How to Write Course Description | Examples +Downloadable Guide

Writing course descriptions can be a daunting task, but these descriptions are essentially the Sales Copy that will convert visitors into customers. 

Throughout this guide, we will walk you through the process of writing great course descriptions for course pages. By the end, you will know all the tips and tricks to write descriptions that convert. We interviewed an expert creator, Mariana Pena, to ensure our guide is more actionable. So, if you are ready, let’s dive into it! 

Why do you need to write a good course description? 

Before we dive into the article, let’s understand the importance of good course descriptions. 

Good course descriptions are crucial for several reasons such as: 

• Audience reach. Well-crafted descriptions help to reach the right audience. Plus, it allows learners to determine whether the course fits their needs and goals. 
• Set clear expectations. A good course description outlines the course's structure, goals, and outcomes. Thus, it sets clear expectations for the learners upfront, avoiding disappointment. 
• Contributes to increased enrollment rates. If you create a compelling course description highlighting the benefits of the course, the enrollment rates will skyrocket. 
• Improved searchability. Course well-optimized and keyword-rich descriptions will also improve your course's searchability. 

Key takeaways for writing your course description

First, start by writing a catchy and engaging headline/tagline that instantly communicates the main message of the course to the audience. Next, outline the goal and learning objectives of the course in bullet points. Afterward, specify the course format in the description and add additional information potential clients need to know. Do not forget to add your bio as an instructor and guidelines on enrolling for the course. 

Remember, your online course description is not only for yourself as a course creator. It is for your students as well. So, you will also need to think like a copywriter to make your course page more relatable to the students. 

We have created a guide for you on “How to Write Compelling Course Descriptions Like a Copywriter”. You can download it and put the tips provided in this article into action. 

What elements should be included in your course description?

Let’s dive into the practical section of the article. This section will overview the main elements you want to include in your description, plus examples. 

1. Add a course tagline 

To draw attention to your course, first create a catchy tagline. Your course's tagline must communicate the meaning of your course and evoke curiosity in a few words. For instance, “Learn about Persuasion” does not sound as catchy or promising as the tagline “Master the Art of Persuasion.” 

"Create a catchy title. And then the subtitle is what maybe includes the most powerful outcome."​ - Mariana Pena

Instructional designer

2. Define the course goals

The next step for writing catchy course descriptions is to define the goal of the course. Knowing what is the main goal of the course will help you communicate to your students what they can expect to achieve and learn from the course. 

"The best place to start is thinking about the actual outcome of your course. Think about the three specific actions that your clients or learners are going to be able to take once they have finished your course."​ 

- Mariana Pena

Instructional designer

The overall goal of your course can be a broad statement outlining the main purpose. Typically, it is more like a mission statement focusing on the big picture. 

For instance, a goal example is “Equip students with knowledge and skills necessary to create a Go-to-Market Strategy.” 

3. Set learning objectives 

If the overall goal of the course can be broad, then this is not the case with learning objectives. The course's learning objectives should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-specific). 

Learning objectives will help students understand what to expect from the course just by familiarizing themselves with the description. 

"We want to be based on these concrete steps. If we want to create a course that actually sells because otherwise, you're going to get confused when it comes to content creation." 

- Mariana Pena

Essentially, learning objectives align with the course's overall goal. However, these are meant to break down the broad goal into small actionable steps. 

For instance, if you are offering a course on project management, then a few learning objectives can be: 

• By the end of Week 3, students can develop a Project Charter.
• By the end of the Week 4, four students will be able to create an accurate Gantt chart representing project tasks and timelines. 
• Etc. 

You got the point. Each learning objective must be measurable and time-bound. 

4. Specify a course format 

The next step is to specify the course format. It is essential to align the format of your course to the format your audience is already used to consuming. 

"If your audience is used to video content, we cannot sell them an e-book just because. If your audience is built on your podcast, I am going to suggest we still have video content but primarily convert the lessons into a private podcast list." - Mariana Pena.

Now that we are clear on why the format is important, let’s focus on its importance in the course description. It is essential to highlight the format of your course in the description. It allows you to communicate to students what they can expect. Thus, they can evaluate whether or not the format aligns with their learning preferences. 

So, in the description, mention the course format. Highlight everything from video and textual content to attractive elements. 

An example of how you can shortly specify course format in the description for a course on digital marketing is:

“This course is delivered primarily through engaging video tutorials. Additionally, you’ll receive downloadable resources, interactive quizzes and access to a private podcast series.”

5. State a course credit and level

In the description, indicate the level of the course. It is essential to declare whether the course is for beginners, intermediate-level, or advanced-level professionals. 

"We look at the outcomes, and for the first outcome, you have a statement. We dissect the statement, and we see what type of skills they need." 

 - Mariana Pena. 

Stating the level of the course is essential as people focus on outcomes. If a professional wants to take your course, they expect to gain in-depth insights and learn something new about the topic. Meanwhile, if a beginner takes the course, almost everything is new to them, and they expect digestible delivery of information. Following this, a beginner cannot comprehend advanced courses. Similarly, a professional does not need a beginner course. Failing to communicate the level of the course sets wrong expectations, which can lead to customer complaints. 

The argument of focusing on outcomes also applies to the credit level of the course. Some people strictly prefer courses with accreditation and certification. At the same time, other learners do not prioritize certification. To avoid confusion and disappointment, mention the presence or absence of certification after course completion in the description. 

So, make sure to clarify the level of the course and mention the relevant accreditation applicable to it in the description. 

6. State the workload

Besides course credit level, students also need to know about the estimated workload of the course to plan their schedules in advance. Let learners know in advance if you plan to provide them with short 10-minute sessions or hour-long lectures. 

