17 Best Communication Courses Online (2023)

Communication requires training. Even so-called “natural communicators” like Jim Rohn use continued learning to expand their influence and to build better relationships. “Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people,” he famously said.

It’s no surprise 73% of recent MBA students claim communication skills their leading source of confidence¹. But you need to practice the the right communication–and there are as many types of communication as there are relationships. You don’t speak to your spouse like you speak to the CEO, after all.

To make sure you find the right course for your specific case, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of 17 courses from 8 e-Learning platforms and ranked them by use case, content, unique advantages, schedule flexibility, course duration, and price (subscription & one-time fee).

What’s the best communication course?

Here are our top picks:

• Interpersonal Communication (LinkedIn Learning)
• Professional Certificate in Communication Skills (edX)
• Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization
• Business Communications
• Win WorkPlace Negotiations
• Computer Communications Specialization
• Organization Communication
• Expanding Your Influence: Understanding the Psychology of Persuasion
• Communication Skills for Engineers Specialization
• Data Communication Concepts
• Communication Skills for Beginners
• Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health
• The Ultimate Public Relations Masterclass
• Integrated Marketing Communications: Advertising, Public Relations, Digital Marketing and more
• Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills
• Leadership Communication for Maximum Impact: Storytelling
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills at Work

Interpersonal Communication (LinkedIn Learning)

Best Overall Communication Course

Interpersonal Communication is our best overall pick because it provides a brief but actionable intro to communication. Its focus is relationships, so the skills you learn here are transferable to virtually any scenario. The course is a short 40 minutes and it uses 3 practice quizzes plus a project to help you improve in three scenarios: (1) with your manager, (2) with your colleagues, and (3) in “tricky” situations. The one downside is that it’s probably too pricey to purchase alone, so I recommend considering a subscription with LinkedIn Learning which will give you access to over 16k other courses.

Our rating: 9.5 / 10

Best For: Overall Communication Course.

Price: $39.99 to buy outright, or $39.99/month subscription.

Duration: 37 minutes

Skill Focus: Oral & Written Expression.

Level: Beginner.

Content

This course is divided into three sections: communication with your manager, your colleagues, and in “tricky” situations, such as an interruption or when receiving critical feedback. The contents of the course are limited to these informal interactions, so you won’t learn marketing or organizational communication. That said, for a starter course, the widespread implications of everyday interactions mean this course will equip you with tools you will use throughout your career. Moreover, given that 51% of people claim people are the largest workplace frustration, this course will also bring you some peace of mind.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

This course counts for continued education credits with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and the Project Management Institute (PMI)®.

Course Duration

This course is officially 37 minutes and 1 second, but with pauses and reflection it’s safe to say it will take you approximately 1 hour.

Price

Interpersonal Communication costs $39.99 as a one-time fee, or $39.99/month with a subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

Flexibility

This course is 100% flexible, allowing you to learn at your own pace.

Platform Concerns

LInkedIn Learning is a leading e-Learning platform that offers both one-time fee courses and subscription. Virtually all of its courses come with a project file, quizzes, and certificates of completion. The professors are typically skilled industry and academic professionals with experience and clout. For more information, see our platform comparison here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• Good structure based on 3 common relationships you’ll see in daily life.
• Ideal duration of less than one hour for a general intro course.

Dislike

• The price is worth the content because you can apply upward and lateral communication skills throughout your career. That said, it’s to your advantage to sign up for the free trial, then determine if other courses on LinkedIn Learning are useful for you. From a communication perspective, there are more than 10k.

All in all, this course is ideal for beginners who want a quick, actionable curriculum to set them up for long term success communicating in the workplace –especially as cross cultural communication grows in importance.

Professional Certificate in Communication Skills (edX)

Best for Professionals

The Rochester Institute of Technology’s Professional Certificate in Communication Skills is a hidden gem in the comm course marketplace. It’s run through edX and lasts a considerable 45 hours in total, which gives your the opportunity to seriously investigate these skills at a rate of about 5 hours per week over 3 months. It’s ideal for professionals who are not new to communication coursework, with deeper examination of key concepts and practice, justifying its price point, which is higher than others on the list.

Our rating: 9.4 / 10

Best For: Professionals with some experience in communications.

Price: the certificate is priced at $597 and is sometimes discounted to $537.30.

Duration: Professional Certificate in Communication Skills via edX lasts 45 hours, and at a rate of 5 hours per week would take you three months.

Skill Focus: Oral Expression.

Level: Intermediate.

Content

This course focuses on three elements: storytelling, public speaking, and visual presentation. Each element has and dedicated course (that you can also purchase separately). The content is applicable to all disciplines but dives into greater detail than beginner level courses, making it more thorough than the norm and better for professionals with some experience.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

This certificate program consists of three underlying courses that you can take individually if the full program would result in redundancy for you, which is a big advantage and adds additional flexibility.

Course Duration

This course lasts 45 hours, and most students complete it over three months at a rate of 5 hours per week.

Price

Professional Certificate in Communication Skills is priced at $597 but is sometimes discounted to $537.30.

Flexibility

This edX course allows you to learn 100% at your own pace. The courses are all online and don’t require peer collaboration like other platforms such as Coursera.

Platform Concerns

edX is somewhat an underdog in the e-Learning marketplace. Created by Harvard and MIT, its unique value proposition is access to top-tier collegiate level coursework through self-directed study, and the obvious downside is its user interface. In many cases the coursework is too theoretical, which is why I would not recommend edX as a default choice. However, sometimes there’s a diamond in the rough, and Professional Certificate in Communication Skills is one of them. See the full platform comparison table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• Curriculum structure is balanced between depth and breadth.
• While not a specialist course, the level of detail addressed in this course produces a similar result.

Dislike

• The user interface could be improved.
• Though justified by the coursework, the price can be an eliminating factor for those on a budget.

Altogether, Rochester Institute of Technology’s Professional Certificate in Communication is an ideal course for those with some experience, a slightly higher budget, and with a clear communication goal in their professional life.

Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization

Best on Coursera

Coursera’s Effective Communication Specialization is a strong runner up to best overall course, only losing to Interpersonal Communication due to the large time commitment. As a specialization, Effective Communication leverages 4 distinct courses together in order to create a well-rounded understanding of the topic at hand. At a whopping 80 hours, this program is the second longest on our list. If you can commit the time, it’s well worth the $49 subscription.

Our rating: 9.4 / 10

Best For: Course on Coursera.

Price: $49/month subscription.

Duration: 80 hours over 5 months at a rate of 4 hours per week.

Skill Focus: Oral Expression.

Level: Beginner.

Content

The reason Effective Communication has been so successful on Coursera is it’s one of few courses or programs that address writing, graphic design, and presentation as fundamental pilers of communication. It’s less focused on informal communication and aims to equip students with the “hardest form” of comm skills, and the content is extremely thorough, in large part thanks to the tie commitment required.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

The exceptional feature in this course is its inclusion of graphic design as a core communication skill. It’s easy to assume graphic design is a designer skill, but the reality is — even if you only use PowerPoint — everyone will need to leverage design principles to create powerful presentations at some point in their career.

Course Duration

The course requires approximately 80 hours of study, usually spread out over 5 months at a rate of 4 hours per week.

Price

Effective Communication is priced at $49 for a subscription. Courses classified under “specializations” cannot be purchased individually on Coursera.

Flexibility

Coursera’s flexibility comes at a price. While you can study independently, the real value in these specializations is working in a cohort of peers who provide feedback on your work and opportunities to brainstorm.

Platform Concerns

While Coursera is a leading e-Learning platform, the inability to purchase courses or specializations individually can be frustrating for those who prefer one-time fee courses. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• In terms of content, this course boasts what is probably the best general business comm materials available.
• The inclusion of graphic design as a core communication element is is strong advantage and will give you an upper hand against the competition.

Dislike

• The subscription model may not be attractive to everyone.
• At 80 hours and 5 months, the duration may not be reasonable for some people.

Business Communications

Best on edX

Just after the Professional Certificate, our pick for the best comm course on edX is Business Communications. This course puts emphasis on writing business documents and logic-oriented communication to win your case.

Our rating: 9.4 / 10

Best For: Course on edX.

Price: $150.

Duration: 24 hours over 6 weeks with 4 hours per week.

Skill Focus: Oral and Written Expression.

Level: Beginner.

Content

This course is composed of 6 modules: analyzing your audience, preparing to communicate, mastering the mechanics, tailoring your message, storytelling, and advanced techniques. these headlines correctly suggest that this course is heavily focused on audience an specific techniques you can exploit to communicate effectively. The scope is limited to business, but its thorough and useful for business professionals.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

This course has a standard structure, but it focuses on what can be called “classical” concepts in communication, which date back to the Greeks, such as informational versus persuasive communication and the importance of strong starts and finishes.

Course Duration

Business Communications requires 24 hours of commitment.

Price

The price of this course is $150 and is sometimes on discount at $127.50.

Flexibility

Like other edX courses, Business Communications is 100% flexible.

Platform Concerns

edX as a platform targets students looking for University-style courses online, which are distinctly different from skill-focused e-Learning platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning. For this reason, I typically don’t recommend edX because it can tend to be theoretical, but some courses like he two on this list are exceptions. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• The structure in this course is logical and highly useful for beginners.
• The inclusion of storytelling into a beginner level course is useful, especially the approach used for sourcing stories to drive a message when you don’t have a personal story of your own.

Dislike

• The user interface feels slightly outdated.
• Some concepts could be delivered in shorter amounts of time than the instructor allots.

Win WorkPlace Negotiations

Best for Negotiation

If you haven’t heard of Chris Voss, then you’re in for a treat with Win WorkPlace Negotiations on MasterClass. The instructor is a former FBI field agent, and he shares a set of refined techniques for negotiating in virtually any scenario. Though not a classical learning platform, MasterClass provides the best negotiation course out there.

Our rating: 9.5 / 10

Best For: Negotiation.

Price: $15/month subscription.

Duration: apprx. 10 hours.

Skill Focus: Oral Expression and Comprehension.

Level: Beginner.

Content

This MasterClass is the most unique on our list because it doesn’t follow a traditional course curriculum. Instead, it’s built on principles developed in the field, namely mirroring, labelling, mastering “no,” the importance of the phrase “that’s right,” and the famous black swans. While slightly untraditional, this course is very thorough.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

This course is built on knowledge built in the field, which means it’s applied by nature.

Course Duration

The course requires approximately 10 hours.

Price

Chris Voss’ MasterClass Win WorkPlace Negotiations is priced at $15/month as a subscription. This is billed annually, coming out to $180.

Flexibility

Like all MasterClasses, Win WorkPlace Negotiations is 100% flexible.

Platform Concerns

The MasterClass platform has arguably the best user experience of any available, and its coursework is unquestionable. It offers courses on a variety of topics taught by celebrities and top-tier professionals. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• MasterClass coursework is top tier, and Win WorkPlace Negotiations is no exception.
• The user experience is far beyond the competition.
• The techniques presented herein come from field work in the FBI.

Dislike

• The subscription pricing model on MasterClass with a minimum 1-year commitment may be too steep for some learners.
• Due to the breadth of content on MasterClass, some users might find the subscription less valuable as a long term platform.

Computer Communications Specialization

Best for Computer Communication

This course is designed to teach recent graduates about network architecture, so it’s a technical course. That said, computer communications is a fundamental though often invisible part of every organization, and everyone benefits from it. The focus in this course is protocol design and how to leverage it to bolster cyber security and protection. It requires prior knowledge of C programming, and prior knowledge of probability is a strong advantage.

Our rating: 9.3 / 10

Best For: Computer Communications.

Price: $49/month subscription.

Duration: 100 hours.

Skill Focus: None.

