Advanced Writing in the Disciplines

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Advanced Writing in the Disciplines (AWD) is a universal requirement for Northeastern undergraduates. Students may satisfy the AWD requirement in a number of ways, depending on their college, major, and interests. However, all, AWD classes have some features in common; these features are suggested by the name of the program.

AWD is an advanced class. AWD deals with advanced issues in writing appropriate to students who are undertaking intensive study in their major field and who are beginning to contemplate life after college. Therefore, students take AWD only after they have satisfied their first-year writing requirement (either at NU or via transfer). Moreover, students should have accrued 56 academic credits before they take AWD. Finally, students who are participating in co-op frequently find that AWD is best taken after their first co-op experience; co-op provides useful reference points for the rhetorical issues (such as audience and purpose) addressed in class.

AWD is a class in writing. The primary goal of the class is the production of effective student writing. While classes spend some time discussing the work of professional and scholarly writers, student writing is the main object of attention and analysis, with students frequently sharing and discussing written work in class. Therefore, AWD students write a lot: in addition to producing 5000-6000 words of polished, revised work, students typically write regular informal responses, reflections, proposals, reconsiderations, and so forth.

AWD is a class in writing the disciplines. As a program, AWD takes seriously the proposition that differences among fields have consequences for the kinds of writing pursued by members of those fields. As a practical matter, this means that students should choose their classes carefully, and attempt to enroll in the class most compatible with their own aspirations, goals, and identities.