Carnegie Mellon University
Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences  ›  Department of English  ›  Academic Programs  ›  Writing & Communication

Writing & Communication Program

Writing & Communication at Carnegie Mellon offers unique, cutting-edge course options designed to help students develop and apply foundational writing knowledge across diverse academic and professional contexts.

All Carnegie Mellon undergraduates take First-Year Writing—any Advanced Placement exemptions are not accepted. However, First-Year Writing empowers students to choose among multiple paths in their fulfillment of the requirement.

Students may decide to take two out of three half-semester mini courses, each focused on specific kinds of writing and organizational strategies. Alternatively, students might decide to take one of several immersive full-semester courses built around specific themes and research areas. No matter the path, students learn to adapt to new writing situations and connect their learning to future communication tasks—both in later coursework at CMU and beyond.

To learn more about our mini and full-semester course offerings, please visit the Course Options and Topics page.

Some students whose first or primary language is not English may be required to take a placement exam and/or complete a prerequisite course during their first semester. To learn more about the placement process, please visit the Course Placement page.

Writing About Public Problems



Danielle Wetzel discusses "Writing About Public Problems."

Explore First-Year Writing

Contact Us

Questions?
Reach out to Amy Stoebe, Assistant Director of the Writing & Communication Program

Spotlight: Alan Thomas Kohler

Navigating Evolving Communication Landscapes

Alan Thomas Kohler is passionate about empowering students to navigate the evolving communication landscape and brings a forward-thinking perspective to the Department of English, focusing on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), education, and professional and technical writing. As an applied linguist with over 25 years of experience in teaching, research, and administration, Kohler’s scholarly work informs his classroom instruction and focuses on how generative AI (GenAI) tools can enhance the teaching and practice of communication and composition while preserving student learning. His ongoing research projects include the exploration of student and instructor attitudes toward GenAI tools, sentiment and affect in LLM production of narrative texts, GenAI’s impact on audience awareness during the writing process, GenAI-mediated peer review, and learner experiences in AI-enhanced environments. 

Above all, Kohler is driven by his students’ energy and the experiences and expertise that they themselves bring to his courses.  “Continued innovation in the classroom is key,” he says, “and every day, I learn with them and from them about this ever-evolving communication landscape.  I am so excited and grateful to play a role in helping them grow as impactful communicators and leaders.” Kohler’s ultimate goal is to equip the next generation of writers and scholars with the skills to navigate AI tools responsibly, critically, and effectively while continuing to foster the interdisciplinary collaboration at CMU that benefits students across a diversity of disciplines.

Kohler Spotlight

Frequently Asked Questions:

These options have been carefully designed to be equally challenging. In fact, despite the structural differences between taking two shorter courses and taking one longer course, the overarching curriculum and learning objectives are equivalent across both options. CMU English prioritizes student ability to choose a course structure that is the best fit for their learning preferences. Plus, since all First-Year Writing courses help students to gain exposure to diverse kinds of writing and learn how to transfer their writing knowledge to new situations, students can feel confident about any course options they choose.
If a student prefers a fresh start in the middle of the semester, taking two mini courses might be a good option. The "minis" offer students the opportunity to focus upon strategies for particular types of communication situations and target genres. By taking two minis, students gain exposure to more than one kind of writing (arts and humanities-based, technical, and professional). Minis also offer ways of adapting to new and different communication situations. Some students report a more dynamic structure and pace taking minis, driven by the break at mid-semester.
If a student prefers engaging in a sustained focus throughout the semester, a full-semester course may be a good option. The full semester First-Year Writing courses offer students the opportunity to read deeply about a controversial issue or topic. Students acquire strategies for reading, forming research questions, and writing research proposals and articles, in order to contribute an original argument to an ongoing field of inquiry. Some students report a flexible, "marathon" pace throughout the course, driven by the lack of a mid-semester break.
If incoming students are non-native or second-language English speakers, they will receive an email from the Department of English in June with instructions for completing an essay-based placement exam over the summer. CMU English will review every exam carefully and report back whether or not each student is required to take the pre-requisite course, 76-100. Under some conditions, students may be exempted from taking this exam or the 76-100 course. To learn more about the placement and exemption process, visit our Course Placement page.
Unless a student is in one of the first two or three positions on the waitlist for a First-Year Writing course, it is unlikely a student will be able to get in to that particular course. Our Department wishes it were possible to enroll everyone in their first choice, but the reality is that there are more popular and less popular options, and the more popular ones do fill up. CMu English recommends each student determine top three course options prior to registration, and to be prepared to register for what is available if plan A or plan B does not work out. If a student is unable to find any available options, or if a student could register for one mini course but still need a second one, please email Mike Brokos at mbrokos@cmu.edu for assistance.

Yes! There are a few things First-Year Writing students should keep in mind, to ensure they understand proper enrollment and their schedules:

  1. The minis are designed to be taken consecutively within a single semester. If students register for the Fall semester, they will take a "mini 1" and a "mini 2." If registering for the Spring semester, they will take a "mini 3" and a "mini 4." The available course sections will include these numbers. For example, if  registering for the Fall semester, one valid option would be sign up for 76-106 A1 and 76-107 B2. If registering for the Spring, one valid option would be 76-106 A3 and 76-107 A4. Students cannot sign up for two sections ending in the same number (e.g., 76-108 A1 and 76-107 A1).
  2. First-Year Writing Students should make sure to sign up for two out of the three separate courses: 76-106, 76-107, and 76-108. Do not sign up for two sections of the same course (e.g., 76-106 A1 and 76-106 B2).
Possibly. The Department of English will need to review the syllabus and other materials from any outside composition course in order to determine whether it is commensurate with a First-Year Writing course or courses at CMU. The Department does adhere to a particular set of curricular features and learning objectives; some outside courses are quite consistent with these, and others are not.

Course Options and Topics

Course Options and Topics

Course Placement

Course Placement

Writing & Communication Faculty

First-Year Writing Faculty