Academic and Professional Writing (WRIT 13000/33000) is designed to offer principles for writing that allow you, the expert on your topic, to anticipate and influence how readers respond to your work — whether professors, professionals, or the general public. We approach writing not as a collection of arbitrary rules, but as a study of readers.
LRS is offered in Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters. The course meets twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Tuesdays, students attend a plenary lecture. On Thursdays (starting in Week 2), students participate in a small-group seminar, during which they exchange, analyze, and critique each other’s papers, with guidance from a trained seminar leader.
To ensure that students receive individualized attention to their writing, enrollment is strictly limited so that there are no more than 7 students per small-group seminar. No exceptions!
We also do not allow University of Chicago students, students from outside institutions, and non-students to audit the course.
Who can benefit from LRS?
We may be be biased, but we think everyone should take a course like this! More specifically, LRS is for anyone who engages in “expert writing” – from academic papers, to technical manuals, to legal briefs – and wants their audience to comprehend and respond to complex ideas.
PhD and Master's Students
Graduate students in any of the divisions and professional schools will benefit from LRS. The course is designed to prepare graduate students for the demands of writing at the level of the dissertation, the academic or professional article, and the academic or professional book. Law, Booth MBA, Crown MSW, and Graham School students must wait until Friday of Week 1 to register and should join the waitlist in the meantime.
3rd/4th-Year Undergraduates
We welcome students in the College who are in their 3rd or 4th year because writers who have greater experience in their field will get the most out of this course. Many alumni share that LRS was one of the most practical and valuable courses in their UChicago career.
ESL/EAL Students
Students who are native speakers of languages other than English often benefit from LRS; however, LRS is not a substitute for specialized training in English writing. LRS does not directly address many important ESL/EAL concerns such as the use of idioms, definite/indefinite articles, and the complexities of English verb tenses. For courses explicitly oriented toward these matters and the conventions of North American academic writing, please visit the English Language Institute