However, a quick tip regarding long sessions… students tend not to like these. If it is possible to break down the topic into smaller digestible sessions, then do it. In fact, 10-15 minute sessions can be one of the selling points of your course. 

"I don't recommend creating comprehensive extensive courses anymore...If you have a concept that you cannot explain in under ten minutes... chop it down." - Mariana Pena. 

An example on how you can state a workload in the course description is: 

“This course consists of a series of engaging, bite-sized video lessons, each lasting approximately 10-15 minutes. You can expect to complete around two hours of coursework each week, which includes video sessions, readings, and interactive activities designed to reinforce your learning.”

7. Mark curriculum/contents

You do not have to mention every single topic and module covered in the course. However, outline a few key topics and modules to ensure the description is compressive. 

Also, ensure that the contents and topics align with the learning outcomes. In fact, you can get creative with this section of the description. For instance, you can create an infographic representing the roadmap of the course with key topics linked to learning outcomes. 

"The way I do content creation for your course... it has to be intrinsically related to the skills that your learners have to develop in order to achieve the outcome that you told them." 

- Mariana Pena. 

For instance, consider the following course description for a Graphic Design Fundamentals course:

• Color Theory: Understand the psychology of colors and how to apply it to your designs.
• Typography: Learn the principles of font selection and how to create visually appealing text.
• Layout Design: Discover how to organize visual elements effectively for maximum impact.?”

8. Specify assessment methods and criteria

When writing a course description, don't forget to specify assessment methods. Communicate with students whether they are going to take quizzes, assignments, or other projects during the course. 

Also, clarify the feedback process. For instance, let’s say you offer 1:1 feedback sessions like Pat Flynn. In this case, you can learn from the creator and use that as a selling point in your course description. In fact, Flynn has a whole heading section dedicated to his 1:1 feedback. 

9. List additional materials

If, through the course, you are offering additional materials for the learners, mention that in the description. For instance, these include worksheets, guides, free PDF readings, and reading recommendations. 

Additional materials take the course to the next level in terms of professionalism. Thus, if you are offering them, mention it in the description. 

For instance, let’s say you are offering a course on finance. You can list additional materials in the description is bullets, such as: 

“In this course, you’ll receive a comprehensive suite of additional materials to support your learning:

• Customizable Budgeting Worksheet
• A PDF Investment Guide
• Reading Recommendations
• Access to a Private Community” 

10. Provide course enrollment instructions

Do not forget to provide comprehensive course enrollment instructions. Make sure the enrollment steps are simple and emphasize deadlines. To encourage students to enroll earlier, you can offer early-bird discounts. 

For instance, a sample section can look like: 

“The enrollment for the course starts on October 15th and closes on November 1st. First, five students who enroll will receive a 15% discount on the course.” 

Another example is to describe occurs enrollment in the description as a step-by-step process: 

• Visit our course page.
• Click the ‘Enroll Now’ button.
• Complete the registration form with your details.
• Make your payment to secure your spot”

11. Add instructor bio

Write an authentic and honest bio about yourself. Yet, make sure it is catchy and engaging. Instructor bio helps to connect with the audience on a deeper level. Plus, it provides learners with an understanding of who they are going to learn from establishing credibility. 

"As a course creator, you are practicing radical honesty with yourself but also with your potential clients. And we want to create that type of trust with our audience because we want them to not only purchase one product, we want them to be in our circle in our learning universe for a very long time." 

- Mariana Pena. 

12. Add further information (Optional)

You can also add additional information to the description. For instance, what the course is not going to cover or an FAQ section. However, this is not necessary and strictly depends on your preference or relevance to your course. 

For instance, it can be in the form of a FAQ at the end of the course description page. Sample for coding course: 

• Q: Do I need prior coding experience? 
• Q: Will I receive a certificate upon completion?

13. Include related courses

Finally, you can summarize the course’s description and encourage students to take a look at other relevant courses. This will help you secure clients even if the first course was not quite relevant to their needs. 

Course Description Example by Patt Flynn 

Finally, to make all the recommendations clearer, let’s provide an overview of a good course description. 

The “Power-Up Podcasting” course’s description by Pat Flynn is an excellent example of a comprehensive description that communicates to learners what they can expect upfront. You can check the full description here while we elaborate on its elements. 

First, it has a tagline and a short summary at the beginning of the course page. Everything is concise and to the point, as it should be. 

Then, the author describes the purpose of the course and its goal. Afterward, he dives right into the learning objectives section, clearly stating what his students can expect and will get by the end. You can follow this structure as it proves to be working. 

Outstanding sections of the description include: “How the course sets you up for success” and “Access to privacy SPI Academy Circle community.” These sections not only emphasize the tangible benefits of the course but also position it as exclusive and one-of-a-kind. 

Flynn also does not forget to introduce a section of additional materials, which, in his case, are “Weekly office hours with Pat Flynn.” 

Finally, Pat concludes the description by displaying past clients' video testimonials. This is a creative way of building credibility, as videos are engaging and more trustworthy than text. 

Generate your course description free with Uteach

If you want to write great course descriptions but lack time or practice, do not worry. We have just the right solution for you. 

Uteach is an all-in-one platform for course creators. Every feature of our platform is designed to ensure your smooth experience and help you create a profitable business. 

It comes with AI tools, including a course description generator, course idea generator, and outline generator. All you need to do is put your niche and select the course title you like. Afterward, you will be ready to generate your course description by clicking on Show Description. 

You can later edit the generated result, and it will appear on your course page. 

Try the outline generator for free and get started easily.