Level: Beginner.

Content

This program consists of 4 courses: fundamentals of network communication, peer-to-peer protocols and local area networks, packet switching networks & algorithms, and transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP). It starts with simple concepts and evolves into a deeper investigation of techniques you will need to apply.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

The obvious differentiator for this program is that its focus is on technical rather than on soft skills. It’s also a specialization in which you will take 4 courses.

Course Duration

At 60 hours to complete, this is the 3rd longest course on our list.

Price

As a specialization, this program cannot be purchased individually and is therefore priced at $49/month with a Coursera subscription, which you can also use to consume other courses on our list or explore the platform.

Flexibility

Coursera specializations are self-directed, but the added value is that you go can work with a group of peers to get quick feedback and dive deep into materials with peers off whom you can bounce ideas.

Platform Concerns

Coursera is a leading e-Learning platform with a strong user interface, quality instructors, and valuable materials. That said, its subscription-only model can be frustrating for those who would prefer to purchase one course only. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• I like that this is not a course for absolute beginners–the materials here are advanced enough to push you beyond his/her comfort zone.
• The bottom-up approach starting with example networks and sample protocols and services is an accessible introduction not found in many other courses.

Dislike

• Though computer communication is a complex topic, I think the learning rate of 3 hours/week could be increased. This would allow students to move more quickly through the course together.
• Coursera’s subscription model can be frustrating for those who want to make a one-time purchase, though the subscription is useful because it also incentivizes you to learn more.

Organization Communication

Best for Organizational Communication

Here is another winner from LinkedIn Learning, aimed at training corporate communication professionals how to use 7 key questions to establish a communication strategy. This is the best course for HR managers and company executives that want to soak up intuitive techniques they can role out in less than 2 hours.

Our rating: 9.3 / 10

Best For: Organizational Communication.

Price: $24.99 as a one-time purchase or $39.99 with a subscription.

Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes, or 2 hours with breaks and reflection.

Skill Focus: Written Expression (formal channels).

Level: Intermediate.

Content

This course is broken down into 4 sections: planning, stakeholders, message, channels, context. It considers 7 questions you should ask yourself across these chapters in order to correctly craft and deliver your message. The content is crisp and brief, as well as thorough.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

While focused on internal communication, this course leverages its principles to inform how executives can improve external communication as well. After all, people are people whether they’re inside your organization or out, so these psychological elements apply to more than just the organization. They serve as a tool for all communication, making this one of the few courses on our list that targets a specific professional skill and has the added benefit of improving your personal life as well.

Course Duration

Organizational Communication has a runtime of 1 hour 15 minutes, but it will be closer to 2 hours once you factor in breaks and reflection.

Price

This course is available for $24.99 as a one time purchase and as part of the LinkedIn Learning subscription for $39.99.

Flexibility

This course is 100% flexible, like all courses on LinkedIn Learning.

Platform Concerns

There are few downsides to the LinkedIn Learning platform. When you have a subscription, you get access to thousands of courses, most of which require only a few hours to teach a clear and actionable skill. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• Well structured course tackles organizational communication is an intuitive and actionable way.
• 5 chapter quizzes and 2 project files help to drive home the messages.
• Continued learning credits are available for the NASBA.

Dislike

• While its short duration is useful for busy professionals, I think this course would be better if it were twice as long. For example, in the stakeholders section, the instructor could dedicate more time to addressing different departmental stakeholders, such as finance and product development.
• A final exam would be useful to drive home many of the information discussed.

Expanding Your Influence: Understanding the Psychology of Persuasion

Best Communication Psychology Course

Communication always involves psychology in one way or another, but looking at it through the lens of clinical psychology sheds light on ways to get positive results in your persuasive efforts. This course addresses a small set of skills you need to win people over, from body language to leaving a good first impression. It’s the only course on our list that requires you presence at a specific time with instructors from the American Management Association.

Our rating: 9.3 / 10

Best For: Communication Course Using Psychology.

Price: $2,695 for non-members ($2,395 otherwise).

Duration: 16 hours over two days.

Skill Focus: Oral Expression.

Level: Intermediate.

Content

This course consists of two sessions covering 10 topics and culminates in a checklist that you can use to prepare for any persuasive encounter. Here is a list of the contents as described by AMA:

• Understanding the psychology behind the laws of persuasion
• Appealing to human nature and fulfilling emotional needs
• Recognizing the implications of unethical approaches to influencing people
• Achieving a positive first impression 
• Defining the two paths of persuasion: conscious and subconscious
• Understanding the laws of expectations, esteem, connectivity and social validation
• Selecting, customizing and applying the appropriate law of persuasion to any given situation
• Balancing emotions and logic
• Using the Pre-Persuasion Checklist to determine the appropriate law(s)
• Applying the laws of persuasion back on the job

Key Features & Unique Advantages

Expanding Your Influence is the only course on our list with presence required at a specified time (you can video call), which has the added benefit of an engaging learning environment. The AMA is a world class teaching association, so if the psychology angle interests you, consider going with this course.

Course Duration

The course lasts a total of 16 hours over two days.

Price

This course is the most expensive on our list, coming in at $2,695 for non-members ($2,395 for AMA members).

Flexibility

This course is NOT flexible. You must register for a date and be present virtually or physically at that time.

Platform Concerns

The American Management Association is a well respected and competent teaching organization. That said, they are not an e-Learning platform like others on our list because they do not provide 1,000s of courses you can learn at your own pace. You don’t need to subscribe, but I would not recommend going with AMA as a long-term solution for continued learning. This Psychology course is the exception.

See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• In-person environment makes the course highly engaging.
• Instructors have many years of experience teaching these skills.

Dislike

• The price is high for virtual attendees. That said, you pay for having an instructor engaging with you in real time.

Communication Skills for Engineers Specialization

Best for Engineers

Engineers, like many STEM majors, get a bad rep when it comes to communication. Moreover, communicating complex topics to boost efficiency and ensure clarity across stakeholders are important. That’s why Rice University developed this course — to give Engineers an upper hand over the competition by equipping themselves with strong oral and written expression.

