Front Page | Thompson Writing Program

The Thompson Writing Program (TWP) promotes excellence in teaching with a focus on active learning and writing as a means of critical inquiry. Our mission is to create and sustain campus-wide engagement with writing, communication, and scholarly inquiry. We work with undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and the wider community to generate research on, and practice of, writing processes and pedagogy.

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Minor in Writing and Rhetoric

The minor in Writing and Rhetoric provides in-depth inquiry and practice in the ethics, habits of mind, promises, and complexities of writing and speaking. The minor invites students to explore the nuances of communication across rhetorical contexts and media. This minor also allows students to tailor pathways to complement a variety of different academic interests.

Academic Requirements

Pre-Requisite: Writing 120
Five courses
At least one core Writing Studies course:
- Writing 202 Words in the World: Theories of Writing and Rhetoric
- Writing 203 Research Methods in Writing Studies
At least three more WRITING courses at or above the 200 level
Maximum of one approved elective from approved courses that originate in units outside of TWP
At least three of the five courses must be writing intensive (W-coded)

The Thompson Writing Program provides resources for ...

Undergraduate Students

Our classes, writing consultants and resources help undergraduates become better communicators.

Faculty

We assist faculty guiding students with writing assignments, as well as work with faculty on their own writing skills.

Graduate Students

Our offerings help graduate students refine their skills and practice the craft – as writers and/or instructors of writing.

Other Writers

Our services extent to those beyond our students and faculty – including Duke staff and residents outside our campus.

TWP Writing Studio

The TWP Writing Studio – dedicated to working with writers both within Duke and the broader Durham community – facilitates writers' critical and creative thought through collaborative, non-evaluative consultations, workshops, writing groups, and events. In all of our work, we actively seek to support diverse, inclusive writing communities.

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Writing in the Disciplines

The Writing in the Disciplines (WID) program realizes that for students to become better writers, they need to be instructed from within particular disciplines. WID supports our faculty in all aspects of their work with student writing, from consulting on assignment design or developing a new W-coded course to offering workshops on giving feedback and grading.

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Faculty Write Program

The Faculty Write Program focuses on faculty-as-writers and aims to reinvigorate commitments to writing and teaching writing at Duke. The program emphasizes cultivating multi-disciplinary communities of writers to advance faculty writing and conversations about writing and research across the curriculum. Our program includes writing groups, retreats, workshops and consultations.

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First-Year Writing: Writing 120

Our first-year course in Academic Writing (Writing 120) offers students a foundation for and introduction to university-level writing. The course helps students develop strategies for generating, supporting, and sharing their ideas within a community of scholars.

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Duke Reader Project

The Duke Reader Project pairs students in participating courses with a Duke alum or employee who has professional expertise and interest in their writing project. This partnership provides students with a fresh perspective on their writing – beyond a classroom setting – and enables them to write more effectively for their intended audiences.

Learn More about the Duke Reader Project

Minor in Writing and Rhetoric

The minor in Writing and Rhetoric provides in-depth inquiry and practice in the ethics, habits of mind, promises, and complexities of writing and speaking, across contexts and media, and with tailorable pathways to complement varying academic interests.

Learn More about the minor