For Students

Writing and communication are fundamental to a Queens College education. The Queens College writing curriculum is designed to prepare students for the dynamic writing and communication demands of the 21st century. Students will gain insight on how writing is part of the process of understanding and making knowledge within specific fields of study and the larger worlds these fields seek to understand. To that end, writing classes at Queens College are designed to provide students opportunities to compose across a variety of writing situations nad using a range of technologies to reach audiences within academic contexts and beyond. In our writing classes, students use their linguistic and digital resources to practice a range of writing strategies (e.g. brainstorming, revision, collaboration), genre analysis (determining genre expectations and conventions for academic, professional and public contexts),and ethical research approaches. Writing courses contribute to students’ development as academic, workplace, and civic writers.

Queens College students take four writing classes: 

• • College Writing 1 (CW1): English 110 (Introduction to College Writing)
  • College Writing 2 (CW2): CW2 classes can be taken either in or out of the a student’s major. Students should consult their major departments to find out if there is a recommended course.
  • Two Writing Intensive (W) classes: Writing intensive classes are either general education classes with a W designation or a major class with a W designation. W classes within a major are intended to provide preparation for discipline and field-specific writing. 

W classes can be taken either in or out of a student’s major. Students should consult their major departments to find out if there are recommended or required W courses for their majors.

The Course Schedule site is a valuable resource to find current and approved courses offerings:

• • For current courses offerings, go to the Course Schedule tab. 
    • • CW2 classes will list “Required Core-English Composition” in the Pathways Area column. 
      • Writing Intensive classes are found by toggling “Writing Intensive Only” (for W classes)
  • For all Approved QC Gen Ed Courses:
    • • search for  “English Composition” under Pathways Area for CW2 courses 
      • search for “Writing Intensive” under Writing Intensive/College Option for W course

Writing is fundamental to a Queens College education. The First-Year Writing program prepares Queens College students to enter a scholarly conversation in writing and to gain experience and confidence to communicate with a variety of audiences both inside and outside of the classroom.   

The College Writing curriculum is designed to give students a basic understanding of the principles and methods of college writing and research that they will continue to practice and master in their other classes. In short, this class offers the foundation for future success in any student’s major field of study. For more information about the First Year Writing program, please refer to the program’s website: First Year Writing Program – The Department of English 

Students who have questions on which courses to take can consult this detailed guide.

College Writing 1

College Writing 1 (CW1) at Queens College is English 110. It is a required class that all first-year students ideally take within their first year of college within the English department. This interdisciplinary class fosters confidence and helps students to develop an approach to pursuing academic and public writing projects, effectively managing time, and taking ownership of their writing and editing processes. This course counts towards three of the six credits in English Composition (EC1) for Pathways. 

College Writing 2

College Writing 2 (CW2) is a class that students typically take in their second semester of college. It builds on the outcomes of College Writing 1 (CW1). However, unlike with CW1, a student may take CW2 outside of the English department, ideally within the same discipline as their major, to build the rhetorical skills they will need most. An English major might take ENGL 130 as their CW2 course, for example, while a Sociology major might take SOC 190. This course counts towards three of the six credits in English Composition (EC2) for Pathways.