Our rating: 9.2 / 10

Best For: Engineers.

Price: $49/month subscription.

Duration: 80 hours total.

Skill Focus: Oral & Written Expression.

Level: Intermediate.

Content

This specialization is composed of 3 courses broken down by medium of expression: oral, interpersonal, and writing. It takes inspiration from Rice’s Certificates in Engineering Leadership–one of few accredited programs of its kind–and aims at producing strong persuaders in the Engineering profession.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

The applied learning project in this course uses self-assessments performed on a weekly basis that culminate in a Personal Communication Improvement Plan. Beyond what you learn in the course, this project lives on as a personal asset for you. You can come back to it at any time to continuously develop.

Course Duration

Communication Skills for Engineers Specialization lasts about 4 months at a rate of 5 hours per week, totaling 80 hours.

Price

Coursera’s specializations unfortunately cannot be purchased individually. You can access this course by subscribing to Coursera for $49/month, which you can also use to access the other courses on this list or investigate new topics.

Flexibility

You can take this course according to your schedule, so its technically 100% flexible. That said, Coursera’s specializations use cohorts of several students at one time, which helps with accountability and reinforces concepts through discussions and feedback.

Platform Concerns

Coursera is a leading e-Learning platform, so it has all the common perks such as flexible scheduling and top tier user interface. The primary downside is a lack of economic flexibility because you can only access specialization courses through a subscription. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• The applied learning project is a great way to continue improving once you complete the course.
• The medium-driven structure helps the student acquire skills in a packaged, sequential order.

Dislike

• The attachment to Engineering “design” mentality flows through the communication curriculum, which can hamper the spontaneity skills often required in oral communication. The easy way around this is to practice the skills without planning.

Data Communication Concepts

Best for Data Communication

This course is the only one from DataCamp on our list because the platform usually handles data courses. But a huge part of data analytics is communicating results. As the saying goes, “we don’t do data for data.” This course provides a clear framework for communicating the results of an analysis once completed, and it’s lead by a data analyst and curriculum manager. It’s the best option for data professionals who want improve their impact.

Our rating: 9.2 / 10

Best For: Data Communication.

Price: $25/month subscription.

Duration: 3 hours.

Skill Focus: Oral & Written Expression.

Level: Beginner (requires knowledge of data analytics).

Content

Data Communication Concepts consists of four chapters: Storytelling with Data, Preparing to Communicate the Data, Structuring Written Reports, and Building Compelling Oral Presentations. The focus is on avoiding common pitfalls when communicating data and providing best practices for speaking and writing about data analysis results. Though it is a short course, its curriculum treats the post-processing workflow thoroughly. That said, if you’re looking for a course that discusses performing the analysis itself with the aim of communicating thereafter, this course may not be for you.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

This is the only course on our list from DataCamp. The distinct advantage of DataCamp is that its leadership consists of seasoned data professionals who understand data communication from practice, which means they use the language data professionals are familiar with and are sensitive to the different profiles (i.e audience) you will pitch to.

Course Duration

Data Communication Concepts lasts 3 hours end to end, but we recommend rounding up the expectation to 3 hours and 30 minutes given the need for pauses and reflection.

Price

This course is accessible through DataCamp’s subscription, which is one of the more affordable options on our list at only $25/month.

Flexibility

This course is 100% flexible — you can consume it at your own pace.

Platform Concerns

As a platform, DataCamp is top tier. That said, given that its focus is not general business or communication, it’s unlikely you will fully leverage the subscription. This means you have two options: (1) subscribe for the duration of the course, then cancel (you will probably finish this course in less than a month, so you can get it for $39 rather than the $25/month subscription, billed annually), or (2) go with our second recommendation for data communication course, Data Visualization: Storytelling, available for one-off purchase or via the LinkedIn Learning subscription.

See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• The simple approach through DataCamp’s awesome interface makes the course enjoyable to consume.
• Communication lessons from data professionals provide a sensitivity to audience and stakeholders that other platforms sometimes lack.
• The first chapter is free, which allows you to explore the course before purchasing.

Dislike

• To purchase this course alone, you’ll have to subscribe for the monthly package at $25, then cancel. This is a bit pricey for a data communication course lasting 3 hours, but not absurd.
• DataCamp does not have a strong presence of communication courses outside this one, so an annually billed subscription ($25/month) may not be relevant unless you want to invest in learning data skills. A superior long term e-Learning subscription would be LinkedIn Learning or COursera.

Communication Skills for Beginners

Best for Oral Expression for Beginners

This course from TJ Walker highlights many of the skills that young professionals often spend several painful years acquiring. It targets people with 2 years or less of professional experience and leverage tried and tested formats and concepts. The lessons here are foundational, so even those with some experience can benefit from revisiting them.

Our rating: 9.2 / 10

Best For: Beginners to Improve Oral Expression.

Price: $129.99 (often discounted to $24.99).

Duration: 35 hours.

Skill Focus: Oral Expression.

Level: Beginner.

Content

Communication Skills for Beginners consists of 10 sections and 60 total lessons. The course sections start with “Beginning Communication Skills Mastery Right Now,” then bridge into “Testing and Refining Your Communication Skills,” and finished with “Conclusion — You Now Have Fundamental Communication Skills.”

After those 3 courses there are 47 others to push your understanding further. You get the gist of the course from these titles–it teaches you skills for all facets of your life, making it broadly thorough. However, the breadth of curriculum also means it lacks depth on specific topics (i.e Public Relations).

Key Features & Unique Advantages

TJ Walker, the courses instructor, is a bestselling author and recognized leader in this space. The curriculum is oriented in a way that makes it accessible and memorable.

Course Duration

The description says you can learn “communication skills basics in less than 45 minutes,” which consist of the first three sections. However, there is a total of 31 hours of course materials listed in the other 47 sections.

