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ENGL 1010: Writing at Tulane University

The First-Year Writing Program (FWP) teaches English 1010, a 4-hour course, as a rigorous introduction to academic writing and discourse. This course meets the Tier 1 Writing Skills proficiency requirement for the core curriculum.

We offer multiple sections each semester, usually between 40 and 50, with 15 students each. While sections may center on different themes, every section teaches students the fundamentals of analysis, argument, research, and reasoning to help them succeed during their university educations. 

The core objectives of the First-Year writing course are to improve the student’s ability to write complex, coherent, and clear arguments that reflect a strong knowledge of the essay’s subject matter. These objectives are met through a series of scaffolded writing assignments, including a culminating research project, that include opportunities for editing and revision throughout the term.

The First-Year Writing Program is administered by the Department of English. To contact the Director of First-Year Writing about staffing for freshman writing courses, please email freshmanwriting@tulane.edu.

Transfer Guidelines

If you are a Tulane student who believes you have completed this requirement outside of Tulane, please consult with the advising office and refer to the transfer guidelines and submission procedures below.

AP/IB/Cambridge Credit for ENGL 1010

Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Cambridge AS- and A-level courses do not transfer. Students must take the appropriate exam and submit scores for credit. 

  • AP Score: 4 or 5
  • IB Score: 6 or 7 (applies to matriculation date spring 2018 and forward)
  • Cambridge AS Level Language and Literature in English score: A or B (applies to matriculation date Spring 2020 and forward) 

Transfer Credit

Permission for transfer credit from other baccalaureate degree-granting colleges and universities may be recommended on a course-by-course basis. The First-Year Writing Program (FWP) approves transfer courses if they meet the academic standards of ENGL 1010, which include the following criteria:

Transfer courses must meet one of these criteria:

  • One 4-credit-hour introductory composition course.
  • One 3-hour introductory composition course that is the sole first-year writing course required at the host institution.
  • 2 introductory composition courses in a 2-course sequence. For example, if the host institution offers 101 and 102, then the student must have credit for both to transfer as ENGL 1010.

Transfer courses must include all of these criteria:

  • approximately 30 pages of formal written prose (we assign 4 major papers and several smaller papers as well as in-class writing in 1010);
  • significant instruction in writing, rhetoric, and argumentation;
  • engagement with scholarly sources through a major research project;
  • not focus only or primarily on literature.

Dual Enrollment

In general, the FWP does not accept dual enrollment credit for college courses taken by high school students at a high school rather than at a college campus. In exceptional circumstances, the FWP will examine transfer credit applications for dual enrollment courses if they meet the same rigorous academic standards for ENGL 1010 (see above).

Online Courses

The First-Year Writing Program does not provide transfer credit for online courses.

Minimesters

The First-Year Writing Program does not provide transfer credit for courses taken over a minimester. The course must last a minimum of five weeks at the host institution.

Submission Procedures

To apply for ENGL 1010 credit, follow this procedure:

  • Email materials to the Director of First-Year Writing at freshmanwriting@tulane.edu.

  • Budget time appropriately. Reviews can take a month or more.

The writing program will review complete applications that contain the following digital PDFs:

  • Transfer credit approval form (obtained from advising)
  • Syllabus with clear description of required papers, major topics, and grade distribution
  • A link to or copy of the host institution’s university catalog list of English courses. (This list should show whether there is a one or two-course sequence for first-year writing.)
  • If submitting paperwork for dual transfer credit, a copy of the college transcript showing the course was taken at the college, not the high school