Writing Across the Curriculum

WE TAKE WRITING TO THE NEXT LEVEL, ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES AND BEYOND

Benefits For Students

WAC, or "W," courses provide students with an opportunity to receive course credit in the discipline of the class, and - if they earn a grade of C or higher - they can satisfy the third quarter WRIT 30/30S breadth requirement. Fulfill two requirements in one class, one quarter.

Prerequisite: Writing 020/20S or Equivalent

> A typical “W” course includes three to four mandatory, assignment-specific workshops per quarter, each requiring a completed "ticket in" assignment designed to assist with either research, drafting, revision, or idea development. The workshops are designed to support you by guiding you through the writing process.

> Students in “W” courses can see a WAC undergraduate writing consultant who is embedded in the class and fully aware of course assignments and expectations.

> Students interested in enrolling in a “W” course should consult their advisors to determine when to take the WAC course. Students should also review their College/School requirements to ensure they understand which WAC Course(s) can fulfill specific requirements, such as the third-quarter writing requirement.

Benefits For Faculty

If you are interested in developing your own WAC Course, here are the benefits:

> WAC courses keep the student/ASE ratios at or below 50:1. ASEs will benefit from smaller class sizes and can better assist students with content-focused lessons.

> Your students will benefit from WAC writing workshops that meet with all students enrolled in "W" courses. These writing workshops meet three to four times a quarter to address the demands of specific "W"-course writing assignments. These workshops can also include library collaborations to better assist students with research goals.

> Your ASEs will be part of a collaborative 302 Teaching Practicum, which is required for all "W"-course discussion ASEs. These sessions often meet weekly with the WAC Coordinator (Dr. Raymund Papica). These sessions focus on developing pedagogical strategies: unpacking the writing assignments, giving productive feedback to students, organizing effective discussion sections, evaluating student work efficiently, and developing scaffolded WAC workshops, often synchronizing workshops with discussion sections for maximum impact.

Faculty interested in developing a writing-intensive course should contact the WAC Coordinator and DUW Associate Director, Raymund Papica.

WAC Course Descriptions for Winter 2027

Click a block for further details about a course that interests you.

Anthropology 141W +

WRIT 040Y

4 Units, Lecture, 3 hours; written work, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in WRIT 040Y; WRIT 020 with a grade of C or better or WRIT 020S with a grade of C or better; or consent of instructor.

Introduces prominent sociocultural anthropological principles and theories underpinning the disparities between undergraduate and graduate diversity within the U.S education system. Also addresses components of graduate education within the UC system. Topics include impostor syndrome, growth mindset, social and cultural capital, intersectionality, and time poverty. Offered Online Only.

Fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for students who earn a grade of "C" or better for courses that the Academic Senate designates, and that the student’s college permits, as alternatives to English 001C. Credit is awarded for one of the following: ANTH 141W or HNPG 110.

ANTH 141W fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for CHASS majors.

Business 100W +

WRIT 040E

4 Units, Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in WRIT 040E; WRIT 020 with a grade of C or better or WRIT 020S with a grade of C or better; BUS 020; ECON 003 or ECON 003H; STAT 008; or consent of instructor.

Focuses on writing and communication methods in the business environment. Topics include written and oral presentations, interpersonal skills, teamwork in the multicultural setting, and effective use of communication technologies.

Fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for students who earn a grade of "C" or better for courses that the Academic Senate designates, and that the student's college permits, as alternatives to WRIT 030.

BUS 100W is designed for Business majors, allowing them to fulfill the third quarter writing requirement in their discipline.

Philosophy 3W +

WRIT 040F

4 Units, Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in WRIT 040F; WRIT 020 with a grade of C or better or WRIT 020S with a grade of C or better or ENGL 001B with a grade of C or better; or consent of instructor.

Approaches one of the basic questions of value: how should one live? Covers classical and contemporary discussions of issues such as the human good; human virtue; the role of pleasure and happiness; egoism and altruism; duty; the relativity and objectivity of value; the meaning of life; death; autonomy; integrity; and conscience.

Fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for students who earn a grade of "C" or better for courses that the Academic Senate designates, and that the student’s college permits, as alternatives to English 001C. Credit is awarded for one of the following PHIL 003W, PHIL 003, or PHIL 003H.

EDUC 103W fulfills the third quarter writing requirement for CHASS majors.

