Writing 1

In Writing 1 (WRIT 110), writing is the subject and the practiced skill. You will engage with the fields of writing studies and rhetoric by analyzing writing theory, studying the art and craft of writing, and improving your skills by producing your own written work.

What Will This Course Be Like? What Can I Expect?

In this course you will transition from high school to college writing expectations. You will write and learn in close community with a class of 16 students, growing your writing skills alongside your peers by giving and receiving feedback in small groups. You will also conference one on one with your professor for at least 30 minutes, and build rhetorical awareness and personal writing processes that you’ll use throughout your time at APU and beyond.

Do I Have to Take Writing 1?

As reflected in the General Education curriculum (beginning 2016-17), students take Writing 1 unless they have equivalent coursework or sufficient Advanced Placement (AP)¹ scores that they have transferred (or plan to transfer) to APU. Students may be able to transfer eligible coursework (or AP test scores for Writing 1) to fulfill APU’s GE writing course requirements, but cannot otherwise “test out” of Writing 1, Writing 2, or Writing 3.²

When Should I Take It?

Incoming students who have not completed the Writing 1 requirement need to take Writing 1 during their first year. This allows you to complete Writing 2 your sophomore year and Writing 3 your junior or senior year and will keep you on track with General Education requirements so you can graduate in a timely manner.

Student Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Practice effective writing processes, including planning, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading.
Participate in collaborative groups with emphasis on listening, critical and reflective thinking, and responding to group members’ writing and ideas.
Demonstrate rhetorical awareness of the audience, message, and purpose of various reading and writing situations.
Write an organized, logical argument.
Demonstrate information literacy by finding and evaluating sources for answering questions and solving problems, as well as using sources appropriately to support arguments, and citing sources appropriately.
Develop a clear, grammatically correct writing style.

Hear what students have to say about Writing 1.

Footnotes

Refer to the university catalog for details on qualifying AP scores, or consult with the Student Services Center at (626) 815-2020 if unsure.
Refer to APU’s Transfer Guidelines for details on transferring eligible courses.