The University Writing Program, which serves most students at The University of Tulsa, is part of and housed in the English Department. Designed to position writing as central within the university curriculum, the current program emphasizes rigorous courses that introduce students to the conventions of academic writing and then assists them in moving into writing-intensive courses taught by faculty members from a variety of departments and colleges.
The Tulsa Curriculum, TU’s liberal arts core for all majors, requires that each student complete at least six hours of writing course, though nine may be necessary for some students. The sequence of courses that students follow depends upon their placement at admission, which is determined in part by their guided self-placement questionnaire results (see Placement below), but it can be summarized in the following flow chart:
Students in the College of Arts & Sciences:
ENGL 1004 (if required) > ENGL 1033 (or FS 1963/1900) > FS 1973
Students in the Colleges of Business, Engineering & Natural Sciences or Health Sciences:
ENGL 1004 (if required) > ENGL 1033 (or FS 1963/1900) > ENGL 3003
Students who need developmental work in the fundamentals of writing (as evidenced by their test scores and performance on a diagnostic writing test) enroll in English 1004, “Introduction to College Writing,” a course designed to provide review and practice in basic skills. In addition, while all writing courses seek to address the needs of all multilingual writers, a few sections of English 1004 and English 1033, “Exposition and Argumentation,” are designated specifically for non-native speaking (NNS) students.
The majority of first-semester students enroll in English 1033, “Exposition and Argumentation,” a course in the process, conventions and production of academic writing. Students in this course learn to refine and develop arguments, while gaining knowledge of the fundamentals of library research and online resources.
FS 1963, “First Seminar I,” and its accompanying Writing Studio, FS 1900, is an alternative, equivalent option to ENGL 1033. In these sections, students study with faculty teaching concepts in their specific disciplines, and learning is assessed in writing. A required Writing Studio created for each section is taught by a Writing Fellow, who provides instruction on academic writing practices relevant to each assignment.
Following 1033 or FS 1963/1900, students in the College of Arts & Sciences enroll in a First Seminar taught by a faculty member from a diverse group of departments and designed to engage small groups of students in close study of a focused topic. A major aspect of the course is the completion of several writing assignments in which careful and thorough revision is required.
Students in the College of Business and the College of Engineering & Natural Sciences follow English 1033 or FS 1963/1900, two years later, with English 3003, “Writing for the Professions,” a course designed to assist students in developing skills in written and oral communication for business and engineering professions.
Implementation practices may vary according to degree programs in individual colleges, especially in the Colleges of Business and ENS. Students should consult advisors in their specific colleges. Generally, students transferring into the College of Arts & Sciences will be advised to enroll in FS 1973, while students in the Colleges of Business, ENS and Health Sciences will be advised to enroll in English 3003 when they have reached junior standing.
Students in the College of Business seeking either a BSBA or a BSIBL degree must earn a grade of C or above to pass English 1033 and English 3003. All other students may earn a grade of D or above to pass these courses.