Writing in the Major

Writing in the Major courses are the third component of writing instruction and learning at Stanford. WIM courses build on general writing skills that students learn in PWR 1 and PWR 2/Write 2 courses. In WIM courses, students have the opportunity to develop writing practices specific to their majors and understand discipline-specific genres, styles and discourse conventions. Every Stanford student will take a WIM course in their major.

WIM courses:

• carry at least three units of credit
• must be taken for a letter grade (see the relevant section of the Bulletin)
• are taught by faculty, senior lecturers or lecturers
• require a substantial amount of writing (the exact amount number and types of assignments vary according to what is appropriate for the discipline)
• schedule writing at regular intervals throughout the quarter via multiple short papers and / or assigning a larger project in stages
• emphasize the process of rewriting with individualized feedback and coaching from the instructor or TA (require at least one substantial revision)
• devote attention to standards of writing in the discipline
• integrate writing concerns into classroom activities (e.g., lecture, discussion, student presentations)
• are situated in the overall curriculum of the major to contribute most effectively to students’ training in the discipline