All undergraduates at GW must complete a University-wide literacy requirement of one freshman writing seminar (UW20) and two WID (Writing in the Disciplines) courses. Students must complete UW20 before enrolling in a WID course for WID credit. The two WID courses should be in the student’s major, minor, or a related field, and must be completed in separate semesters in order to receive WID credit. It is strongly recommended that students complete one WID course in the sophomore year and one in the junior year.

UW20

• All entering freshmen are required to take UW20, a 4 credit course. Students can take it in either the fall or the spring semester.
• UW20 is the only course all incoming GW freshmen take.
• Students who received a 4 or 5 on the AP English exam or a 6 for IB English A1 get three credits of English 099. Neither AP, IB, nor any other test will exempt a student from taking UW20.
• Students transferring to GW with fewer than 30 credits will be required to take UW 20 without exception. 
  

WID

• All GW undergraduates are required to complete two WID courses to graduate.
• UW20 is a prerequisite for all WID courses. Students must complete UW20 before enrolling in a WID course for WID credit.
• Transfer students with 30 or more credits who have taken 4 credits of English composition will be exempt from UW 20; they will still be required to take two WID courses. 
  
• Students should take one WID course in their sophomore year and a second one in their junior year. WID courses may be taken as late as the senior year to satisfy the requirement, but this is not recommended.
• Students may not use two WID courses from the same semester to satisfy the WID requirement.
• Under special circumstances (for example, junior year abroad), students may take two WID courses in the same year to satisfy the WID requirement, but not in the same semester.
• WID courses can fulfill more than one requirement simultaneously. For example, not only does a WID course fulfill part of the literacy requirement, but it can also fulfill a GCR and/or a major requirement.

Transfer Students

Students transferring to GW with fewer than 30 credits are required to take UW 20 without exception.

Transfer students with more than 30 credits, of which at least 4 credit hours are in writing courses, are automatically exempt from UW20 and may begin taking their WID courses.

Those who transfer with more than 30 credits but lack at least 4 credit hours in writing courses, may request an exemption from UW 20. Those students should complete the University Writing Program Exception Request and supply appropriate supporting materials as indicated in the instruction sheet for the form. Both the form and instruction sheet are available for downloading here.

Exceptions are handled through a completed UWP exception request. The exception process requires extensive documentation. This rigorous evaluation is used to determine if the requirement was fully met.

Click here for exception form and directions

Current GW Exception Requests

Ad hoc arrangements to receive WID credit in non WID courses will not be approved.

Click here for exception form and directions