The faculty expects all students to become effective writers and achieve the learning goals of the Writing across Audiences and Genres NUpath attribute. To this end, students are given opportunities to improve their writing throughout their curriculum.
First-Year Writing Requirement
All first-year students must satisfy a first-year writing requirement by earning a grade of C or better in one of the courses in the following list or with qualifying advanced placement scores (such as AP or IB) or appropriate transfer credit. (See the Northeastern University Undergraduate Admissions Transferring Credit page for details.)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGW 1111 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| ENGW 1110 and ENGW 1111 | Introductory First-Year Writing and First-Year Writing (for students enrolled in the General Studies Program) | 8 |
| ENGW 1102 | First-Year Writing for Multilingual Writers | 4 |
| ENGW 1113 | First-Year Writing Innovation Seminar | 4 |
| ENGW 1114 | First-Year Writing with Service-Learning | 4 |
The First-Year Writing Program uses “guided self-placement” to facilitate course choice and requires students bring an essay to the first class meeting; see the Guided Self-Placement page for details.
For students in the General Studies Program: Depending on performance in Introductory First-Year Writing (ENGW 1110), the second half of the two-course sequence may be waived, as determined by the Writing Program.
For more information about the Writing Program, visit the Writing Program webpage.
Advanced Writing Requirement
Advanced Writing in the Disciplines is the second course of the universitywide requirement. Students are eligible to enroll in AWD once they satisfy the first-year requirement, earn a minimum of 64 semester hours of academic credit (this number includes the semester in which students enroll in AWD), and have at least junior or senior standing. Students are strongly encouraged to take AWD before they have accrued 96 semester hours. A variety of AWD sections are offered, including Advanced Writing in the Technical Professions, Advanced Writing in the Sciences, and Advanced Writing in the Health Professions, among others. A small number of online sections and sections for non-native speakers of English are also offered. Students should consult with their advisors to choose the section that best suits their needs. Transfer credit cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. Students must earn a C or better to satisfy the advanced writing requirement.
For more information about the Writing Program, visit the Writing Program webpage.
Writing-Intensive Courses in the Major
Each major includes at least two additional writing-intensive courses. These courses are characterized by:
- A significant amount of writing, as appropriate to the discipline
- Multiple opportunities to write, including informal writing-to-learn activities and formal learning-to-write projects
- Opportunities for students to move through all phases of the writing process, from drafting through final editing
- Instruction in writing, including feedback from the instructor (and perhaps others) that students can use to draft, revise, and edit their written work