Writing Program
209 Humanities 1
(831) 459-2431
https://writing.ucsc.edu
(The Writing Program statement was revised on 08/07/20 to reflect changes to the placement process.)
Programs Offered
Academic Literacy Curriculum
The Writing Program offers lower-division general education composition courses, upper-division peer tutoring courses, and graduate-level pedagogy courses. In collaboration with the colleges, the Writing Program administers the Academic Literacy Curriculum. The Writing Program also houses the Don Rothman Endowed Award in First-Year Writing, which honors outstanding first-year writers and recognizes the pedagogical inspirations of their teachers.
Lower-Division Courses
The Writing Program's lower-division courses are designed to help students become confident writers, learners, and researchers who communicate effectively in a variety of writing situations and disciplinary fields. These courses teach students how to develop analytical, reflective, and flexible writing practices to meet the expectations of academic, professional, and civic audiences.
Specifically, the program offers courses that satisfy:
- General Education Composition (C) Requirement
- WRIT 2, Rhetoric and Inquiry (F, W, S)
Prerequisite(s): College 1 and satisfaction of the Entry-Level Writing Requirement; or College 80A, 80D, or 80F and satisfaction of the C1 requirement
- WRIT 2H, Rhetoric and Inquiry Honors (W, S)
Prerequisite(s): College 1 and satisfaction of the Entry-Level Writing Requirement. Enrollment is restricted to College Scholars Program or students with an Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE) score of 10-12
- Systemwide Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)
- WRIT 1, Introduction to Composition (W, S)
Prerequisite(s): College 1 and WRIT 26; or College 1 and course selection via Directed Self-Placement
- WRIT 1E, Introduction to Composition for Multilingual Students (W, S)
Prerequisite(s): College 1 and WRIT 26; or College 1 and course selection via Directed Self-Placement
Students from previous catalog years may place into WRIT 1 and WRIT 1E based on AWPE scores.
For more information regarding undergraduate campus requirements and course offerings, please visit the Writing Program's website.
The Writing Program also offers the Multilingual Curriculum for linguistically diverse students. These courses are designed to strengthen students' use of English for purposeful, authentic, and culturally appropriate communication—necessary for successful language acquisition. These courses prepare students for subsequent writing requirements, including the systemwide Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) and the campus's General Education Composition (C) Requirement.
Based on students’ course selection via Directed Self-Placement, they may place into the following courses:
- WRIT 25, Writing about Place (F, W)
Prerequisite(s): Course selection via Directed Self-Placement
- WRIT 26, Writing about Language (F, W, S)*
Prerequisite(s): WRIT 25 or course selection via Directed Self-Placement
Students from previous catalog years may place into WRIT 25 and WRIT 26 based on AWPE-MLS scores.
*Upon completion of WRIT 26, multilingual students are highly encouraged to take WRIT 1E, which carries the same outcomes at WRIT 1 but is taught by trained faculty with expertise in language acquisition.
For more information, please visit the UCSC Online Directed Self-Placement website.
For more information, please visit the ELWR satisfaction website.
For a full list of Writing Program course descriptions, please visit the courses page on our website.
Upper-Division Writing Courses
The Writing Program offers courses for undergraduates interested in serving as peer tutors for lower-division writing students striving to satisfy the Entry-Level Writing Requirement. By exploring theory and research on writing pedagogies, tutors gain insight into composing processes, meeting the academic needs of diverse learners, and providing responsive assistance in one-to-one tutoring settings.
- WRIT 159: Grammar for Tutors and Teachers (3 credits, S)
Prerequisite(s): WRIT 169, or by instructor permission
- WRIT 169: Theory and Practice of Tutoring Writing (3 credits, W)
Prerequisite(s): Instructor determination at first class meeting
Graduate-Level Writing Courses
The Writing Program supports graduate education by offering pedagogical training for graduate students from all disciplines in the theory and practice of teaching composition courses, with an emphasis on course and assignment design that foregrounds disability studies and inclusive teaching. This course is designed for students who would like to serve as graduate student instructors in the Writing Program or enhance their own pedagogical development as teaching assistants in other departments.
- WRIT 203, Teaching Writing (F, W)
Note: Courses in creative writing are offered through the Literature Department.