Writing Intensive Curriculum Program

The Undergrad Research and Writing Studio is located in the Valley Library and the Graduate Writing Center is at 102 Waldo Hall. You can make an appointment with a writing assistant who will work with you on whatever stage of the writing process you need help with, such as understanding the assignment, generating ideas, organizing the paper, developing ideas, revising a draft, editing and proofreading. Writing assistants will help you work on revising, but they will not correct your paper for you.  To make an appointment at the Writing Center, call 737-5640. Additional writing help is available via the Online Writing Suite.

WIC courses are listed on the Find WIC Courses page and in the Baccalaureate Core section of the online catalog (scroll down until you get to the WIC list).  WIC courses are identified by the ^ sign in the class schedule and in the University Catalog.

It is generally suggested that the WIC course be taken during the junior or senior year.

A Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course is an upper division course that has been approved as meeting all WIC criteria specified by the OSU Faculty Senate. Students fulfill the WIC requirement of the Baccalaureate Core by taking an approved WIC in their major.

WIC courses are upper division content courses in the major, are at least 3 credit hours, and are taught by faculty in the major. In WIC courses, informal ungraded or minimally-graded writing is used as a mode of learning course content. Students also are introduced to formal writing appropriate to the discipline or field, receive instruction in writing in the discipline, and are allowed to revise formal assignments after receiving feedback on drafts.

The library offers serveral online research guides which you may find helpful.  You should also talk with your WIC teacher about the skills you feel you are lacking in library research.

The purpose of the Writing Intensive requirement is to insure that each graduate is prepared to write in the discourse, conventions, and genres of his or her major field.

A student completing requirements for two majors including Double Degrees as well as dual majors (one degree with two majors) may request that one WIC course satisfy the WIC requirement for graduation in both majors.

This opportunity is available if and only if:

1. The discourse, written conventions, and genres of the two majors are closely related, and
2. The substitution of a WIC course from one major for that in another major is approved in writing by the Chairs or Heads of both departments involved and the approval is placed in the student's academic file. The purpose of the Writing Intensive requirement is to insure that each graduate is prepared to write in the discourse, conventions, and genres of his or her major field.

Students and advisors should be aware that in some cases, the WIC course in a major is an integral part of the degree and substitution may not be appropriate. The final decision rests with the Department Chair or Head.

Yes. If you have an interdisciplinary major, your advisor will identify the WIC courses from which you may choose.

Yes, you may take as many WIC courses as you like, but your WIC requirement must be satisfied in your major department. WIC courses taken in departments outside your major do not satisfy your WIC requirement.

No. WIC courses are taken at OSU because courses at other schools are not likely to conform to all requirements of a WIC course.