Curriculum & Requirements>>Writing>>Policies

Policies Governing the Writing Requirement

Applies to both the Class of 2009 and Earlier and the Class of 2010 and Later.

Students can fulfill the Writing Requirement by taking:

• • One Critical Writing Seminar (typically numbered 009, as in ENGL 009: Writing Seminar in Literature). Writing seminars focus on the development of writing skills in the context of a particular discipline. Information about writing seminars is available online, in the Writing Program Brochure sent to freshmen in the summer and in its spring supplement published in October.
• • English 011: Writing for International Students. This course is designed for multilingual students who need practice reading and writing in English, and who wish to become more familiar with American college writing conventions.

Students should take a writing seminar by the end of their freshman year. If this is not possible, upperclassmen may fulfill the requirement by enrolling in ENGL 125: Writing the Essay.

Courses taken to satisfy the Writing Requirement must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail.

Students must earn a minimum grade of C- in courses taken to fulfill the Writing Requirement.

Writing seminars may not be used to fulfill any other College requirement.

The Writing Requirement can only be satisfied by courses taken at Penn. A.P. credits cannot be used to fulfill the Writing Requirement.