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University of Cape Town: Communication and Influence in the Digital Age

Learn to engage attention in a media-dense environment and cultivate interpersonal skills through clear, effective communication.

Learn to engage attention in a media-dense environment and cultivate interpersonal skills through clear, effective communication.

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This course is offered by , an edX partner
6 weeks
8–10 hours per week
Starts Mar 3, 2025
Enroll by Mar 9, 2025
Instructor-paced
Instructor-led on a course schedule

Get more information

Want to know more? Enter your information to learn more about this course from GetSmarter (an edX partner).

Get more information

Want to know more? Enter your information to learn more about this course from GetSmarter (an edX partner).

6 weeks
8–10 hours per week
Starts Mar 3, 2025
Enroll by Mar 9, 2025
Instructor-paced
Instructor-led on a course schedule

About this Course

In an increasingly complex global and local environment, where individuals need to cope with rapid change and abundant information, effective communication is crucial. The fast-paced and public nature of digital communication can mean a single misstep can lead to loss of credibility at both a company and an individual level.

The Communication and Influence in the Digital Age online short course from the University of Cape Town (UCT) explores traditional communication skills adapted for today’s connected and technology-driven environment. Led by UCT faculty and subject matter experts, you’ll learn to communicate effectively with your teams, stakeholders, and digital audience to improve trust, clarity, and goodwill.

You’ll learn how to navigate the current communication landscape through critical thinking, persuasion, storytelling, cultural awareness, interpersonal communication, presentation, and crisis management, all integral to manifesting influence and communicating successfully.

This course is aimed at professionals across industries who are looking to build their communication abilities in person and online to meet the needs of an increasingly complex, digitised world. In occupations where effective communication skills are required to engage with a range of stakeholders, this course will help to develop an interpersonal skill set applicable to the current communications landscape. If you’re seeking ways to influence and inspire others, build greater self-awareness and interpersonal skills, and communicate effectively, the course provides a practical roadmap to promote trust, clarity, and goodwill in your professional context.

Relevant to early- and mid-career professionals who need to engage with a wide range of personnel, as well as new or aspiring leaders who need to communicate effectively with teams, you’ll be compelled to assess your interpersonal communication skills and the value of investing in communication as a professional and a leader. No matter what your context, building influence is crucial for reaching your personal and professional goals. This course will help you develop your personal brand and hone your presentation skills in order to cultivate influence and communicate persuasively.

Course curriculum

Skip Course curriculum

Explore persuasive and effective communication strategies as you work through the weekly modules of this online short course.

Orientation module: Welcome to your Online Campus

Module 1: The current communications landscape

Module 2: Critical thinking: Avoiding miscommunication

Module 3: Persuasive communication

Module 4: Communicating with influence: Strategies and techniques

Module 5: Communication as an investment in leadership and ethics

Module 6: Crisis communication and reputation management

About the certificate

Discover the significance of communication for influence development as you earn an official certificate of completion from the University of Cape Town.

Assessment is continuous and based on a series of practical assignments completed online. In order to be issued with a digital certificate, you’ll need to meet the requirements outlined in the course handbook. The handbook will be made available to you as soon as you begin the course.

Your certificate will be issued in your legal name and sent to you digitally upon successful completion of the program, as per the stipulated requirements. Please note, due to additional administrative requirements, at times UCT course certificate delivery may be delayed by several weeks/months.

Some facts about the subject

Communication in times of crisis

“In an ongoing crisis, clear communication is more important and more difficult than when things seem normal. Employees and customers are hungry for information, so we’re tempted to pull together presentations and communicate with urgency instead of with careful planning.”

– Nancy Duarte

Harvard Business Review (May, 2020).

Storytelling

“The ability to create a well-thought-out narrative provides communicators a powerful method of persuasion, motivating audiences to act.”

– Roshni Wijayasinha, Foxquilt

Forbes (Jun, 2020).


Why choose GetSmarter?

GetSmarter, an edX partner, delivers career-relevant, fully supported, and expert-led online courses from the world's leading universities and institutions. As an online learning expert with over 15 years' experience, GetSmarter leverages long-standing expertise in market research, data analysis, and business insights to ensure that you gain the skills critical to career growth.