W Courses

The Writing Institute administers the writing-intensive general education requirement at the University of Pittsburgh. If you want to propose a new writing-intensive course, you will find guidelines and sample proposals in this section.

Proposing a New Writing-Intensive Course

Do you have a new writing-intensive course in mind? We have developed guidelines for proposals. We are also very happy to meet with you to discuss your proposal.

Sample Proposals for W Courses

We are starting to build a collection of sample proposals for W courses.

Curriculum Design Studio

Curriculum Design Studio is a program for DSAS department-level administrators who are interested in designing or re-designing writing-Intensive courses to meet their programmatic goals and/or General Education commitments. It runs in Spring Term each year.

Assessment

All General Education Requirements must be assessed periodically, including the requirement that students complete two writing-intensive courses (one inside the major and one outside). Assessment of W courses is conducted by the Writing Institute at the direction of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Council. W courses are located throughout the Dietrich School. Assessment will roll out by division, starting in summer 2022.