What You'll Learn
The Business Communication Graduate Certificate helps you develop the skills to communicate clearly, confidently, and strategically in professional settings. Through this three-course certificate, you’ll:
- Compose effective business communications, including proposals, presentations, and reports.
- Apply key communication methods — such as informational briefing, persuasive messaging, or conflict management — to meet specific objectives.
- Master the techniques of public speaking, including message development, content, projection, inflection, and delivery.
Courses
The Business Communications Graduate Certificate requires three courses.
Example course options:
- DRAM 140 Public Speaking
- EXPO 34 Business Rhetoric
- MGMT 4225 Negotiation and Organizational Conflict Resolution
- MGMT 6655 Social Media Management
Searching and Registering for Courses
Available course options vary by term. You can browse options for fall, spring, or summer in the certificate course search within the DCE Course Search & Registration platform.
Our Community at a Glance
It may seem daunting to tackle schoolwork while maintaining a job, but you won’t be alone. You’ll bring challenges you face at work or in your community into the classroom to consult with faculty and peers on new, innovative solutions. Test a fresh concept or framework in the workplace and see immediate results.
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36
Average Age
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83%
Working Full Time
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29%
Students Outside the U.S.
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1.5 years
Average Time to Complete
Earning Your Certificate
Most of our certificates can be completed online and no formal application process is required to pursue a certificate.
To meet the requirements for the certificate, you must:
- Complete three courses for graduate credit.
- Earn at least a B grade in each course.
- Complete the courses within three years.
Learn more about pursuing a certificate and the process of requesting your certificate.
Build a Stackable Credential Pathway
Stackable credential pathways allow you to earn multiple credentials by completing courses that meet overlapping requirements. In the short term, you can earn a micro or graduate certificate. Once completed, those courses may count toward a master’s degree.
You can stack:
- The Advanced Negotiation & Conflict Resolution Microcertificate into the Business Communications Graduate Certificate.
- The Business Communications Graduate Certificate into either a master’s degree in journalism or a master’s degree in management.
Stackable pathways offer an efficient, cost-effective way to earn short-term credentials to help fill immediate skill gaps and acquire specialized knowledge while building a foundation for long-term success that showcases your expertise in the field.
Learn how to plan a stackable credential pathway.
Anyone with the drive and right support network can write the next chapter of their story here at Harvard Extension.
Cost
Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.
| Our Tuition (2025–26 rate) | $3,440 per course |
|---|---|
| Average Tuition of Peer Institutions | $5,476 per course |
| Average Total Cost | $10,320 |
