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Writing Courses

Brown students are expected to work on their writing in their general studies and in the concentration. To that end, Brown offers a number of courses that help students develop their writing abilities. Students are encouraged to take at least one of these courses in their first year of study and at least one additional writing course in their area of concentration.

Writing-designated courses provide students with feedback about their writing and opportunities to apply that feedback on the same assignment or when completing writing assignments later in the course. Offered in nearly all departments, writing-designated courses are designated "WRIT" at the end of course descriptions. WRIT courses for a particular semester may be viewed in the Banner class schedule by selecting "Writing-Designated Courses" in the Attribute Type section.

The Nonfiction Writing Program in Brown's English Department offers a number of intensive writing courses that help students develop their abilities to write academic essays, journalism, and creative nonfiction. Students from all disciplines benefit from enrolling in English 110, which focuses on critical reading and writing, or English 130, which focuses on the research essay. Other popular courses focus on journalistic writing (English 160) and creative nonfiction (English 180).

In Writing Fellows courses, students improve their written communication skills through intensive work with a Brown student, called a Writing Fellow, who has been trained in composition and pedagogy. Writing Fellows read drafts of student papers and meet in conferences with student writers to discuss the drafts. Students then revise their work and submit both versions (the original with the fellow's comments and the revision) to their professor or teaching assistant. When grading papers, professors in Writing Fellows courses consider both the process the student went through and the final product. Click here to view Writing Fellows courses for the fall 2011 term.