The goal of the Upper-Level Writing Requirement is to teach students to recognize and master the writing conventions of their chosen discipline.

Students must satisfy the First-Year Writing Requirement before electing one of the courses approved to satisfy the ULWR. A minimum course grade of C– is required in order to satisfy the ULWR.

Overall learning goals for students are as follows:

  • logically organize their thoughts into writing;
  • use clear and concise language;
  • analyze information masterfully;
  • incorporate appropriate evidence into their analyses; and
  • understand the central concepts, approaches, materials and written conventions in their chosen discipline.

Over the course of the term, students will complete several writing assignments that are related to course content and intended to help students practice the rhetoric of their specific discipline. Possible assignments may include journals, research papers, critical analyses, and/or lab reports. Students will receive a great deal of feedback on their writing from their ULWR instructor and are expected to revise much of their work throughout the term.

Upper-Level Writing Requirement courses offered for a particular term can be found by using the advanced search function in the LSA Course Guide and selecting “upper-level writing” under the "Other Requirements/Groupings" feature. A course approved to meet the requirement one term is not necessarily approved to meet the requirement in subsequent terms.