Writing Requirement

Students will fulfill the Georgian Court University Writing Requirement by completing a combination of College Composition courses and Writing Intensive courses offered in a variety of disciplines. Options for fulfilling this requirement are detailed below.

College Composition courses are offered by the Department of English and focus in depth on writing process, research, academic writing conventions, rhetorical skills, audience awareness, and other core elements of writing. College Composition courses include EN111 Academic Writing and Research I or EN221 Honors Argument: Rhetoric & Research (honors placement only), or their equivalents.

Some students may not be placed directly in EN111 Academic Writing and Research I and will be required to take EN105 Essentials of Academic Writing I and/or EN106 Essentials of Academic Writing II. While these are credit-bearing courses, they do not count toward the Georgian Court University Writing Requirement.

Writing Intensive (WI) courses are offered in a number of different disciplines, reflecting the value of writing and communication skills across areas. Faculty teach content knowledge in the discipline while also providing instruction in writing and the writing process as they relate to the discipline. Students write extensively in the content area. In Writing Intensive courses, students not only learn the subject, but they also strengthen the writing and critical thinking skills that are so important for their academic courses and their future careers.

All sections of both GEN199 WI:Discovering Self in the Universe and GEN400 WI:Visioning a Future are WI courses. Other WI courses may fulfill general education, major, or minor requirements, or may be taken as general electives. Either EN111 Academic Writing and Research I or EN221 Honors Argument: Rhetoric & Research must be taken as a pre- or corequisite for all WI courses.

Course sections designated as WI will appear on the schedule for registration with the letter “WI.” For example, if EN114-04 is being offered as a Writing Intensive, it will be listed as EN114-04 WI: The American Imagination: American Literature Since 1865.

Fulfilling the Georgian Court University Writing Requirement

First-time, full-time students will complete EN111 Academic Writing and Research I or EN221 Honors Argument: Rhetoric & Research with a grade of C or better AND four Writing Intensive courses, including GEN199 WI:Discovering Self in the Universe and GEN400 WI:Visioning a Future.

Advanced College Composition Courses

For students who take or transfer in a second qualifying College Composition course above the EN111 Academic Writing and Research I level, the second College Composition course will count as one WI course. Students entering GCU with an associate degree and two approved English composition courses are required to complete GEN400 WI:Visioning a Future and NO additional WI courses. Students transferring with less than 75 credits (with or without an associate degree) and including only one approved English composition course are required to complete four WI courses including GEN400 WI:Visioning a Future. They may take GEN199 WI:Discovering Self in the Universe, which will count as one WI course. Students who transfer with 75 or more credits including two approved English composition courses are required to complete GEN400 WI:Visioning a Future and NO additional WI courses. Students with 75 or more transferred credits who transfer only one approved English composition course must pursue one of the following two options to complete the WI requirement:

Option 1: The first semester the student is at GCU, submit a portfolio of writing samples from the transferred courses to the director of the Writing Program for evaluation of writing skills. If accepted, the student would be required to complete GEN400 WI:Visioning a Future and no other WI courses. If the portfolio is not accepted, the student should pursue Option 2.

Option 2: Complete a 300-level or higher WI course and GEN400 WI:Visioning a Future.