Price

The normal price for this course is $129.99, though it is often at a discount of 80%, coming out to $24.99.

Flexibility

This course is 100% flexible. You learn at your own pace.

Platform Concerns

Udemy is a leading online learning platform, with all of the essential user experience and customer service qualities you would expect. However, Udemy does not have a subscription feature (though one is in Beta as of December 2022), which makes it less attractive to students who want a long term platform for all their continued learning needs. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• Attractive, engaging course material.
• World-class instructor.
• Short core curriculum followed by >10x that amount in additional material.

Dislike

• The lack of a subscription model on Udemy can make it unattractive for some students.
• This course does not niche down to specific professional scenarios such as Public Relations, so it may not be appropriate for your needs.

Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health

Best for Doctors and Nurses (Practitioners)

There are just under 1 million active physicians in the United States², but communication coursework specialized in assisting them is limited. This course from the University of Michigan hosted through Coursera is on of the few geared towards helping physicians communicate clinical knowledge to non-specialized persons–i.e, their patients.

Our rating: 9.1 / 10

Best For: Doctors and Nurses (Practitioners).

Price: $49/month subscription.

Duration: 15 hours.

Skill Focus: Oral & Written Expression.

Level: Intermediate.

Content

Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health is a four week course broken down into sections on knowing your audience, clear takeaway messages, the use of plain language, and using narratives. It uses 31 videos 16 quizzes to ensure you internalize the skills discussed.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

This course is part of the online Master’s in Public Health degree offered by the University of Michigan, which means that if you’re not already an MD (for example, a nurse) you can use it to begin taking steps towards getting a Masters degree online.

Course Duration

This course requires approximately 15 hours of commitment.

Price

You can purchase this course for $49 outright, or go with a Coursera subscription at $49/month.

Flexibility

Like all Coursera courses, you will take this course with a cohort of peers, reinforcing accountability and helping you retain what you learn. You are not obligated to follow to cohort and can opt for a 100% fully flexible schedule, but you may be missing out on additional value.

Platform Concerns

Given Coursera’s position as a leading e-Learning platform, there are no major concerns. This course is not part of a specialization, so you’re not restricted to the subscription model. Some users may not like the “university” approach the platform uses, but this course is exceptional in that its materials are highly accessible and actionable. I would recommend purchasing it outright if you are not a fan of “schoolwork” and don’t imagine leveraging other courses at a later date. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• One of few communication courses directed at practitioners.
• The time commitment is manageable even for working doctors and nurses because you can finish in one month.

Dislike

• The subscription model is probably not ideal for students who have a bad taste in their mouth from school-style learning, so they should opt for the one-time purchase.

The Ultimate Public Relations Masterclass

Best for Public Relations

For public relations professionals, communication is a way of life. It’s all about the optics. This course via Udemy provides an introduction to the field and is ideal for students joining the PR profession for the first time (either through a career change or going into an entry-level job). It’s also a great choice for those who are interested in PR but want to learn more about it before jumping in.

Our rating: 9.1 / 10

Best For: Public Relations.

Price: $29.99, often discounted to $17.99.

Duration: 2 hours 45 minutes.

Skill Focus: Oral and Written Expression and Comprehension.

Level: Beginner.

Content

This course consists of 13 sections and 51 lessons leveraging videos, quizzes, and tests. It begins with an introduction to the profession that provides examples you might not usually consider part of PR, then bridges into strategies and tactics before finishing on ethical and legal considerations, as well as how to make the most of your career. It does a good job covering all aspects of the field and is decidedly thorough, covering even crisis management.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

Beyond the curriculum itself, you will also receive a a shortlist of the 50 top tools for PR professionals once you complete the course. In addition, this course has a social arm; 20% of the proceeds will go to supporting entrepreneurs in Africa via Africa GiveDirectly.

Course Duration

This course lasts officially 2 hours and 45 minutes. That said, you should expect to complete it in just over three hours after breaks and reflection.

Price

The Ultimate Public Relations MasterClass is priced at $29.99, and it is often discounted to $17.99.

Flexibility

This course is 100% flexible. Learn on your time and at your own pace.

Platform Concerns

Udemy is a leading online learning platform, with all of the essential user experience and customer service qualities you would expect. The downside is that it does not have a subscription model in place (though one is in beta as of December 2022), which means it’s not the best solution for those who want a long-term e-Learning platform. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• I like that this course explores PR thoroughly but in an accessible way. It addresses topics from research & planning to crisis communication.
• The social arm allows you to indirectly contribute to a good cause supporting African entrepreneurs, simply by purchasing the course.

Dislike

• Udemy’s lack of a subscription model can be frustrating for those who are interested in the course but also want to invest in a long-term e-Learning platform.
• Public relations is a niche field in communication. That said, this course could do a better job of investigating general communication principles like psychology theory.

Integrated Marketing Communications: Advertising, Public Relations, Digital Marketing and more

Best for External Corporate Communication (Advertising, PR, Marketing)

Communication professional often classify Marketing and Public Relations as distinctly different: one handles selling activities to customers and the other handles corporate image. This course shows how to “integrate” them, along with Advertising, to further an organizations goals using integrated marketing campaigns.

Our rating: 9.0 / 10

Best For: External Corporate Communication.

Price: $49/month subscription.

Duration: 11 hours.

Skill Focus: Oral and Written Comprehension and Expression.

Level: Beginner.

Content

This course consists of four sessions broken down over four weeks, starting with an introduction and finishing with new technologies and trends available to campaign managers. It provides a strong conceptual basis. However, it does not prvide much detail on individual-contributor skills such as SEO and social media marketing.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

This is one of few courses that treat PR, Marketing, and Advertising as three facets of a corporate communication campaign, since they normally are separate and distinct. In addition, it teaches four elements of the marketing mix model that are highly applicable: (1) product, (2) pricing, (3) place, and (4) promotion.

Course Duration

This course requires approximately 11 hours to complete.