Engineering 180W +

WRIT 040Q

4 Units, Lecture, 3 hours; workshop, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in WRIT 040Q; WRIT 020 with a grade of C or better or WRIT 020S with a grade of C or better; restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior.

Develops oral, written, and graphical communication skills. Includes preparing and critiquing reports, proposals, instructions, and business correspondence. Emphasizes professional and ethical responsibilities and the need to stay current on technology and its global impact on economics, society, and the environment.

ENGR 180W is designed for Engineering majors, allowing them to fulfill the third-quarter writing requirement in their discipline.

Dance 7W +

WRIT 040K

4 Units, Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in WRIT 040K; WRIT 020 with a grade of C or better or WRIT 020S with a grade of C or better.

Provides historical and cultural context for selected dance forms and practices. Explores dance as an art form, cultural practice, and meaning-making activity focusing on histories of race, gender, sexuality, class, and nation. Intended for non-majors.

Fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for students who earn a grade of "C" or better for courses that the Academic Senate designates, and that the student's college permits as alternatives to WRIT 030. Credit is awarded for one of the following DNCE 007W or DNCE 007.

DNCE 7W fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for CHASS majors.

Liberal Studies 20W +

WRIT 040V

5 Units, Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; written work, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in WRIT 040V; WRIT 020 with a grade of C or better or WRIT 020S with a grade of C or better. Develops expository and analytical writing skills.

Explores the varying expectations, forms, and objectives across the range of disciplines incorporated in the Liberal Studies major. Focuses on multi- and interdisciplinary writing to prepare for upper-division courses offered in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

LBST 20W fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for CHASS majors.

Physics 142W +

WRIT 040S

5 Units, Laboratory, 11 hours; individual study, 6 hours; workshop. Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in WRIT 040S; PHYS 002C with a grade of B- or better or PHYS 02HC with a grade of B- or better or PHYS 040E with a grade of C- or better or PHYS 041C with a grade of C- or better; WRIT 020 with a grade of C or better or WRIT 020S with a grade of C or better; restricted to class level standing of senior; and consent of instructor.

A capstone experience consisting of experiments chosen from areas in contemporary physics. Includes writing instruction with an emphasis on technical communication. The course enables students to explore their interests in physics through the capstone project.

PHYS 142W is designed for Physics majors, allowing them to fulfill the third-quarter writing requirement.

English 102W

4 Units, Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): a major in English; WRIT 020 or WRIT 020S with a grade of "C" or better; one of the following courses: ENGL 020A, ENGL 020B, ENGL 020C.

An in-depth analysis of the formal features of several genres, as well as an introduction to theoretical and critical approaches. Course themes may change depending on the faculty’s expertise.

ENGL 102W fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for CHASS majors.

English 12W +

WRIT 41G

4 Units, Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in WRIT 041G; WRIT 020S; or equivalent. An introduction to the study of topics, themes, or types of literature. The texts may be selected from any one, or from a combination, of several time periods, genres, or forms. Topics may include various national and ethnic literatures, LGBTQ+ literature, disability literature, and children’s literature. Intended primarily for nonmajors. Satisfies the third-quarter WAC writing requirement. Fulfills the third-quarter writing requirement for students who earn a grade of "C" or better for courses that the Academic Senate designates, and that the student’s college permits, as alternatives to WRIT 030. The course is repeatable as content or topic changes to a maximum of 8 units. Credit is awarded for ENGL 012W or ENGL 012 or ENGL 012S.

ENGL 12W will fulfill the third-quarter writing requirement for CHASS majors.

WAC Course Spotlight

This Winter, we are offering courses in Anthropology 141W and Dance 7W. These are two of our unique courses that offer students the chance to fulfill two requirements in one course, in one quarter.

ANTH 141W will help students explore graduate school and other advanced degrees, especially medical school (Winter will be the peak season for medical school applications, especially the EAP app, so why not get units while you draft your apps?).
DNCE 7W will enable students to explore the importance of dance in their culture. Specifically, this is not a dance class that requires you to be on the dance floor; rather, your goal will be to use various cultural lenses to analyze different dance styles/movements to understand their cultural impact. You will explore dance through film, music videos, and even the Super Bowl Halftime Show!

WAC WINTER 2027 AND SPRING 2027 COMING SOON...