Your Path to
Becoming a Stronger Writer at NDSU
The NDSU Writing Programs support students’ growth as writers during their time at NDSU. Our vertical writing program helps students develop the habits and tools for learning across contexts. We believe that writing is not just a requirement, but a way of meaning-making and public action. In our courses, students will learn to shape communications that are thoughtful, purposeful, and attentive to the responsibilities we all share as members of our diverse communities.
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First-Year Writing Program
The First-Year Writing program is where you begin to lay the groundwork for your university studies. Here, you start to explore how writing can help you engage with new ideas and communities, while also meeting part of your general education communication requirement.
In these courses, you’ll learn how genre, audience, and purpose shape the ways we write and communicate. You will have opportunities to analyze a range of texts, experiment with different forms of evidence, and practice weaving sources into your own work as you join ongoing conversations about issues that matter. For multilingual students, we offer blended sections (ENGL 112/122) that recognize and support the richness of your experiences.
Upper Division Writing Program
Upper-Division Writing courses are designed to help you meet the particular writing expectations of your chosen field and future profession. Once you reach junior standing, you will have the chance to deepen your understanding of how writing functions within your discipline. Your degree program designates one or more specific UDW courses for your major.
In these courses, you will explore the genres and conventions that shape communication in your discipline. You will practice creating documents that are common in professional settings, refine your research approaches, and learn to navigate the complexities of larger writing projects from their beginnings to their completion.
The Showcase of Student Writing
Each spring, the Showcase of Student Writing highlights the intellectual and creative work of NDSU students, offering a public forum that extends classroom learning and celebrates student voices.
Students from all disciplines share projects ranging from research and analysis to creative and digital work. The Showcase demonstrates the many ways writing helps students make meaning, solve problems, and connect with their communities.
At its core, the event honors writing as a dynamic, iterative process and reflects NDSU’s commitment to communication and creativity. If your students are writing or designing, we’d love to have you join us!
