Shani Raja, Udemy | Level: Beginners | Video: 4.5 hours
Price: View course. From $11.99. Up to 95% off. Browse category on Udemy.

7. Develop your Business Writing Skills – LinkedIn Learning

Led by an impressive line-up of field experts (visit website), this eight-course learning path helps you develop compelling prose using plain, succinct language.

This program kicks off by teaching you to leverage grammar and sentence structure to achieve maximum impact in any piece of prose. As you progress, you’ll learn to sprinkle an elegant flair into your prose and take a reader-focused approach in your drafting, making it fluid and pleasurable to read.

If you haven’t perfected your active voice, there is an entire course ready to help you do so. This learning path is also rich in tips for crafting appropriate, high-quality memos, emails, reports, articles, and much more. Does your career necessitate a vast reach on LinkedIn and beyond? The second-to-last course in this series offers an array of industry tips to ensure that your audience really hears you.

Whilst you automatically earn a certificate upon completing the majority of courses, some require you to score over 70% on a short, multiple-choice exam to qualify for certification.

Provider: LinkedIn | Level: Beginners, Intermediates
Type: Learning Path | Content: 8 online business writing courses. 10 hours.
Info: View course. From $26.99/month annually. Try with free 1-month trial.

Tip: Browse our lists of best writing courses or creative writing courses or English courses or Business classes or AI text generators. For productivity and communication skills, see our lists of the best online public speaking classes or productivity courses.

8. Better Business Writing Skills – Udemy

Who better to learn about business writing than from the speech drafter of the former Danish Prime Minister? In this course (view course), Mark Morris lets you in on the timeless principles that make for clear and persuasive prose. With the help of this course, you’ll be able to use your proverbial pen to change your audience’s thoughts, feelings and actions.

Mark structures his teaching around the three phases of composition: planning, drafting and editing. The first chapter is all about planning and carving out the direction of your document. Among other skills, you’ll learn to identify your objective, your reader and the entity that you are representing.

The second chapter turns to the minutia of drafting, teaching you to use sentence structure and vocabulary as tools for making the reader feel invested in your document.

In the third and final chapter, the art of editing takes center stage. You’ll gain the invaluable ability to test if your vocabulary is clear, and understandable, and helps achieve your objectives. Mark also peppers short, multiple-choice quizzes throughout his online business writing course to help you keep track of your progress.

Instructor: Mark Morris, Udemy | Level: Beginners | Video: 0.5 hours
Price: View course. From $11.99. Up to 95% off. Browse category on Udemy.

9. Academic and Business Writing Course – Berkeley, edX

Are you an English language learner looking for an introduction to both academic and business writing? This online business writing course run by UC Berkeley is designed specifically for college students who speak English as a second language, helping them develop foundational English communication skills.

In the process, you’ll learn to persuade your reader and nail essay development, setting you up for academic success. You can expect to gain the necessary proofreading and editing skills to thrive not only in academia but pretty much any business career that you choose to pursue thereafter.

As this is a course targeted at English language learners, the key aim is to ensure that you are comfortable using different styles of prose, correct grammar and richer vocabulary. Instructor Maggie Sokolik employs a variety of short assignments, quizzes, journal entries, and longer essays on topics that interest you to assess your progress.

Provider: edX | University: Berkeley | Level: Beginner
Length: 6 Weeks | Efforts: 3-5 hours/week
Info: View course page. Free audit. Certificate available.

10. Technical Communication Specialization – Coursera

This beginner-friendly business writing course (visit website) on technical communication by the University of Colorado Boulder teaches you the business writing and speaking skills necessary for managerial success.

With multiple styles of leader communication in mind, this program hones in on listening, counseling, non-verbals, mentoring, coaching, building trust, giving feedback, and good presentation etiquette. If you have recently been promoted to a technical position (or perhaps you intend to apply for one in the future), this program is invaluable.

The introductory class aims to mold you into an exemplary technical leader that can use interpersonal skills for your professional and your team’s success. The second module is the heart of this program, as it is all about drafting coherent and complete business documents that have a clear argument and adhere to business decorum.

