Composition Program

In the Composition Program, we support student learning through our program-wide learning outcomes. 

Located in Tykeson Hall, the Composition Program serves thousands of students across campus each year. At the University of Oregon, all undergraduate students are required to pass two writing courses (WR 121 and WR 122 or WR 123) with the minimum grade of C- or P at the start of their undergraduate degree. Students are strongly advised to complete these courses by the end of their sophomore year. See information about placements, exemptions, petitions and waivers. 

Fulfilling the writing requirement ensures that students are prepared for the college-level writing that will be demanded of them in their respective fields and disciplines.

Here you can find helpful information about the University of Oregon writing requirement, composition program policies, and writing resources across campus. In the Composition Program, we support student learning through our program-wide learning outcomes:  

  • Develop arguments in multiple genres that are relevant to students and to the audiences to which they’re addressed.
  • Engage with primary, scholarly, and public sources to enrich a process of inquiry and inform students’ writing.
  • Analyze how writers reflect, challenge, and transform their discourse communities, including in their relationship to formal and stylistic conventions.
  • Recognize lived experience as a source of authority in writing, reading, and discourse.
  • Give and receive constructive feedback; revise based on feedback, further research, and reflection.
  • Apply the processes and strategies of writing to engage with new contexts and communities in the University of Oregon and beyond it.
Professor tutors students

Learn from Experts in the Field

Faculty in the Composition Program teach lower- and upper-division writing to over 7,000 students per year across over 100 classrooms per term. Our foundational 100-level writing courses are required for all UO students. The courses are taught by award-winning teachers comprised of both graduate employees who have completed an intensive year-long training and experienced instructors from writing-related fields.

(Freelance person working at the airport while commuting to home. Beautiful sunset at the airport departure terminal.) School of Computer and Data Sciences

Writing Support Services

There are three easy ways for any student enrolled in a 100-level WR class to use the Writing Lab: Book an individual tutoring appointment when needed; sign up for a WR 199 SPST lab course; stop by drop-in hours.

Scholarships and Funding

Students can seek funding through the College of Arts and Sciences, which awards various scholarships both to incoming students and to those already attending the UO.

CAS Scholarships

Academic Support

Our academic advisors can help students understand their major or minor requirements, plan their course of study, explore study abroad opportunities, and more.

CAS Advising

Humanities News and CAS Events

HUMANITIES — More than a year after the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) canceled approximately $175 million in grants nationwide, two College of Arts and Sciences professors are feeling optimistic about the future of the humanities after two days in Washington, D.C., advocating for the humanities.
LINGUISTICS - Strong mentorship helps graduate students develop as scholars while honoring the unique experiences, identities, and goals they bring to their work. Mentors help students identify their strengths, navigate challenges, and imagine new possibilities. Linguistics Assistant Professor Guillem Belmar-Viernes and Jessica Cronce (College of Education) are winners of the Excellence in Mentorship Award for Faculty Mentors, provide mentorship that recognizes the whole student.
CINEMA STUDIES — In its 11th year, the Strauss Visiting Filmmaker Series featured director Rachel Lambert. She screened her 2023 film, “Sometimes I Think About Dying" and presented a two-hour directing masterclass for students studying cinema studies. At both events, Lambert shared her process as a filmmaker, her professional journey and advice for cinema studies students.

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Writer and Poet Saeed Jones
Oct13
Writer and Poet Saeed Jones Oct 13 TBD
Fall Career & Internship Expo
Oct22
Fall Career & Internship Expo Oct 22 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)

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