Professional Writing Program | Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs

The ability to communicate effectively is central to becoming an effective leader and problem solver.

The Writing Program at Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs has three components. First, several of the core curriculum courses—in addition to their substantive topics — are designed to enhance students’ writing skills across a variety of professional contexts. The primary instructors have developed these writing components in collaboration with the director of the Writing Program, creating a coherent and integrated professional writing curriculum within the core. Second, all MPP students are able to meet individually with David Morse, the Writing Program director, who is available to provide detailed feedback on all student writing. Third, the Writing Program offers professional writing classes in both fall and spring semesters that give students ample opportunity to hone their composition and editing skills while introducing them to various genres of policy writing and challenges faced by communicators in the field.

By availing themselves of these Writing Program resources, students will develop the professional writing and communication skills necessary to advance their careers as leaders in global affairs.

The Writing Program courses

To influence others with their writing and shape the policy landscape, policy professionals can craft arguments or stories—or, as is often the case, some combination of both. The Writing Program offers graduate seminars in argumentative writing (fall term) and policy-focused storytelling (spring), each designed to deepen students’ understanding of the forms and expectations of policy writing while sharpening their drafting and editing skills. The fall course emphasizes writing for both internal policy audiences and the broader public, while the spring course focuses on public-facing narrative, with students in both developing work intended to contribute to public conversations about policy and politics. Student writing from these courses has been published in a variety of outlets. For more information on how to enroll, refer to the Yale Course Guide or email Writing Program director David Morse.

Fall: GLBL 5004, Writing Persuasively for Policy and Politics

GLBL 5004 equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to craft persuasive policy arguments. The semester is organized around three major forms of policy writing: the policy memo, the public-facing argumentative essay, and the speech.

For the memo, students choose a policy topic and work through the major stages of policy analysis: defining and framing the problem, identifying and evaluating possible solutions, and developing a persuasive case for recommendations. The assignment is designed to replicate the kinds of analysis and writing students will encounter in professional policy settings.

For the argumentative essay, students learn rhetorical strategies for advocating effectively in the public sphere. They practice integrating rational and emotional appeals while examining the ethical boundaries between persuasion, manipulation, and spin.

For the speech, students analyze notable examples to identify effective rhetorical and oratorical techniques, then craft and deliver a speech tailored to a topic, occasion, and audience of their choice.

Across all three assignments, students learn principles of clarity, concision, revision, and editing; critique the work of their peers; and study selected exemplary texts.

Spring: GLBL 5003, Narrative Storytelling for Policymakers

Human beings are storytellers. We tell stories to impart to the chaos of our lives some order and meaning, or to generate sympathy, or to convince others to understand some version of a particular reality. In this class, students study how the craft of narrative storytelling can be deployed to further improve the public’s understanding of politics and/or a particular policy. Students identify a policy or political topic that holds their interest, conduct their own independent research to learn more about the topic, and write a public-facing feature length narrative intended to introduce the topic to a larger audience, shaping their research into a coherent and compelling story. To learn storytelling techniques—and how they might be applied to a policy context—students study a range of policy-focused narratives, learning how craft can help generate maximum effect.

In addition to craft, students also study the ethical questions raised by storytelling: our lives do not resolve neatly into a story; a story thus is an artificial construct. Therefore, all stories, even those based on a “true” reporting of facts, are, in a certain sense, false, capable of corrupting rather than enlightening the reader’s understanding.

The final written product for the class is a policy-focused narrative of the sort that might be published in outlets such as Harpers, The Atlantic, The Believer, ProPublica, Works in Progress, or the New York Times Magazine.

Writing Program tutorials: FAQs

Who may sign up?

Jackson School graduate students (MPP, MAS, PhD)
Non-Jackson School graduate students who are taking Jackson School graduate classes

What types of writing can I bring to tutorials?

For Jackson School graduate students:

Jackson School graduate students are welcome to make an appointment to discuss any of their writing-related questions for any writing projects, including work for courses taken at the Jackson School or elsewhere at Yale, as well as application materials for jobs, internships, fellowships, or other graduate programs; and writing for miscellaneous other purposes, e.g., volunteer work or personal projects.

For non-Jackson students taking Jackson School graduate seminars:

Only work written for Jackson School graduate seminars will be considered.

Do I need to bring in a finished draft?

Finished drafts are welcome but not necessary: students are encouraged to make an appointment to discuss their work at any stage of the writing process: from brainstorming ideas to outlining to drafting to editing/revising a completed draft. Students can seek holistic guidance for a writing project or come with specific questions related to style, substance, or grammar.

Does the Writing Program offer assistance to international students?

Yes! All international students are welcome, no matter your fluency in English. While David does not provide English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction nor proofread entire papers for grammatical mistakes, he is available to help international students identify particular grammatical or stylistic concerns, as well as to help international students better understand the expectations of academic and professional writing in the U.S.

Are tutorials only for students with inadequate writing skills?

Tutorials are for all students, no matter your perceived skill level. When it comes to writing, there is always room to improve: even talented and/or experienced writers can benefit from guidance to identify unhelpful tendencies or hidden weaknesses, or simply to discuss how to take their writing to the next level.

How do I sign up for an appointment?

All appointments should be scheduled through the Writing Program online appointment calendar. For papers less than 1500 words, sign up for a half-hour appointment; for papers longer than 1500 words, sign up for an hour, or email David ahead of time. Except in unusual circumstances, students are limited to one appointment per week.

How do appointments work? Do I need to send my paper to David prior to my appointment?

When you arrive at your appointment, David will ask you various questions related to your writing project concerning your specific goals and concerns. Then he’ll read your writing (it’s fine to bring something else to work on while you wait). In the final portion of the appointment, David will discuss with you his suggestions for revision and ask follow-up questions.

When you make your appointment, you will have the opportunity to provide an attachment of your paper, or a link to the Google doc. You may also send the document ahead of time by email. However, there’s no requirement to send the document in advance; it’s also fine to bring a printed draft of your paper with you to the appointment.

Students’ work from Jackson Program Writing courses

The final written product for Writing Program classes is a policy-focused narrative of the sort that might be published in major outlets. Read example of student work below.

The friendliest ad you'll ever meet

In a piece first published on the Center for Democracy & Technology website, Yale Jackson MPP candidate Seiyoon Ko examines how advertising inside AI chatbots can turn intimate, ongoing conversations into personalized persuasion, and why labels and existing privacy protections fall short.