Last but not least, this online business writing course aims to leave you feeling more confident speaking to large technical groups. The instruction is made practical by prompting you to engage in live conversations both inside and outside the program.

Provider: University of Colorado, Coursera | Type: Specialization
Pricing: Free trial. $59/month Coursera Plus.
Info: View course. Browse: Search all business writing courses on Coursera.

11. Professional Business Writing Skills – Alison

This free, short business writing class is ideal for professionals looking to produce high-quality emails, meeting agendas, business letters, proposals, reports, and other types of business documents. You can count on cultivating sharp proofreading skills and a keen eye for detail that spots even the most obscure errors.

If you draft a lot of your documents collaboratively as part of a team, you’ll find tons of merit in taking this online business writing course, as one of the modules is about overcoming barriers in collaborative drafting. In particular, you’ll receive actionable tips for setting style guidelines and resolving conflict in the context of collaborative drafting.

You also stand to really benefit from this course if you need guidance on drafting proposals, as there is an entire module focused on the makings of a good proposal. Specifically, you’ll learn to prepare a proposal outline, utilize the necessary skills for drafting a successful proposal, and add the finishing touches.

To earn a certificate, you can have a go at the final assessment at the end of the course.

Platform: Alison | Style: Self-paced- 6-10 hours of learning
Level: Beginners. CPD Accreditation | Price: Free audit.

12. Business Writing Course – Gotham Writers

This live business writing class invites you to use the basic principles of good business writing to enhance your image, increase your confidence, boost your productivity, and achieve your objectives. Whether you are looking to craft the perfect email or a spot-on proposal, you’ll learn to bring your unique personality to any business document.

First and foremost, the teaching delves into tips for successfully engaging your audience no matter the situation. You’ll learn to leverage the audience’s collective emotion in your openings and closings by using the right tone for your message.

In addition to offering you a “clarity checklist” to strengthen your document, this business writing course also aims to train you to intuitively communicate in an active voice. This is incredibly important if your reader is to comprehend your message quickly and accurately.

If you have ever been unsure about the right time to shift into a more conversational tone in your drafting, this course helps you figure it out. Writing exercises give you a chance to test various communication techniques and put the lectures into practice.

Platform: Gotham Writers | Style: Self-paced and instructor-led. 6-week class.
Level: Beginners | Price: $325- One on One for $1,800.

13. Business Writing Course: Masterclass – The University of Sydney

If you are in Sydney and fancy attending a face-to-face masterclass on business writing, look no further. This reflection-intensive course aims to share tools for framing sophisticated arguments in strategic business documents. These include techniques for planning your argument precisely, drafting it persuasively and editing it critically.

By enrolling in this masterclass, you’ll have access to useful templates and other guidance for producing an impressive presentation, proposal, business case or grant submission. On the day, you can expect to draft a sample business case or presentation in a group, implementing the course’s timeless techniques.

What is unique about this masterclass is that you get to use your classmates’ industry experience to inform your approach to communication and leadership. It is particularly beneficial if you need to address subtle nuances and stakeholder needs in your business writing. If you can’t make the in-person session, you can join a Zoom session equivalent!

Platform: University of Sydney | Style: Face to Face. 8 hours.
Level: Beginners | Price: $620.

14. High-Impact Business Writing – UCI, Coursera

High-Impact Business Writing (visit website) by the University of California, Irvine helps you ensure that your ideas are better understood by your reader. It does this by teaching you to articulate your objective clearly and concisely, using the most appropriate medium, format and style. You’ll also develop a good eye for spotting and correcting the most common pitfalls in business writing.

This business writing online course is super pertinent if you struggle to deliver difficult feedback or negative announcements. Specifically, the third module is about strategically framing a positive, negative or persuasive message in a professional business context.

In addition, you’ll also get exposure to the best practices for email use, including subject lines and content choice. This course is especially relevant if your job is report-oriented and you do the majority of your drafting in a shared virtual environment. After each module, you can test your understanding through a short, self-paced quiz.

