Course

Business Communication

Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Department
Communications
Course code
CMNS 1115
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
25
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
Fall
Summer
Winter

Overview

Course description
This course helps to prepare students for written business communication tasks required in the workplace. Through analysis, discussion and practice, students learn the purposes of business communication and how to recognize and use informational, persuasive, analytical and researched writing. They develop skills in using audience-based strategies to produce clear and concise business communication in a variety of forms. They also acquire and practise the research skills of identifying, summarizing and citing sources.
Course content

Business Communication Framework

  • purpose
  • audience
  • context
  • message

Writing Skills

  • employ effective organizational strategies (e.g., direct or indirect approaches)
  • craft coherent, unified paragraphs and longer passages
  • write clear, correct sentences
  • demonstrate clarity, concision and readability
  • use word choice and tone appropriate to the situation
  • use appropriate formats (e.g., headings, bullet lists, layout)
  • ensure correct and/or conventional spelling, grammar and punctuation
  • present visual material (e.g., graphics, tables) effectively
  • summarize primary and/or secondary research

Writing Tasks

Instructors select from a variety of writing tasks such as

  • email (internal and external)
  • summaries
  • memoranda
  • business letters
  • informal reports
  • formal reports (approximately 1,500 words and requiring basic research and analysis)
  • job application package (e.g., cover letter, resume and writing samples)
  • social media posts

 

Learning activities

This course emphasizes learning through doing. Working individually and in groups, students will participate in discussion and analysis of various business communication documents, activities and case studies. Under the instructor's guidance, students integrate the results of basic primary and/or secondary research with plain language principles in a variety of business communication forms (email, summaries, memoranda, letters, resumes and reports). Other methods of instruction include lectures, group discussions, peer review, library research orientations, online activities and possibly field trips.

Means of assessment

Evaluation is in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in a course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation must be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline. Assessments will be based on this general outline:

Formal research report 20-30%
Job application materials  10-20%
Additional writing tasks (at least 4 evaluations)  40-60%
Participation/professionalism 10%
  100%
Learning outcomes

Students will gain an understanding of the value of clear and concise writing as an indispensable tool in business communication.

By the end of the course, successful students will be able to

  1. articulate the key concepts of business communication: purpose, audience, context and message
  2. apply these concepts in the analysis of business documents and in the production of their own documents
  3. use plain language principles and correct fundamentals in written assignments
  4. use appropriate word choice and tone in written assignments to ensure readability and accessibility
  5. interpret and summarize assigned readings
  6. prepare short business documents (e.g., email, memoranda, letters and resumes) consistent with professional standards, practices and conventions
  7. prepare a formal report on a business or business-related issue using basic primary and/or secondary research
  8. use appropriate procedures to conduct basic primary and/or secondary research and analyze it
  9. use a documentation method and style (e.g., APA) for primary and/or secondary sources
  10. accept, provide and learn from courteous and objective criticism, including peer editing
Textbook materials

A required, current Canadian business communication text chosen by the instructor. For example, a current edition of 

  • Business Communication Essentials (Bovée and others)
  • Communicating for Results (Meyer)

Supplementary texts may also be required or recommended. 

Requisites

Prerequisites

Any College entrance Language Proficiency Requirement with the exceptions of the Douglas College Course Options in ELLA or ENGU and the assessments listed below. These require the specified higher standard for entry into CMNS, CRWR and ENGL courses.
• a minimum grade of C- in ELLA 0460, or a minimum grade of C- in both ELLA 0465 and 0475, OR
• a minimum grade of C- in ENGU 0450 or ENGU 0455 or ENGU 0490, OR
• Mastery in ELLA 0330 and any two of ELLA 0310, 0320, or 0340, OR
• TOEFL overall score of 83 with a minimum of 21 in Writing, OR
• IELTS overall score of 6.5 with no band below 6.0; for individual bands below 6.0:
       • if in Speaking, ELLA 0210 required
       • if in Reading or Listening, ELLA 0220 required
       • if in Writing, ELLA 0230 and ELLA 0240 required
OR
• CLB score of 8, OR
• CEFR level B2+, OR
• CAEL minimum overall and essay score of 70 (computer or paper based), OR
• recognized equivalent or exemption.

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution Transfer details for CMNS 1115
Acsenda School of Management (ASM) ASM BADM 110 (3)
Athabasca University (AU) AU ADMN 233 (3)
BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) BCIT COMM 1100 (3) or BCIT COMM 1116 (4) or BCIT COMM 1135 (3) or BCIT COMM 1140 (3) or BCIT COMM 1143 (3) or BCIT COMM 1144 (3) or BCIT COMM 1145 (4) or BCIT COMM 1164 (3) or BCIT COMM 1169 (3) or BCIT COMM 1178 (3) or BCIT COMM 1184 (3) or BCIT COMM 1188 (3)
Camosun College (CAMO) CAMO ENGL 170 (3)
Capilano University (CAPU) CAPU CMNS 220 (3)
College of the Rockies (COTR) COTR COMC 102 (3)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU CMNS 1140 (3)
Langara College (LANG) LANG CMNS 1118 (3)
Okanagan College (OC) OC CMNS 112 (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU PUB 210 (3)
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU CMNS 1290 (3)
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU CMNS 1291 (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU MCOM 2XX (3)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) No credit
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV ARTS_V 1st (3)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) No credit
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) UFV CMNS 125 (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC ENSH 202 (1.5)
Vancouver Community College (VCC) VCC MGMT 1004 (3) or VCC PGMT 3125 (3)
Vancouver Island University (VIU) VIU ENGL 204 (3)

Course Offerings

Fall 2025

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
6
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2030
Times:
Start Time
10:30
-
End Time
12:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
24
Remaining seats:
1
On waitlist
5
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2030
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
14:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
1
Building
New Westminster - North Bldg.
Room
N5109
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
10:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
9
Building
New Westminster - North Bldg.
Room
N5109
Times:
Start Time
11:30
-
End Time
14:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
2
Building
Anvil Office Tower
Room
816
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
14:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
24
Remaining seats:
1
On waitlist
3
Building
New Westminster - North Bldg.
Room
N5109
Times:
Start Time
10:30
-
End Time
12:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
6
Building
New Westminster - South Bldg.
Room
S1670
Times:
Start Time
18:30
-
End Time
21:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
2
Building
New Westminster - South Bldg.
Room
S1670
Times:
Start Time
14:30
-
End Time
16:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
8
Building
New Westminster - North Bldg.
Room
N5109
Times:
Start Time
18:30
-
End Time
21:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
0
Building
New Westminster - South Bldg.
Room
S1670
Times:
Start Time
16:30
-
End Time
18:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
9
Building
New Westminster - North Bldg.
Room
N6105
Times:
Start Time
15:30
-
End Time
18:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
2
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D2012
Times:
Start Time
9:30
-
End Time
12:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
31
Building
Online
Room
ONLINE
Times:
-
Section notes

This is a fully online course. All course activities will be asynchronous. Students will not be required to be online at specific scheduled times.

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
31
Building
Online
Room
ONLINE
Times:
-
Section notes

This is a fully online course. All course activities will be asynchronous. Students will not be required to be online at specific scheduled times.

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
25
Currently enrolled
25
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
35
Building
Online
Room
ONLINE
Times:
-
Section notes

This is a fully online course. All course activities will be asynchronous. Students will not be required to be online at specific scheduled times.