Price

Integrated Marketing Communications costs $49/month through Coursera’s subscription. As a course within a “specialization,” you cannot purchase it with a single payment.

Flexibility

As with most courses on Coursera, you can opt into a 100% flexible model where you set your own schedule. That said, you can also complete the course with a cohort of peers, which will require you maintain the same schedule.

Platform Concerns

Coursera is a leading e-Learning platform that’s backed by universities and well funded, so it claims all of the most important elements of a modern platform. The one downside is the inability to purchase courses like this one with a one-time payment.

See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• One of few courses that discuss high-level strategy and campaign management across Advertising, Marketing, and PR–the so-called “integrated” model.
• The course integrates interviews with experts in the field, which helps you put your theoretical learning into practice.

Dislike

• The course could invest more curriculum into teaching individual-contributor skills like SEO and social media marketing.
• The course cannot be purchased individually, which can be frustrating for learners who prefer to abstain from subscriptions. That said, the simple workaround is to cancel your subscription once you complete the course. Because it only lasts 4 weeks, you can get it for only $49–the equivalent of buying outright.

Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills

Best for Negotiating a Salary Increase

This course from the U of Michigan is taught by a professor at the school of business, George Siedel, who worked as an attorney before becoming a professor, which means he has both industry and academic experience. The course uses a standard 4-part model: Prepare, Negotiate, Close, Perform & Evaluation. This model emphasizes the importance of preparation as a key factor in success, whereas most students conceptualize negotiation only as the points made while they are in the room “gunfighting.”

Our rating: 8.9 / 10

Best For: Negotiating Your Salary.

Price: $49 one-time or $49/month subscription.

Duration: 17 hours.

Skill Focus: Oral Expression and Comprehension.

Level: Beginner.

Content

This is a seven (7) week course with 42 videos, 30 reading assignments, and 4 quizzes. It uses the four-part negotiation model as described above to guide your through the theory and examples behind successful negotiation. It’s more thorough than Win WorkPlace Negotiations (opens in new tab), but is slightly more theoretical.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

This course encourages actively practicing the skills you learn with peers in the course and outside and dedicates an entire module to doing just that. This is its advantage over other negotiation courses, which you typically do not take with peers and therefore will have a harder time internalizing the techniques taught.

Course Duration

This course lasts a total of 17 hours, typically taken over 7 weeks at a rate of 2.5 hours/week.

Price

You can purchase this course outright for $49 or subscribe to Coursera for $49/month.

Flexibility

While you can choose to opt for a 100% flexible schedule in which you set your own deadlines, it is highly encouraged (by me, that is) to stick with the schedule of your classmates so you can practice your skills with them. Peer learning is extremely important for negotiation.

Platform Concerns

Coursera is a leading online learning platform. Given that you can purchase this course or subscribe, there are few limitations. That said, Coursera materials tend to be on the longer side, so if you’re looking for quick courses to acquire skills, consider going with another platform like LinkedIn Learning. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• Mix of theory and practical application with peers is a huge plus.
• Ability to purchase outright or subscribe to Coursera for the same price.

Dislike

• This course could be shorter and still drive the same value.
• The lectures can drag on at times, so you may want to consider skipping some content if you are not a total beginner.
• The course is used in large part as advertising for the accompanying book, which can feel salesy.

Leadership Communication for Maximum Impact: Storytelling

Best for Leadership

Though titled Leadership Communication, this course looks at directorship through the lens of branding and makes the claim that brands are the real form of leadership. It uses examples of popular brands and dissects what makes them so successful so that you can copy the best practices and produce results–either for your personal brand or for your organization’s.

Our rating: 8.9 / 10

Best For: Leadership Communication.

Price: $49/month subscription.

Duration: 4 hours.

Skill Focus: Oral & Written Expression.

Level: Beginner.

Content

This is a four week course that focuses on branding and storytelling. More specifically, the first week discusses branding, and the remaining three weeks look storytelling in the context of (1) crises and (2) innovation.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

Since this course is part of Northwester’s Organizational Leadership Specialization, you have the opportunity to get a head start on a broader leadership training by subscribing for this course and following through on the full specialization.

Course Duration

This course lasts a total of 4 hours, usually consumed at a rate of 1 hour per week.

Price

Because it is part of a specialization, you can only purchase this course via a subscription to Coursera for $49/month.

Flexibility

This course is available for 100% flexibility, but many students may find it useful to align their schedule with the peer cohort in order to maximize their return on investment.

Platform Concerns

Coursera is a leading e-Learning platform with all the perks and benefits of a leading organization. That said, it focuses on making university coursework available to the masses. The major downside is that some courses, like this one, are only available through a subscription and not through one-time purchase. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• Unlike many Coursera courses, this one is a good mixture of depth and breadth without requiring too much time commitment (4 hours).
• The brand/leadership angle is unique and poignant–something you are not likely to find in other similar courses.
• Focus is practical knowledge.

Dislike

• Not available for individual purpose.
• The instructors can come off “dry.”
• Compared to other courses in the specialization, this one feels like an assemblage of “tips” rather than a framework-oriented lesson.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills at Work

Best for Understanding Your Communication Style

Though it might seem like an obvious place to start, few courses on our list emphasize identifying one’s personal communication style. This course from FutureLearn does just that. After personal style, the focus of this course is leveraging digital tools to communicate in the workplace.

Our rating: 8.9 / 10

Best For: Understanding Your Communication Style.

Price: $44.00, or $27.99 with a subscription.

Duration: 4 hours.

Skill Focus: Written Expression.

Level: Beginner.

Content

This course focuses on three axes: (1) using tone of voice and other spoken skills, (2) leveraging digital tools, and (3) understanding your style. It has peer-learning opportunities and takes testimonials from industry leaders to guide your understanding of the process.

Key Features & Unique Advantages

This course is one of few on our list that focuses on helping you define your style, strengths and weaknesses, and how to move forward and improve. The course is reputed for being highly applicable to daily communication.