Provider: University of California, Coursera | Type: Specialization
Pricing: Free trial. $59/month Coursera Plus.
Info: View course. Browse: Search all business writing courses on Coursera.

15. Improve your English Communication Skills Specialization – Coursera

This four-course beginner program (visit website) is your one-stop shop for all things English communication in a business setting. With budding English speakers in mind, it is designed to help you navigate day-to-day business interactions, from composing a clear email to making yourself heard in a meeting.

The first course of this program does not only teach you to compose effective business emails, but it also embeds lessons to boost your overall English composition skills. The teaching dives deep into the nuances of a professional email and the culture of virtual business communication to set you up for success.

The second course aims to have you speak English more fluently and accurately, and the third course looks at the skills needed to market yourself successfully in an increasingly competitive field. Last but not least, you are invited to demonstrate your improved English speaking skills through a short talk on a personal accomplishment or “sales pitch”.

Provider: Georgia Tech University, Coursera
Pricing: Free trial. $59/month Coursera Plus.
Info: View course. Browse: Search all online writing courses on Coursera.

16. Business Writing Course – Cornell Certificate Program

In this short business writing certificate program, you’ll learn to apply game-changing tools and principles to achieve your professional goals. The aim is to reinforce your communication strengths and develop good business writing habits that boost your confidence, efficiency and versatility as you plan, draft and revise your documents.

The program is split into four courses: “Business Writing Fundamentals”, “Advanced Business Writing”, “Communicating Quantitative Data”, and one elective of your choice.

In this program, you’ll learn to make thoughtful choices and apply popular design principles to enhance the clarity and readability of your document. There are also plenty of opportunities in the second course to practice adjusting the tone, components and structure of your message to fit even the most challenging audience.

You’ll also learn to plan and effectively execute any communication that involves complex numerical data, using graphics to your advantage. If you handle numerous stakeholders, you’ll find the third course of this program incredibly beneficial, as you’ll learn to create a reading deck and identify the best time to use one.

Platform: eCornell | Style: Online, instructor-led.
Level: Beginners | Price: From $2,999 | Duration: 2 months.

How to Choose the Best Business Writing Courses Online

When choosing the right course for you, the most important thing to consider is your motivation for embarking on an online business writing course in the first place. To help you hone in on a specific goal, ask yourself:

• Have I just been promoted to a position that calls for a substantial amount of report- and business case drafting?
• Did I recently move to an English-speaking country and need help adjusting to Western business culture and lingo?
• Am I about to enter the labor market as a recent graduate and could use some guidance around conducting myself professionally?
• Am I after a course that can help me earn academic credits to build my transcript?

Additional factors to bear in mind include cost, duration, and intensity. For instance, if you are in a full-time job or juggling multiple responsibilities, you may opt for a shorter, self-paced business writing course like those on LinkedIn Learning.

Best Business Writing Courses Online 2024 – Summary

Wrapping up our tour of the best business writing courses online in 2024.

It is no secret that enrolling in an online business writing course can enrich your skillset, increase your employability, and advance your career. With business writing being a very practical skill, those best placed to teach it have long, demonstrable experience in it, as they can share time-tested tips to elevate your business prose.

As such, consider enlisting Mark Morris or Shani Raja as your teacher on Udemy. The learning path on LinkedIn is also a gem ready to be mined, as you can tap into the mastery of numerous, diverse experts.

Additional Online Business Writing Courses

• NYU – Master’s (MS) in Professional Writing
• Oregon State University – Business Writing Online Course
• Appendance Online Business Writing Courses
• Daniel Pink – Online Business Writing Course – HubSpot Academy
• Harvard University – Persuasive Communication 

What are the best business writing courses online for 2024, in your opinion? Which online business writing classes have you taken? What have you learned? Please let us know via email or contact us for questions.

Sources: What is business writing? –1 | How to improve business writing skills? – 2

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to some providers of business writing courses online. courselounge may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. It does not add any extra costs. All reviews, opinions, descriptions and comparisons expressed here are our own.