Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. All R classes are equivalent to the same class without an R. The R stands for remote. All MCWP R classes are held synchronously on Zoom, so make sure you are available at the scheduled time.

MCWP 50R or 125R will fulfill the writing requirement, and MCWP 40R takes care of the prerequisite for MCWP 50 or 50R.

No. MCWP courses must be taken for a letter grade to fulfill the writing requirement. In Spring 1984, the Muir faculty voted that MCWP 40/R, 50/R, and 125/R were to be taken for a letter grade only. It is the student's responsibility to request a letter grade when registering for the course.

During the COVID-19 emergency, the UC San Diego Academic Senate made exceptions for letter grade policies and MCWP allowed P/NP as an option for MCWP 40, 50, and 125 in Fall 2020 (retroactively), Winter 2021, Spring 2021, and Summer 2021.

MCWP 125/R is designed for transfer students with previous writing experience; however, transfer students may also take MCWP 50/R. MCWP 50 is the second course in a two course series (MCWP 40 and 50) for Freshmen.

All students with IGETC on their UC San Diego academic record will be preauthorized to sign up for MCWP 125 during their first pass throughout their first 3 quarters at UC San Diego. These students will be preauthorized for MCWP 50 in second pass only.

Please note that MCWP courses often fill up during first pass, and that students will most likely have to waitlist during their second pass. Therefore, it is highly recommended that a transfer student should enroll in MCWP 125 during their first pass. 

Course Descriptions:

• MCWP 50/R. Critical Writing (4)
  • Second course of sequence in reading and writing which satisfies the Muir College graduation requirement in writing. Required of all Muir College first-year students and of transfer students. MCWP 50 focuses on advanced skills of argument and analysis. Students engage in close reading of texts, weekly writing and revision, and individual conferences. Course must be taken for a letter grade. Prerequisites: satisfaction of MCWP 40 requirement or completion of TAG or IGETC agreement.

• MCWP 125/R. Argument and Analysis (4)
  • An advanced course in argumentation and analysis, with particular attention both to constructing arguments and analyzing the logic and rhetoric of others’ arguments. Students will engage in close reading of texts, weekly writing and revision, and individual conferences. A course specially designed for and required of transfer students who enter Muir College under the aegis of TAG or IGETC. Prerequisites: departmental approval.

• Read the syllabus and assignment prompts and refer back to them. This is a great way to get information quickly. Your questions are often answered in these documents.
• Speak up! If you don't understand something, don't be afraid to ask a question. Chances are someone else has the same question. (You can always ask your instructor privately if needed.)
• Review your syllabus for a detailed breakdown of the course, such as when each assignment will be due, and organize your daily and quarterly schedule to allow you to maximize your time.
• Want help with your paper? Go to office hours or to the Writing Hub! If you need help with grammar, go to LATS!
• Establish connections with your peers! Whether it's through swapping phone numbers/emails/social medias, it's important to be able to communicate with someone during the course and it can be less intimidating than confronting the instructor. 
• NEVER plagiarize! We know that life and school can be stressful, but it is not worth compromising your academic integrity as there are severe consequences. If you find yourself falling behind or struggling to complete your assignment/s, reach out to your instructor and explain your situation. Your instructor is there to help you succeed, always remember that! 

Visit the Writing Hub!

More information on our website: UC San Diego Writing Hub.

Attend Undergrad Writing Workshops:

The Writing Hub Workshops are short, interactive workshops that introduce strageties for your academic writing projects. For more information visit the website: Undergrad Writing Workshops.

Language Arts Tutorial Services Program:

For writing support through individual tutoring and workshops, visit the OASIS.

See the current quarter’s section schedule under MCWP Courses -- Course Schedule on our website. This list with the names of the instructors will be added to this page at the beginning of the quarter. Students should choose their MCWP discussion section based on its day and time. The instructor assignments are always subject to change. NOTE that this website changes continuously and may not be accurate until the quarter has started.  

TA office hours can be found on Canvas. 

For summer, all students with more than 90 units will be automatically preauthorized to enroll. There is no first or second pass for summer. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us through the Virtual Advising Center. Choose "Muir Writing" as the reason for your question.

NOTE: If you are unable to enroll in your first pass, check your contact record in the VAC, as there may be a message explaining this.

Students admitted as a Freshman:

If you are preauthorized for second pass it is likely that you are past your 6 quarters of priority to enroll in MCWP classes during your first pass. You should be notified of this through the VAC.

Transfer Students:

If you are preauthorized for second pass and you are a transfer student, it is likely that you are past your 3 quarters of priority to enroll in MCWP classes during your first pass. You should be notified of this through the VAC. 

MCWP 40:

Please put yourself on the shortest waitlist and be sure to attend class. If you do not attend class as a waitlisted student you will automatically be ineligible to continue. 

MCWP 50/125:

Please put yourself on the shortest waitlist, and be sure to attend class. We also recommend that you waitlist in a topic with multiple sections and/or attend multiple classes on different topics (though you can only waitlist in one section). You can see the topics at our website (Muir College Writing Program). Topics are subject to change. If you are not enrolled when classes start, you must attend all class meetings in order to join the class. You will not be allowed to join a class in a topic that you have not attended even if WebReg bumps you in. 

• If you’re in your first three/six quarters at UC San Diego, you will be preauthorized to enroll in your first pass.
• First-pass enrollment priority will be given to incoming freshman students during their first six quarters at UC San Diego. Incoming transfer students will have 3 quarter of enrollment priority for each required course. All other Muir students will be eligible to enroll during the second-pass enrollment period.
• If you have any other concerns regarding this, ask a question through the VAC (located under Advising tools). Choose "Muir Writing" as the reason for your question.

Please visit this section of our website for more information: 

Enrollment Information for Transfers

If you were admitted as a freshman, you must take MCWP 40 and 50 to complete the writing requirement.

AP English or a community college course are ways to fulfill the prerequisite for MCWP 40.

Enrollment Information for Transfers

**Petition processing takes time, be sure to plan accordingly**

• Please note you can only petiton a class from a 4-year institution
• You must send a message through the VAC to attain the Petition Checklist
  • In your VAC message, please include:
    • Course name 
    • Name of 4-year Institution

• The Petition Checklist consists of:
  
  • A copy of the course syllabus
  • Term and year completed
  • A copy of the catalog description for the course
  • Copies of all papers turned in for a grade (with the grade you received)
  • A description of the reading list and indication of the genre of each text (book-length, novel, academic articles, reports, speeches, etc.)

  • A Brief description of each writing assignment (analytic essay, expository essay, annotated bibliography, etc.)

Unfortunately, the class size will not increase. MCWP courses are taught as seminars, which involve a high level of peer to peer interaction. A fifteen person seminar is big already. In a seminar format, there is an expectation of high levels of student interaction and instructor involvement, not to mention the MCWP course requirements of reviewing papers, giving feedback, and conferencing. 

We can't move you ahead of other students on the waitlist. Participate fully in each class, so you are eligible to join the class if a student drops and you are first on the waitlist. Also, follow the instructions sent via email about the end of waitlists. 

Note: Students on the waitlist MUST ATTEND ALL CLASS MEETINGS in order to be eligible to add the class. Enrolled students who miss more than two class sessions (one class session in summer session) will be required to drop.

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