professional presentation courses

TED’s Official Public Speaking Course

Master a variety of communication skills with TED’s official public speaking course, now available on YouTube Courses. This course will teach you how to identify, develop and share your best ideas with the world.

YouTube Courses are currently only available in the United States, but YouTube is working on expanding into other regions in 2023.

The proceeds from this course support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission of creating and distributing free, high-quality animations.

Master the art of public speaking

• Craft them into compelling narratives.
• Present so that people want to listen.

Become a better communicator

• Establish a connection with your listeners.
• Give more persuasive presentations.
• Explain complex ideas.

© 2024 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

Best Presentation Skills Training

The ability to present your ideas confidently and persuasively is the single greatest skill you can learn to succeed in a globally competitive world. Here are the best Presentation Skills Training courses to you to help you achieve this.

What Makes an Effective Presentation?

Futurelearn.

On this course, you will have the opportunity to discuss the features of an effective presentation and investigate how to design and develop your own presentation. You will explore effective presentation techniques to help you evaluate and improve your presentation skills.

Course link:  Learn more

Auther: Andrew Preshous

Presenting on Video (with Online Practice)

Virtualspeech.

Learn how to deliver successful video-based presentations on Zoom, Webex and more. Then you have the unique opportunity to practice, improve and build your confidence in our virtual presentation simulator.

Auther: Dom Barnard

High Impact Presentation

Dale carnegie.

Effective communication is critical in any role. Whether you are persuading colleagues, selling to a client, or energizing a team, the power of your presentation makes the difference between success and failure. This course teaches how to properly execute your presentation and stand out from the crowd.

Auther: Multiple

Seth Godin on Presenting to Persuade

Instead of focusing on the craft of making slides, Seth Godin takes you on a journey to understand what your presentation is actually for. He'll help you see that a presentation is a unique and powerful opportunity, a chance to be heard, a moment where you have the leverage to make something happen.

Auther: Seth Godin

Presenting Made Brilliant

Rada business.

This online course is an intensive, practical course that takes the focus away from what you present and instead focuses on how you present. You are taught how to build a confident and credible presence in highly pressured environments, how to open and close presentations convincingly, and more.

Auther: Jem Stein

Professional Business Presentations

This course discusses how to effectively create presentations with quality formatting, the proper design elements and organization. The learner will identify the proper presentation format and software for their audience.

Auther: Debora Sepich

The Art of Effective Presentations

Pluralsight.

Tell a story, engage the audience, leave them inspired. This course provides a roadmap for delivering effective presentations and motivating an audience through forming your message, designing visuals and demos, preparing for the unexpected, and effective delivery strategies.

Auther: John Papa

Presenting with Confidence

Learn how to present confidently to hook your audiences, stakeholders, and colleagues, keep them engaged and leave a lasting impression. Make an impact whether online or in-person.

Auther: Gagan Singh

Design Better Presentations

Creativelive.

This class will teach you basic design principles you can apply to your presentation decks. You’ll learn how to work with type, color and image and lay out information with confidence. You’ll also Identify what type of presenter you are and design your presentation to support this.

Auther: Lara McCormick

Establishing Credibility as a Speaker

Linkedin learning.

Audiences will assess the credibility of presenters before they even begin speaking. In this course, Laura Bergells shares techniques that help speakers develop personal credibility. She shows you how to earn the attention and interest of your audience right away by using key nonverbal and emotional skills.

Auther: Laura Bergells

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Through stories, videos and case examples, this program offers an actionable, step-by-step method anyone can adopt to create and deliver inspiring in person or virtual presentations that are engaging, persuasive and memorable.

Auther: Carmine Gallo

Mastering Presentation Design

Taking the time to customize decks to match an audience's style or to fit the mood of the project will set the best possible stage for your ideas or offer. You’ll learn step-by-step how to research visual styles, source free high-quality images and fonts, create strong layouts, customize slides to sell your ideas or project, and lots more.

Auther: Lara Evens

Data Analysis and Presentation Skills: the PwC Approach

Explore how a combination of better understanding, filtering, and application of data can help you solve problems faster - leading to smarter and more effective decision-making. You'll learn how to present data to others in a way that gets them engaged in your story and motivated to act.

Auther: Alex Mannella

Communication Skills and Teamwork

Effective writing and presentation skills are essential for career success. Learn how to create and deliver high-impact communications, improve your soft skills, and effectively lead and collaborate on teams.

