Standalone Editing and Writing Courses
Gain a competitive edge by building skills that require attention to detail and specialized knowledge.
In-Demand Skills That Set You Apart
These Standalone courses provide tailored learning paths that cater to a variety of specific skills. They offer professional development in response to the evolving skill requirements in the job market and address the need to encompass a wider spectrum of competencies. They also help you stay relevant and grow skills to work across sectors and roles.
You can take one or more of these focused courses alongside our certificate programs—in Editing or Medical Writing and Editing Training—or on their own.
Fill out an enrollment form, take a course, and receive all the benefits.
Featured Courses
Working with Authors
| Course Dates | August 12–September 23, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Live Sessions | Wednesday evenings from 7:00–8:30 p.m. |
| Investment | $1,500 special rates available |
Learn strategies for building author relationships, managing editorial projects, and retaining and attracting clients. Thrive in the competitive field of editing.
With real-world examples and practical exercises, you’ll learn how to navigate common challenges in author-editor relationships, such as:
- Setting clear boundaries.
- Addressing concerns with diplomacy.
- Developing a strong foundation in both communication and business practices.
- Managing projects efficiently.
- Fostering trust with clients.
This specialized course helps editors build a framework for working with authors, balancing the interpersonal skills needed to foster strong collaborations with the strategic and logistical aspects of editing.
We’ll cover key topics such as:
- Establishing clear communication.
- Setting expectations.
- Handling project management challenges.
- Developing business practices to support long-term success.
Whether you're a freelance editor or working in-house, this course will help you refine the skills needed to build productive, professional relationships with authors.
Freelancing in Medical Writing and Editing
| Course Dates | August 24–October 7, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Live Sessions | Wednesday evenings from 6:00–7:00 p.m. |
| Investment | $1,490 special rates available |
This course covers best practices for freelancers and gives you the knowledge and tools to avoid common mistakes. You will create a vision for your business, determine what “success” means to you, and develop detailed plans for running the business and marketing your services to clients.
This specialized course is highly practical and uniquely transparent about important dos and don’ts. The first half focuses on setting up a freelance business while the second half focuses on running it successfully during the first two years. Students gain access to information rarely shared publicly, including best practices, tools, and guidance that helps them avoid common pitfalls.
You will:
- Determine whether freelancing is the right fit.
- Understand the basics of starting and operating a freelance writing or editing business.
- Learn how and why to specialize within medical communications or editing.
- Assess income goals and earning potential.
- Navigate the financial obligations of small-business ownership, including taxes and bookkeeping.
- Develop marketing strategies and a plan for promoting services.
- Measure success and create a road map for the future of your business.
- Incorporate AI tools.
You will also engage with seasoned medical writers and editors who have run highly reputable and successful freelance businesses for more than ten years. They offer strong assessment, coaching, and support throughout the course.
Join a Distinguished Editing Community with Experienced Instructors
Become part of an extensive network of editors, writers, and industry professionals. There are opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and professional growth. Our instructors are active practitioners with long-standing careers and understand the technical and professional demands of the industry, which helps them foster in-demand career development. You will also earn a credential certified by UChicago after successfully completing a course.
Additional Standalone Courses
Fact-Checking for Editors
| Course Dates | TBD |
|---|---|
| Live Sessions | TBD |
| Investment | $1,490 special rates available |
Learn how to verify data, names, places, and statistics to ensure the accuracy of manuscripts and the veracity of claims made by authors.
In an age when so many writers rely on secondary or tertiary sources, unverified websites, and artificial intelligence to help create manuscripts, it is more important than ever for editors to ensure that texts are accurate.
This course will teach you:
- How to differentiate reliable and unreliable sources.
- Which editorial points should be verified.
- How to identify common errors in facts, data, and statistics.
- A wealth of other editing and business skills.
You will dig deeper into the details to ensure the facts are correctly stated and referenced. This will further your editing abilities and help you build a reputation as an in-demand editor.
Let us know you’re interested, and we’ll keep you informed when the course is offered again.
Editing for Legal Professionals
| Course Dates | TBD |
|---|---|
| Live Sessions | TBD |
| Investment | $1,490 special rates available |
Sharpen your editorial precision in this specialized course designed to elevate the clarity, impact, and persuasiveness of legal writing. Learn advanced editing techniques tailored to legal documents including briefs, contracts, and correspondence.
Strong writing is the foundation of effective legal advocacy. This course equips lawyers and other legal professionals with the tools to refine their writing through hands-on exercises and expert feedback.
You will master:
- The art of eliminating redundancies.
- Structuring arguments logically.
- Using plain language to enhance readability.
- Identifying and resolving common writing flaws.
- Streamlining complex language.
- Adapting your edits to suit different legal audiences and contexts.
Through hands-on practice and expert feedback, you will build skills that strengthen your work across briefs, memos, contracts, and beyond, enhancing both communication and professional credibility.
Let us know you’re interested, and we’ll keep you informed when the course is offered again.
MEDLINE and Beyond: Medical Research Databases
| Course Dates | TBD |
|---|---|
| Live Sessions | TBD |
| Investment | $1,490 special rates available |
This course is important in developing the research literacy and critical evaluation skills essential for medical writers and editors.
You will be introduced to practical techniques for improving your search skills related to finding trustworthy medical, nursing, and healthcare information online.
This course explores the various ways to craft a MEDLINE search, as well as how to search other free data-rich sites posted by government agencies, professional societies, and other reliable sources. You will also learn how to evaluate the quality and authoritativeness of medical journals and healthcare websites. You will be provided with the tools needed to produce accurate, credible, and high-impact medical communication. This competency is considered foundational to the profession.
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Search PubMed, Google, and other key healthcare websites more effectively.
- Identify reliable, credible, and authoritative information sources.
Let us know you’re interested, and we’ll keep you informed when the course is offered again.
Special Rates
Professional Association Members
Current members of certain professional associations are eligible for a 10 percent tuition reduction.
Alumni Scholarship
If you have already completed a certificate program at UChicago, you are eligible to receive our 20 percent Alumni Scholarship toward this standalone course.
Earn a Credential
After successful completion of a course, you will receive a course badge certified by the University of Chicago to recognize your achievement.
