Professional Communication Skills (5cr)

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- communicate as a professional in field-specific tasks and intercultural contexts
- produce effective spoken and written texts using an appropriate style and register
- demonstrate knowledge of essential terminology needed in working life
- apply principles of interpersonal and organizational communication

Teaching methods

Meetings are held during the contact days on campus and some sessions will also be held online.
The course contains group work and individual assignments. Students receive feedback from the teacher and peer feedback may also be utilised.
Some assignments will be done jointly with other courses.

Time and location

Please refer to the Timetable Engine at https://lukkarit.laurea.fi/ for the schedule information. Laurea reserves the right to modify the timetable.

Learning materials and recommended literature

Learning materials in Canvas. See also:
• Bovée, C. & Thill, J. 2011. Excellence in business communication. 9th edition. London: Pearson.
• Hartley, P. & Chatterton, P. 2015. Business communication: rethinking your professional practice for the post-digital age. 2nd edition. London: Routledge.
• Mclean, S. 2015. Business communication for success. Washington, D.C.: Flat World Knowledge.
• Munter, M. 2014. Guide to managerial communication: effective business writing and speaking. 10th edition. Boston: Prentice Hall.

Alternative completion methods of implementation

According to the degree regulations (2024), students are entitled to apply for recognition of prior learning regardless of where, when and how the competence has been acquired. At Laurea, there are two different procedures for the recognition and accreditation of prior learning: a) accreditation of prior learning (competence acquired in higher education studies at another institution) and b) demonstration of competence (competence acquired in other ways). The recognition and accreditation of prior learning is initiated by the student themselves. The student is responsible for demonstrating and verifying their competence. The student is entitled to guidance for the recognition and accreditation of their competence. Further information in the student intranet.

Co-operation with working life and/or RDI

There is collaboration with the study unit Understanding Customer Behaviour. The pitch done for that course will also be evaluated on this one.

Important dates

Canvas will be opened at the latest on 12th January 2026 (during the first week of studies).
Some additional dates will also be scheduled for small group meetings.

In order to demonstrate activity, the student must be present at the first contact lesson or notify the teacher in charge of their absence to confirm their participation in the study. Registration will be rejected if the student does not report their absence at the start of the study or the reason for the absence cannot be considered justified. Another student can be taken in their place.

Forms of internationality

The study unit is suitable for exchange students.

Student workload

Workload of the study is measured in a way that to acquire the goal competence of the study, one credit corresponds to an average of 26.7 hours of work done by the student. The actual time needed varies e.g. according to prior competence.

Content and scheduling

A detailed schedule will be given in Canvas.

The study unit contains work on the following themes:
• communication models, applying a communication strategy
• communication skills requirements of safety, security and risk management specialists
• intercultural communication and communication styles
• business writing: genre and style, the writing process, macro and micro features
• persuasive communication in presentations, pitches and debates
• building rapport and interpersonal communication in meetings and negotiations
• revision of common business terms & professional vocabulary

Further information

The study unit corresponds to the requirements of Bachelor level education.
The prerequisite for participation is always that the possible competence prerequisites according to the curriculum (previous study or similar competence) are fulfilled. The student is responsible for taking into account the prerequisite conditions.
The quality of the study unit implementation has been assessed and the self-evaluation report is available for example in Canvas .

Evaluation scale

H-5

Evaluation methods and criteria

The final grade is based on the following:
Vocabulary and comprehension exercises in Canvas 20% (0-5)
Spoken communication assignments 40% (0-5)
Written communication assignments 40% (0-5)

All parts must be passed in order to complete the study unit.
More detailed assessment criteria are given in the Canvas workspace.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

Students demonstrate an understanding of key principles of effective communication for professional purposes. They can achieve communication objectives in a range of work-related situations, modify their communication style according to context and the requirements of the message, and manage interpersonal interactions with people from different backgrounds. Spoken fluency and range are sufficient to manage common professional situations. Writing shows satisfactory control of grammar and lexis for the production of standard business messages.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

Students demonstrate a good understanding of the principles of effective communication for professional purposes. They are able to achieve communication objectives in a range of work-related situations with a degree of success and can adapt their communication style to suit the requirements of audience and context. Speech is fluent, with a high degree of grammatical and propositional control. Writing shows good control of grammar, lexis, and style in a range of texts for professional purposes.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Students demonstrate an excellent understanding of key principles of effective communication for professional purposes. They are able to communicate clearly, concisely, and appropriately in a wide range of work-related situations and are effective in adapting both the style and content of a message to different audiences and in different contexts. Speech is very fluent, flexible, and easy to understand, with a high degree of grammatical control and propositional precision. Writing shows excellent control of grammar, lexis, and style in producing a variety of text types and genres.