WRTG 394 is UMGC's advanced business writing course, a three-credit, project-based study of applied workplace writing. It also fulfills the general education requirement in upper-level advanced writing.
The course asks you to produce documents that suit a specific audience and purpose, are well argued, and follow the standards of business writing. Shorter assignments build towards a substantial formal report that uses research to support its conclusions or recommendations.
Students find it demanding because business writing is judged differently from essay writing. A reader wants the point early, the evidence traceable and the next step obvious. Moving from an academic habit of building slowly to a workplace habit of leading with the answer takes practice, and the formal report adds research and length on top.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
| Course code | WRTG 394 |
| Credits | 3 |
| Level | Upper-level undergraduate |
| Prerequisite | WRTG 112 |
| Subject area | Applied business writing |
| Typical work | Shorter workplace documents, then a substantial formal report with research |
UMGC allows credit for only one of COMM 394/394X, ENGL 394/394X or WRTG 394/394X, so check which version your program requires.
What WRTG 394 Covers
UMGC's description lists the following topics. Each is a lens you can use to check any document you write for the course:
| Topic | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Context | What situation prompted this document, and what does the reader already know? |
| Purpose | What should the reader do, decide or understand afterwards? |
| Audience | Who reads it, how much time they have and what they care about |
| Style and organization | Plain, direct language and a structure that lets readers find things fast |
| Format and technologies | Conventions for memos, emails, reports and the tools used to produce them |
| Results and persuasion | Strategies for getting a workplace message accepted |
The catalog also states that the course requires a substantial formal report that incorporates research and supports its conclusions or recommendations.
Key Concepts Explained
Audience and Purpose First
Before drafting, name the reader and the action you want from them. The same facts are written differently for a busy executive, a technical colleague and a customer. Stating the audience and purpose in one sentence above your draft keeps every later choice consistent.
Illustration (invented): Purpose: persuade the operations manager to approve a trial of a new scheduling tool. Audience: a time-poor manager who worries about cost and disruption. That tells you to open with the request, give the cost and risk early, and put detail in an attachment.
Lead with the Point
Workplace readers often stop after the first paragraph. Put the request, answer or recommendation there, then support it. This direct pattern suits most routine and good-news messages.
When a message may disappoint the reader, many writers add brief context before the decision. Choose the order deliberately and be able to explain why.
Recommendations That Trace to Evidence
In a formal report, each recommendation should follow from a finding, and each finding from a source or data you have gathered. A simple check is to list every recommendation and write beside it the section and source that supports it. A gap in that list is a gap a reader will notice.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
Specific assignment names vary by section, so rely on your syllabus. The table below describes the kinds of work the course description points to.
| Assignment type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Shorter workplace documents | Audience, purpose, tone | Write the purpose first, draft, then cut anything the reader does not need |
| Persuasive message | Persuasion strategy | Meet the reader's concerns first, then ask |
| Report proposal | Planning and scope | Define the problem, the questions and the sources you will use |
| Formal report | Research, structure, evidence | Link each advice point to a finding and a source |
Planning the Formal Report
The formal report is the largest piece of work, so plan backwards from the deadline. A rough split keeps it manageable:
| Stage | What to finish |
|---|---|
| Scope | A one-paragraph problem statement and two or three guiding questions |
| Research | Sources noted with the claim each one supports |
| Outline | Headings that match your questions, with findings listed under each |
| Draft | Findings first, then conclusions, then recommendations |
| Front matter | Summary and any required sections, written last |
| Revision | Rubric check, then proofreading for tone and formatting |
For help structuring research-based business papers, see our guide to business research paper help.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Writing for the marker, not the reader. Name a real or realistic audience and write to them.
- Burying the point. Move your recommendation or request to the top.
- Source-by-source summary. Group research by theme and use it to argue a position.
- Unsupported recommendations. Trace each one to a finding, as described above.
- Heavy, formal wording. Prefer short sentences and plain words; cut filler.
- Missing rubric items. Tick off every requirement before you submit.
Study Tips for WRTG 394
- Read the rubric for each assignment before drafting and again before submitting.
- Write a one-sentence purpose and audience statement for every document.
- Read your draft aloud; long, tangled sentences show up quickly.
- Keep a source log from day one of the report, noting the claim each source supports.
- Use headings and short paragraphs so a skimming reader can follow the structure.
- Ask your instructor early if the audience, scope or format in a prompt is unclear.
How We Help with WRTG 394
GradeEssays is independent of the University of Maryland Global Campus. We offer tutoring, feedback, editing and model documents to study, not work to submit as your own, and we cannot promise a grade.
Send the assignment prompt, rubric, your draft if you have one and any sources. Depending on what you need, you can get:
- feedback on audience, structure, tone and clarity
- editing and proofreading within your university's rules
- a model document or report outline showing how recommendations tie to evidence
Work is written from scratch and plagiarism-checked, with free revisions within the scope of your original request.
Get Your WRTG 394 Report on Solid Ground
Share the assignment, rubric and sources. A business-writing tutor prepares a model or edits your draft so every recommendation is clearly supported.
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Frequently Asked Questions
UMGC lists WRTG 112 as the prerequisite.
UMGC lists it as a three-credit course.
Yes. UMGC states it fulfills the general education requirement in upper-level advanced writing.
Yes. The catalog says a substantial formal report that incorporates research and supports its conclusions or recommendations is required, alongside shorter assignments.
UMGC allows credit for only one of COMM 394/394X, ENGL 394/394X or WRTG 394/394X.
No. We provide tutoring, feedback, editing and model examples to study from. Work you submit must follow your university's academic integrity rules.