The Writing Requirement

Beginning with the Class of 2001, Penn Engineering has implemented a Writing Requirement. The Writing Requirement will not necessitate the completion of additional course units. Students can easily satisfy the requirement without altering the existing constraints of BAS or the BSE degrees.

Students are strongly encouraged to fulfill the Writing Requirement during the first year of study (and no later than the second year) because it becomes increasingly difficult to schedule first-year courses as one moves through the curriculum.

The Writing Requirement differs somewhat between each of the four undergraduate schools at Penn. For Penn Engineering students, the requirement can be satisfied by taking a critical writing seminar:

• Any WRIT course. The WRIT courses are categorized as either humanities, or social science, or technology, business, and society (TBS), and free elective depending on the department in which they are taught. Writing course descriptions and information about The Critical Writing Program are available on-line here.

Note:  Students may not use A.P. credit to satisfy the writing requirement. Courses used to satisfy the writing requirement may be taken pass/fail. The request for grade type must be made to the School Registrar in 109 Towne no later than the end of the drop period. Dual degree students must take the writing requirement for a grade.