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Professional Communication

  • • Earn 3 transferable credits
  • • 100% online
  • • Includes everything you need

Courses as low as $597

Original price: $1332

Monthly payment option available

Get an additional $75 off per referral

Time Best Inventions 2020

Benefits

  • College Credits

    Earn 3 credits from University of Pittsburgh

  • Futuristic learning

    Experience online learning built by game designers

  • More for less

    Save 50% vs. typical for-credit college costs

  • Overview

    From resumes and cover letters, to virtual meetings and presentations, professional communication is vital to any career path. But it doesn’t have to be intimidating or impersonal. This course will build your confidence in public speaking and help you become an authentic, persuasive communicator.

    You’ll learn essential communication skills through engaging workshops—including mock interviews and improv games. And you’ll put those skills into action during practice presentations. Plus, with job search coaching, you’ll polish your resume, refine your Zoom presence, and be ready to ace any job interview!

  • Brilliant Instructors

    We hand-picked 3 instructors for the personal stories and unique approaches they bring to the table. Professor Josh Hamzehee uses his experience coaching a nationally ranked speech and debate team to help you become more persuasive. Professor Shae Hsieh leads by example to demonstrate the power of storytelling and authenticity in your professional life. And comedian Gretchen Eng uses improv to help you build confidence in uncertain situations.

  • How It Works

    Sign up for a 14-week term for-credit. Audit track is also available if you’re not seeking credits.

    Enjoy movie-quality video lectures, and enhance your learning with beautiful active learning materials.

    Learn on your schedule with course materials available online 24/7. Upon completion (congrats!) you’ll earn 3 transferable college credits.

  • Dedicated Support

    Hit a snag on the site? Have a burning question? We’ve got you covered.

    Our dedicated Student Success team is available to assist you—and push you—to help you pass with flying colors. 

    And, if you do all the work but do not pass, we will offer a full refund*.

Transferable credits from a top 50 school

Most schools accept credits transferred from University of Pittsburgh

Learn more

Give $75, Get $75.

School is better with friends. You get $75 off. They get $75 off. (Study buddies for the win.)

Learn More

Give $75, Get $75.

School is better with friends. You get $75 off. They get $75 off. (Study buddies for the win.)

Learn More

Meet your instructors

Full refund if you do the work and don't pass

If you’ve put in the time and effort to do all the work for a course but do not receive a passing grade, that’s on us and you will receive a full refund. You may also exit the course before the drop deadline to receive a full refund (14 days from start for 14-week courses).

Compare courses

Traditional course Outlier

Cost per course

$1,332 on average

Cost per course

$597 with monthly payment option

credits

Usually 3-4 credits from your school

credits

3 transferable credits

risk

Pay full price after the drop deadline

risk

Full refund even after the drop deadline if you do the work and don’t pass

format

In-person or Zoom

format

Interactive and 100% online (Zoom-free)

LECTURES

Specific time and place

LECTURES

On-demand, anywhere

exams

Specific hour

exams

Flexible window

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Quality education. Now more affordable than ever.

Outliers can now make low monthly payments with 0% interest.

What you’ll learn

This course covers all the basic principles of oral communication you’ll need for college credit (and then some—see the syllabus for a complete list)

Communication & You

  • How to tell a Story 
  • Learn to Communicate Authentically
  • Story Structure and Function 
  • Attention, Memory, and Recall in Storytelling
  • Public Speaking in the Real World 
  • Kicking Off the Job Search
  • Types of Common Interview Formats
  • Preparing for an Interview
  • Cultivating Professionalism in Writing 
  • Resumes & Cover Letters 
  • Video vs. In-Person Interview Etiquette 

Communicating Your Way to a Career

  • Identifying and Overcoming Anxieties 
  • Confident Cross-Cultural Communication 
  • Communicating Confidence in Body Language 
  • Coping with the Unexpected
  • Choosing a Topic 
  • Research + Citation
  • Organization and Structure
  • Deliver Your Presentation
  • Transitions 
  • Informative Delivery Formats
  • Audience Analysis

Communication On The Job

  • Understanding Your Personal Communication Style
  • Identity and Intersectionality
  • Building Cultural Awareness
  • Active Listening 
  • Nonverbal Communication
  • Group Roles and Dynamics 
  • Teamwork, Problem-Solving, and Decision-Making
  • Persuasion 101
  • Making and Supporting Arguments
  • The Art of Receiving Feedback
  • Giving Good Feedback

Hear from our students

  • Jacqueline W.

    Jacqueline W.

    “LOVE LOVE LOVE. I’ve taken a lot of online courses over the years and [this] blows them all away—in design, teachers, production, content, and facilitating learning.”

  • Taija P.

    Taija P.

    “I never thought I'd like an online class this much. I never expected to be so engaged, so thoroughly interested in everything I was learning, and to be excited about doing an online class.”

  • Elliot P.

    Elliot P.

    “The staff was amazing! Not only knowledgeable but very friendly and super supportive. I felt the same level of rapport with them as though I was attending physical classes and seeing each of them every day.”

Frequently asked questions

  • We recommend students have earned at least a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent. You must be 13 or older and willing to commit yourself academically to enroll in our courses. Students attempting Outlier courses should be ready for the academic rigor of college-level coursework.

    In addition, you'll need Wi-Fi and a laptop or desktop computer. (You can stream lectures in our iPhone app, but you'll need a computer to complete the rest of your courses.)

  • When you audit an Outlier course, it simply means you’re taking the course without the expectation of earning credits or impacting your college transcript. You will not receive a grade, a transcript, nor credits, and you will not be participating in exams.

    The Audit Path is ideal for:

    - High school students who are looking to add sparkle to their college applications, or who wish to learn more about a subject, but avoid the burden of impacting their permanent records.

    - Lifelong learners who want to take a serious course but aren’t interested in receiving grades or college credits.

    Learn more about our audit option in the Help Center.

  • Tutoring sessions will be scheduled to maximize compatibility with students’ schedules and availability. All learning materials are available to you 24/7 throughout the course.

  • If you have a request for reasonable disability accommodations, contact support@outlier.org. Please include specifics regarding the accommodation you are seeking. Additionally, if you have a disability accommodations letter from a school you are currently attending, you may send that to us as well.

    Outlier is committed to ensuring that learners with accessibility needs have equal opportunity to succeed in our courses.

See for yourself!

Hey, Outlier! We’re so glad that you’re interested in our Professional Communication course and we want you to be 100% confident in your selection so we’ve unlocked the entire first lesson for you, free of charge!

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