​Writing Intensive Requirement

Minnesota State University, Mankato's writing intensive requirement enables students to develop their writing skills throughout college. Courses approved as "writing intensive" use writing to deepen students’ learning and strengthen their communication skills. In writing intensive courses, students are coached through the writing process, receive ongoing writing instruction, and gain experience writing for a range of audiences and purposes.

Writing Intensive Requirement

1. Students pursuing an associate degree must take one (1) course for a minimum of three (3) credits from the list of courses designated as writing intensive.

2. Transfer students who have taken thirty (30) or more credits or have already received an associate degree will be granted a minimum of three (3) Writing Intensive credits.

Features of Writing Intensive Courses

Courses designated “writing intensive” share the following features:

• Are designed around the writing intensive learning outcomes.
• Assign 20 pages (250 words per page) of evaluated written work, spread across a course.
• Provide written instructor feedback on at least 10 pages of student writing.
• Dedicate a portion of class time to writing instruction.
• Allocate a significant portion of the course grade to student writing.

Writing Intensive Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

(a) Engage in effective writing processes, including the ability to generate ideas, draft, revise, format, and edit their work.

(b) Use writing to grapple with course content and reflect on their learning.

(c) Produce texts appropriate for an intended audience, purpose, and context.

(d) Display strong technical skills in areas such as grammar, mechanics, and source documentation.

In addition to demonstrating these competencies, students enrolled in upper-division writing intensive courses will be able to:

(e) Write in academic, professional, or public genres related to the discipline, displaying an understanding of the genres’ communicative functions and contexts.

(f) Locate, evaluate, analyze, and use source material or data in their writing.

For assistance developing or revising a writing intensive course proposal in CDS, visit Securing a Writing Intensive Designation or contact WAC@mnsu.edu.
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