Course Duration

This course requires approximately 4 hours in total commitment, consumed at 2 hours per week over two weeks.

Price

Communication and Interpersonal Skills at Work is priced at $44 outright, or at $27.99 with a subscription to FutureLearn.

Flexibility

This course is 100% flexible; however, students should consider committing to a fixed schedule so they can learn alongside peers and maximize their takeaway.

Platform Concerns

FutureLearn is the UK’s answer to American platforms like Coursera and Udemy. It has a strong base of courses driven by UK universities and institutions. This course, for example, is led by the University of Leeds. Its curriculum types consist of Short Course, Expert Track, Microcredentials, Online Degree. See the platform comparative table here.

What I like and Dislike

Like

• Focus on learning a personal style is highly valuable and uncommon.
• The material is applicable, relevant, and engaging.

Dislike

• Strangely, when you buy the course outright you can get a printable certificate. However, with a subscription the certificate is digital only.
• The FutureLearn catalog is less developed than its competitors, meaning a subscription to FutureLearn may not be as valuable as other platforms.

Best Platforms for Communication Courses (Comparison)

What’s strange about the communication course offering is how few platforms support it. PluralSight and Udacity–two leading IT skills platforms–don’t have much or any communication content of merit.

Instead, the best platforms for comm courses are Coursera, FutureLearn, LinkedIn Learning, edX, AMA, Udemy, MasterClass, and DataCamp. Let’s look at a comparison below.

Platform Comparison Table

Criteria	Coursera	FutureLearn	LinkedIn Learning	edX	American Management Association	Udemy	MasterClass	DataCamp
Pricing Model	One-time fee (select courses) Subscription	One-time fee Subscription	One-time fee (select courses) Subscription	One-time fee	One-time fee, reduced rate for AMA members	One-time fee	Subscription	Subscription
Subscription Price	$49/month	$27.99	$39.99	–	–	–	$180/year	$25/month
Average Course Price	$49	$45	$39.99	$150	$2,000+	$70	–	–
Size of Library	3,000+	1,300+	16,000+	3,842	660+	213,000+	180+	390+
Course Producers	Universities	Universities	Platform Instructors	Universities	Platform Instructors	Platform Instructors	Celebrities	Platform Instructors
Average Duration	Weeks	Hours	Hours	Weeks	Days	Hours	Weeks	Hours
Flexibility	100% Flexible or Cohort Learning	100% Flexible or Cohort Learning	100% Flexible	100% Flexible	Fixed sessions	100% Flexible	100% Flexible	100% Flexible
Certificate	Completion Degrees Available	Completion	Completion	Professional Certificates Degrees Available	Completion	Completion	None	Professional Certificates

Communication Course Requirements

We will use these requirements to evaluate each course on this list.

• Relevance. The most important requirement of the communication course you choose — perhaps without saying — is its relevance to your situation. If you’re a beginner like many of AnalystAnswers.com’s readers, then Interpersonal Communication is likely a better choice than Organizational Communication.
• Thorough Course Contents. A course may be short or long, but it should address the topic at hand thoroughly. This is one of the key ranking factors for our list.
• Any Unique Differentiators. For example, MasterClass’s Win Workplace Negotiations is led by former FBI negotiator Chris Voss. Not many courses can claim instructor credentials like his.
• Schedule Flexibility. “100% flexible” is not always the best choice. Some platforms provide learn-at-your-own-pace formats, but the better idea is to opt in for learning with a cohort. Communication is best practiced with others.
• Course Duration. The duration of a course matters, and longer does not always mean better. Some people may have young children and a busy job that prevent them from committing to long hours of study. That’s where platforms like LinkedIn Learning come into play.
• Price. The advantage of online courses is that they are typically much more affordable than degrees, but pricing can still vary. More importantly, you’ll need to make a decision about subscribing to a service or buying a one-time fee course. That decision requires you consider your long term learning goals, as well as your willingness to follow through.
• Sample Course Syllabus. We cover the major components of each course under the “Content” headers for each course to give you a taste of what to expect without having to do extensive research.
• Certificate of Completion. The elephant in the room. Don’t shoot the messenger, but certificates from online courses simply do not carry enough weight to be a serious decision making factor. The value of online learning is skill acquisition that can help you advance in your career (or switch careers, or land your first job).

Speaking of certificates within online learning, there’s an important point you should consider: brand equity for e-Learning certificates is a moot point.

A Note on Live Online Courses through Tier 1 Schools like Harvard and Cornell

Several tier 1 schools offer live online communication courses often in the price range of $2,000+ (and pending acceptance to the course). It’s almost too natural to associate these schools with higher earnings and open your wallet on a hunch.

But here’s the turth: the famous brand-equity-pay-raises apply to degrees, not online courses.

Even if you could extract the brand value to a single course (assuming an MBA is the sum of its parts, and that recruiters see it that way), the result would be minimal ROI. For example, imagine a typical MBA consisting of 12 courses that results in a 20% pay raise³. With 1 communication course, you theoretically extract 1/12 of the value, or an effective 1.67% raise. Even if you make $150k/year, the theoretical raise ($2.5k) is only just north of the course price. And most yearly raises will bring you 3-4% anyway.

If money is your goal, consider getting another degree instead.

The real value in continued learning online lies in the skills themselves, and pioneering online learning platforms are built to deliver that value. We see the education world evolving in this direction, evidenced by pressure on MBA professors to show their relevance⁴.

I compiled this list to focus on courses that deliver practical skills at prices that will provide a return on investment, getting you the most bang for your buck.

Communication Course Concepts

As you read through the list below, consider these common concepts:

• Communication is about listening first and speaking second.
• Know your audience (context).
• Emotional Intelligence is another word for knowing your audience.
• Confidence, even if pretend, generates trust.
• The five Ws (who, what, when, where, and why) are the best way to construct a message.

Course Comparative Table

Here is a simple data table you can use to quickly compare the elements of each course on our list.

