301 or 201?

How do I know which upper-level writing course to take?
If you transferred credit for Expository Writing 101, you still have to make decisions about what upper-level writing course to take. There are two upper-level Writing Program courses that transfer students often take to fulfill their final writing requirement: College Research and Writing (355:301) and Research in the Disciplines (355:201).

College Writing and Research (01:355:301) is designed to meet the needs of transfer students who have received credit for Expository Writing 101 at another institution but who need to take an upper level writing course at Rutgers University. Most transfer students enter the University with credit for at least one, if not two, semesters of composition. Their previous courses, however, may have emphasized different skills from those we emphasize at Rutgers. The first half of the course covers the skills necessary to compose expository essays that define a project and that demonstrate thoughtful engagement with complex readings, which are the goals of 101. The second half of the course, comparable to 201, develops these skills further through research and writing on a specific project related to issues discussed in the first half of the semester. In three successively longer and more complex drafts of a research paper, students use independent research to analyze their topics and to revise their arguments to produce an analytical essay that engages with the text and involves substantial research. Course Homepage for 301 on the Writing Program website.

Research in the Disciplines (355:201) is a research writing course required of students in some colleges and majors. Check with your Dean to determine whether you must take 355:201 (or some equivalent) after completing Expository Writing I. Every student who has successfully completed 101 has the basic writing skills to succeed in 201. The purpose of English 201 is to teach students to do extensive research, analysis, and writing within an area of their interest (i.e., Popular Culture) or within their potential major field (i.e., Justice Administration and The Law). Together, 101 and 201 prepare students for the kinds of writing they will be expected to do in upper-level courses and in their careers.

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