Integrated Writing Requirement

Business Relevant Writing

Within the diverse majors of the business school, the type of writing will vary, but creating concise prose that clearly communicates one’s ideas is the foundation of being a successful business leader.  It is expected that upon graduation, business majors will mostly engage in the writing of white papers, presentation decks, emails, and other general memos.

Critical skills in all of these types of writing include understanding the audience and being able to convey relevant information in a clear, effective, and accurate manner. Sloppy prose at best can cause confusion and at worst can potentially cause unexpected litigation against organizations. Additionally, Georgetown McDonough graduates need to recognize that business executives value writing that can communicate messages in a cursory examination. 

Writing assignments are embedded throughout the curriculum and students will build a portfolio of writing samples that they would be proud to show any employer.

Courses

Through the following courses, business majors develop their ability to write in the relevant forms and styles. All business majors will achieve writing competence through the following course options:

• First Year Seminar (FYS) (BADM 101):
  
  Each first year seminar is writing–intensive with a cap of 20 students. Topics vary across the seminars but each faculty member adheres to the guidelines to ensure that there are sufficient and varied writing assignments. As part of an FYS class, the students have access to writing fellows/tutors.
• Communicating for Business Leadership (MGMT 200), Intercultural Communications (MGMT 205), Imagination and Creativity (MGMT 277), Meditation and Leadership (MGMT 292), Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace (MGMT 296), OR Leadership (MGMT 299):
  
  Each of these communications courses currently has a cap of 30 students and focuses on strengthening verbal and written communication skills. In particular, the goals of the course are for students to understand the strategic choices they have when communicating and to be able to implement the correct strategy at the proper time. 
• Experiential courses:
  
  There are two courses in the business curriculum that have an embedded experiential component that significantly integrates writing. STRT 255: Moral Foundations for a Market Society and BADM 290: Global Business Experience both require the application of analytical problem solving with an end product that includes the creation of a business plan or in-depth case analysis. These outcomes are in the form of written papers and presentation decks that address these problems.
• Senior Honors Thesis Program (BADM 398):
  
  The Senior Honors Thesis program provides students the opportunity to conduct original research under the guidance of a faculty advisor while earning a total of 4.5 credits in their senior year. In their final semester, after writing the thesis, students also present their research to a committee for final approval.