Title	Stars	Best For	Platform	University	Focus	Category	Level	Flexibility	Length (apprx. hours)	Original Price	Discount Price	Subscription (Monthly)	Continuing Education Units
Interpersonal Communication	9.5	Best Overall/Best on LinkedIn	LinkedIn Learning	Platform Instructors	Oral & Written Expression	Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace	Beginner	100% Flexible	1:00	$         39.99	$            –	$        39.99	Yes
Professional Certificate in Communication Skills	9.4	Best for Professionals	edX	Rochester Institute of Technology	Oral Expression	Presenting	Intermediate	100% Flexible	45:00	$       597.00	$    537.30	Not available for individuals	No
Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization	9.4	Best on Coursera	Coursera	University of Colorado Boulder	Oral Expression	Business Communication	Beginner	Self-defined but preset schedule	80:00	–	–	$        49.00	No
Business Communications	9.4	Best on edX	edX	University of British Columbia	All	Business Communication	Beginner	100% Flexible	24:00	$       150.00	$            –	Not available for individuals	No
Win WorkPlace Negotiations	9.5	Best for Negotiation	MasterClass	Platform Instructors	Oral Expression and Comprehension	Negotiation	Beginner	100% Flexible	10:00	$               –	$            –	$        15.00	No
Computer Communications Specialization	9.3	Best for Computer Communication	Coursera	University of Colorado	None	Computer Communications	Intermediate	Self-defined but preset schedule	60:00	$               –	$            –	$        49.00	No
Organization Communication	9.3	Best for Organizational Communication Style	LinkedIn Learning	Platform Instructors	Written Expression	Oranizational Communication	Intermediate	100% Flexible	01:25	$         24.99	$            –	$        39.99	Yes
Expanding Your Influence: Understanding the Psychology of Persuasion	9.3	Best Communication Psychology Course	American Management Association	Platform Instructors	Oral Expression	Communication Psyschology	Intermediate	Fixed Live Lessons	16:00	$    2,659.00	$ 2,395.00	Not available for individuals	Yes
Communication Skills for Engineers Specialization	9.2	Best for Engineers	Coursera	Rice University	Oral & Written Expression	Communication for Engineers	Intermediate	Self-defined but preset schedule	80:00	$               –	$            –	$        49.00	No
Data Communication Concepts	9.2	Best for Data Communication	DataCamp	Platform Instructors	Oral & Written Expression	Data Communications	Beginner	100% Flexible	03:00	$               –	$            –	$        12.42	No
Communication Skills for Beginners	9.2	Best for Beginner Oral Expression	Udemy	Platform Instructors	Oral Expression	General Communication	Beginner	100% Flexible	35:00	$       129.99	$      24.99	Not available	No
Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health	9.1	Best for Doctors and Nurses	Coursera	University of Michigan	Oral & Written Expression	Communication for Practitioners	Intermediate	Self-defined but preset schedule	15:00	$         49.00	$            –	$        49.00	No
The Ultimate Public Relations Masterclass	9.1	Best for Public Relations	Udemy	Platform Instructors	All	Public relations	Beginner	100% Flexible	02:45	$         29.99	$      17.99	Not available for individuals	No
Integrated Marketing Communications: Advertising, Public Relations, Digital Marketing and more	9.0	Best for External Corporate Communications	Coursera	ie Business School	All	Marketing Communications	Beginner	Self-defined but preset schedule	11:00	$               –	$            –	$        49.00	No
Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills	8.9	Best for Negotiating Salary Increase	Coursera	University of Michigan	Oral Expression and Comprehension	Negotiation	Beginner	Self-defined but preset schedule	17:00	$         49.00	$            –	$        49.00	No
Leadership Communication for Maximum Impact: Storytelling	8.9	Best for Leadership	Coursera	Northwestern	Oral & Written Expression	Marketing Communicaiton	Beginner	Self-defined but preset schedule	4:00	$               –	$            –	$        49.00	No
Communication and Interpersonal Skills at Work	8.9	Best for Understanding Your Communication Style	FutureLearn	University of Leeds	Written Expression	Business Communication	Beginner	Self-defined but preset schedule	4:00	$         44.00	$            –	$        27.99	No

Communication Course Categories

As shown in our article above, communication courses can be broken down into the following mediums and categories. Knowing this will help you identify which is most relevant for you.

Breakdown by Medium of Communication

• Speaking (Oral Expression)
• Writing (Written Expression)
• Presenting (Oral Expression)

Major Categories of Communication Courses

• Business Communication (Formal Communication for Working Professionals)
• Interpersonal Communication (Informal Communication with Team Members)
• Negotiation
• Computer Communications
• Organizational Communication
• Communication Psychology
• Communication for Engineering
• Data Communications
• Communication for Practitioners (Doctors, Nurses)
• Public Relations
• Marketing Communication
• Leadership Communications (Managers, Executives)

Top 10 Colleges for Communications

If you’ve taken some of the courses on our list above but feel like you want to go further, you may also want to consider getting a degree in communication.

For reference, the table below shows the top 10 universities for communication. While all programs are different, these schools have a strong track record for educating and placing top tier communication professionals.

College	No. Undergrad Students (Fall 2021)	Tuition and Fees	Rank
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	4,638	$57,986	1
Stanford University	7,645	$56,169	2
University of Pennsylvania	9,962	$63,452	3
Northwestern University	8,494	$63,468	4
Brown University	7,349	$65,146	5
Vanderbilt University	7,111	$60,348	6
Cornell University	15,503	$63,200	7
University of California, Berkeley	32,143	$43,980 (out-of-state)	8
University of California, Los Angeles	32,119	$44,830 (out-of-state)	9
Emory University	7,130	$57,948	10

Conclusion

If you’re interested to learning data or finance in addition to you communication skills, check out the AnalystAnswer.com homepage, or download our free Intro to Data Analysis eBook.

1. GMAC Report, Page 15 [↩]
2. AAMC [↩]
3. GMAC Report [↩]
4. FT Article [↩]