Auther: Jim Pautz

Designing a Presentation

In this course, designer Tony Harmer takes you through the essentials of presentation design to give you the tools you'll find most useful in thinking about, designing, and building successful presentations. Tony covers a variety of key topics, including mood boards, layout, color considerations, type, graphics and images, charts, transitions, and animations.

Auther: Tony Harmer

High-Impact Presentations (with Online Practice)

High-stakes presentations require more than just basic presentation skills. They require professional-level delivery techniques and the confidence to deliver at the highest level in any business setting. This course teaches you how to execute important presentations, which you can then practice in interactive exercises.

Auther: Julian Mayhew

Become a confident public speaker and deliver engaging presentations. Learn tools to overcome self-doubt so you can build your confidence, strategies to create your content, performance techniques to help you stay grounded and calm, and more.

Auther: Cherokee Lebon

• Back to All Programs /

Communication Strategies: Presenting with Impact

Gain skills and techniques to engage, inform and inspire others, improving your ability to communicate as a leader.

All Start Dates

8:30 AM – 4:30 PM ET

2 consecutive days

Registration Deadline

April 21, 2024

June 30, 2024

November 24, 2024

Communication Strategies Program Overview

Communication strategies: presenting with impact, a public speaking course.

Public speaking—whether delivering a presentation, making a pitch, or leading a group discussion—can cause even the most confident leader to break a sweat. Yet communicating your message with poise, confidence, and conviction is an essential leadership skill. Mastering your public speaking and presentation skills will enable you to inspire your audience as well as build trust and credibility.

Through oral presentations and small group activities, you will put proven public speaking techniques and tools into practice, test out new approaches, and learn to communicate clearly and confidently. Discover the powerful impact of storytelling and practical persuasion skills to authentically illustrate your message. Learn how to effectively organize materials to blend analytical and emotional content into a compelling story, and incorporate dynamic introductions and memorable endings into your presentations.

Who Should Register for this Public Speaking Course

This communication program is appropriate for business professionals at all levels of experience who would like to enhance their communication skills to succeed in delivering impactful presentations. It is ideal for anyone in a role that requires ceremonial speaking, persuasive speaking, or any other type of public speaking, regardless of industry or years of experience.

All participants will earn a Certificate of Participation from the Harvard Division of Continuing Education

Participants must be fluent in English to participate fully in fast-moving discussions and exercises.

Benefits of Communication Strategies: Presenting With Impact

This communication strategies program is designed to offer new techniques to improve your public speaking skills. Key takeaways from the program will help you improve your ability to persuade and influence your audience in large- and small-group settings.

During this public speaking training course, you will:

• Learn guiding principles of making effective presentations
• Build confidence in your presentation abilities
• Cultivate your personal leadership and communication style
• Learn strategies on handling hostile audiences

“Jill [Slye] shared invaluable tips that have helped me to reduce my anxiety and negative self-talk around my presentations while conveying a message that encourages others to affect change through empowering presentations.” — Lizbeth Sanches-Acre

The curriculum for this communication strategies program is designed to be interactive and hands-on. You will practice the skills and techniques you are learning in real-time through small group activities and oral presentations during the program.

The curriculum will cover topics such as:

• Effective delivery skills involving presence, vocal variety, body language, narratives and humor, and handling nerves
• Crafting clear and concise messages
• Understanding and connecting with your audience
• Techniques for effective handling of Q&A sessions
• Ways to gain buy-in and influence your audience
• Strategies for online communications, webinars, podcasts, Zoom platforms, etc.

This public speaking course is offered as a two-day on-campus program in our state-of-the-art classroom space in the heart of historic Harvard University. Program tuition is $2,990 plus the cost of travel.

Considering this program?

Send yourself the details.

Related Programs

• Effective Organizational Communication
• Influence and Persuasion in Leadership
• Becoming a Leader: Developing Your Style and Making Sound Decisions

April Schedule

• Communication Overview
• Honing Your Personal Communication Style
• Developing Audience Centered Content
• Presentations
• Strategies for Online Communications
• Leadership Communication Model

July Schedule

December schedule, jill abruzese slye, certificates of leadership excellence.

The Certificates of Leadership Excellence (CLE) are designed for leaders with the desire to enhance their business acumen, challenge current thinking, and expand their leadership skills.

This program is one of several CLE qualifying programs. Register today and get started earning your certificate.

How will this program help me improve my public speaking skills?

This program will help you improve your public speaking skills through hands-on practice of communication techniques and new approaches. As part of the program, you will engage in group exercises and oral presentations where you will receive feedback from the instructor and your peers to help you improve your skills in real time.

