III. Writing Intensive Course Requirement

Home > Undergraduate Education > III. Writing Intensive Course Requirement

The College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and Economics, and Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language require students to take Writing Intensive (WI) courses for graduation. A WI course is a discipline-specific content course in which writing plays a major, integrated role. Students can enroll in course sections designated as WI to gain greater understanding of course content through writing and learn how to write in ways appropriate to that discipline. WI courses are labeled as such in the semester course schedule.

1. The distinguishing features of a writing intensive course are:
2. Writing promotes learning of course materials.
3. Writing is considered to be a process in which multiple drafts are encouraged.
4. Writing contributes significantly to each student’s course grade.
5. Students do a substantial amount of writing. Depending on course content and the types of writing appropriate to the discipline, students may write critical essays or reviews, journals, lab reports, research reports or reaction papers.
6. To allow for meaningful professor-student interaction on each student’s writing, the class is restricted to 20 students.

Of the WI courses students are required to take, at least one must be numbered 300 or above. Courses used to satisfy this requirement may also be used to satisfy a General Education, Hawaiian/Asian/Pacific, and/or major, minor, or certificate requirement.

Students who entered UH Hilo as freshmen in 1995-96 must complete two WI courses. Those entering as freshmen in 1996-97 and later must complete three WI courses. Students should be aware that the requirement is for three separate WI courses, regardless of the number of semester hours earned in each course.

The WI requirement for transfer students varies depending upon year of entry and transfer credits accepted by UH Hilo. Only after final transfer credit evaluation can it be determined how many WI courses a transfer student must take. The number of WI courses required for transfer students is displayed below.

For further information, visit www.uhh.hawaii.edu/academics/wi/.