How will improving public speaking help me advance my career?

Public speaking is an important skill for any business professional, regardless of industry or role. To advance your career, you must possess the ability to convey your message with clarity and lead group discussions with confidence, regardless of the specific situation. Developing the techniques and strategies to communicate effectively will help build trust in your leadership skills more broadly.

What skills or experience is needed before enrolling in this program?

Participants do not need any specific experience or skills to enroll in this program. It is open to any business professional interested in improving their public speaking skills and their ability to communicate effectively and persuasively.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

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INSTRUCTOR-LED COURSE

Professional Presentation Skills

Take your organization to its next level of excellence

• Understand the fundamentals of effective, successful presentations
• Plan and prepare powerful presentations that engage the audience
• Eliminate speaker anxiety and nervousness
• Polish and learn delivery techniques to present information like a professional
• Use visual aids effectively
• Skillfully handle difficult presentation situations

Interested in bringing this course to your organization? Let’s connect!

Presentation skills are vital for business professionals today. How information is presented to groups and individuals can determine the effectiveness of the message and its outcome. Presentation skills can affect the speaker’s influence and credibility and make a remarkable difference when getting the message across to listeners. This unique program gives learners the techniques and skills necessary for an effective presentation and helps them engage an audience with confidence.

COURSE OUTLINE

Module 1: fundamentals of effective presentations.

Presentation skills development starts with understanding the fundamentals of effective and powerful presentations.

• Articulate the fundamentals of a purposeful message and presentation
• Describe factors that impair presentations
• Explain how to establish credibility and confidence as a speaker

Module 2: Planning and Preparing a Powerful Presentation

A speaker must consider their audience’s needs in order to capture their interest and inspire them into action. Careful planning is critical to the success. 

• Discuss the purpose and goal of business presentations
• Describe techniques that facilitate listeners’ motivation to change or act
• Summarize how to prepare a presentation that meets the audience’s needs

Module 3: Eliminate Speaker Anxiety and Nervousness

Public speaking is one of the most important yet most feared forms of communication.

• Identify why people feel anxious about public speaking
• Describe techniques to reduce and control stress and speaker anxiety
• Review the use of speaking techniques to ease audience tension

Module 4: Polishing and Delivering a Presentation Like a Pro

Leaders, formal and informal, need to be able to deliver a clear, succinct and inspiring message.

• Recognize effective openers and closers
• Distinguish appropriate use of verbal and nonverbal communication
• Discuss focusing and controlling questions and answers

Module 5: Using Visual Aids Effectively

Presentation aids are valuable to getting a clear message across to audiences of all ages, education levels, degrees of interest or motivation. 

• Describe the purpose of presentation aids
• Explain the range of choices for presentation aids
• Articulate the role of careful planning and good execution when using presentation aids

Module 6: Skillfully Handling Difficult Presentation Situations

Speakers need to be prepared to handle difficult situations that may arise with confidence and skill.

• Outline the methods to handle negative reactions to a presentation
• State general guidelines for dealing with problem audience behaviors
• Describe techniques to handle critics

This content can be delivered in a variety of modalities. Click here to learn more .

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Fall 2024 CSCI Special Topics Courses

Cloud computing.

Meeting Time: 09:45 AM‑11:00 AM TTh  Instructor: Ali Anwar Course Description: Cloud computing serves many large-scale applications ranging from search engines like Google to social networking websites like Facebook to online stores like Amazon. More recently, cloud computing has emerged as an essential technology to enable emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Machine Learning. The exponential growth of data availability and demands for security and speed has made the cloud computing paradigm necessary for reliable, financially economical, and scalable computation. The dynamicity and flexibility of Cloud computing have opened up many new forms of deploying applications on infrastructure that cloud service providers offer, such as renting of computation resources and serverless computing.    This course will cover the fundamentals of cloud services management and cloud software development, including but not limited to design patterns, application programming interfaces, and underlying middleware technologies. More specifically, we will cover the topics of cloud computing service models, data centers resource management, task scheduling, resource virtualization, SLAs, cloud security, software defined networks and storage, cloud storage, and programming models. We will also discuss data center design and management strategies, which enable the economic and technological benefits of cloud computing. Lastly, we will study cloud storage concepts like data distribution, durability, consistency, and redundancy. Registration Prerequisites: CS upper div, CompE upper div., EE upper div., EE grad, ITI upper div., Univ. honors student, or dept. permission; no cr for grads in CSci. Complete the following Google form to request a permission number from the instructor ( https://forms.gle/6BvbUwEkBK41tPJ17 ).

CSCI 5980/8980 

Machine learning for healthcare: concepts and applications.

Meeting Time: 11:15 AM‑12:30 PM TTh  Instructor: Yogatheesan Varatharajah Course Description: Machine Learning is transforming healthcare. This course will introduce students to a range of healthcare problems that can be tackled using machine learning, different health data modalities, relevant machine learning paradigms, and the unique challenges presented by healthcare applications. Applications we will cover include risk stratification, disease progression modeling, precision medicine, diagnosis, prognosis, subtype discovery, and improving clinical workflows. We will also cover research topics such as explainability, causality, trust, robustness, and fairness.

Registration Prerequisites: CSCI 5521 or equivalent. Complete the following Google form to request a permission number from the instructor ( https://forms.gle/z8X9pVZfCWMpQQ6o6  ).

Visualization with AI

Meeting Time: 04:00 PM‑05:15 PM TTh  Instructor: Qianwen Wang Course Description: This course aims to investigate how visualization techniques and AI technologies work together to enhance understanding, insights, or outcomes.

This is a seminar style course consisting of lectures, paper presentation, and interactive discussion of the selected papers. Students will also work on a group project where they propose a research idea, survey related studies, and present initial results.

This course will cover the application of visualization to better understand AI models and data, and the use of AI to improve visualization processes. Readings for the course cover papers from the top venues of AI, Visualization, and HCI, topics including AI explainability, reliability, and Human-AI collaboration.    This course is designed for PhD students, Masters students, and advanced undergraduates who want to dig into research.

Registration Prerequisites: Complete the following Google form to request a permission number from the instructor ( https://forms.gle/YTF5EZFUbQRJhHBYA  ). Although the class is primarily intended for PhD students, motivated juniors/seniors and MS students who are interested in this topic are welcome to apply, ensuring they detail their qualifications for the course.

Visualizations for Intelligent AR Systems

Meeting Time: 04:00 PM‑05:15 PM MW  Instructor: Zhu-Tian Chen Course Description: This course aims to explore the role of Data Visualization as a pivotal interface for enhancing human-data and human-AI interactions within Augmented Reality (AR) systems, thereby transforming a broad spectrum of activities in both professional and daily contexts. Structured as a seminar, the course consists of two main components: the theoretical and conceptual foundations delivered through lectures, paper readings, and discussions; and the hands-on experience gained through small assignments and group projects. This class is designed to be highly interactive, and AR devices will be provided to facilitate hands-on learning.    Participants will have the opportunity to experience AR systems, develop cutting-edge AR interfaces, explore AI integration, and apply human-centric design principles. The course is designed to advance students' technical skills in AR and AI, as well as their understanding of how these technologies can be leveraged to enrich human experiences across various domains. Students will be encouraged to create innovative projects with the potential for submission to research conferences.

Registration Prerequisites: Complete the following Google form to request a permission number from the instructor ( https://forms.gle/Y81FGaJivoqMQYtq5 ). Students are expected to have a solid foundation in either data visualization, computer graphics, computer vision, or HCI. Having expertise in all would be perfect! However, a robust interest and eagerness to delve into these subjects can be equally valuable, even though it means you need to learn some basic concepts independently.

Sustainable Computing: A Systems View

Meeting Time: 09:45 AM‑11:00 AM  Instructor: Abhishek Chandra Course Description: In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the pervasiveness, scale, and distribution of computing infrastructure: ranging from cloud, HPC systems, and data centers to edge computing and pervasive computing in the form of micro-data centers, mobile phones, sensors, and IoT devices embedded in the environment around us. The growing amount of computing, storage, and networking demand leads to increased energy usage, carbon emissions, and natural resource consumption. To reduce their environmental impact, there is a growing need to make computing systems sustainable. In this course, we will examine sustainable computing from a systems perspective. We will examine a number of questions:   • How can we design and build sustainable computing systems?   • How can we manage resources efficiently?   • What system software and algorithms can reduce computational needs?    Topics of interest would include:   • Sustainable system design and architectures   • Sustainability-aware systems software and management   • Sustainability in large-scale distributed computing (clouds, data centers, HPC)   • Sustainability in dispersed computing (edge, mobile computing, sensors/IoT)

Registration Prerequisites: This course is targeted towards students with a strong interest in computer systems (Operating Systems, Distributed Systems, Networking, Databases, etc.). Background in Operating Systems (Equivalent of CSCI 5103) and basic understanding of Computer Networking (Equivalent of CSCI 4211) is required.

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