• What are the differences between MCWP 50 and 125?
• May MCWP 40 and 50 be taken for Pass/No Pass grading option?
• Is there a deadline to complete MCWP 40 and 50?
• Can I take MCWP 40 or 50 at a Community College?

What are the differences between MCWP 50 and 125?

How are these courses similar to each other?
The writing courses developed and taught by the Muir College Writing Program are designed to help you with the process of reading critically and writing analytically. We believe this process is intrinsic to a great number of the courses offered at UCSD. Many of our former students have said that though MCWP 50 or MCWP 125 are among the most demanding courses they have taken at UCSD, they are also among the most helpful and widely applicable.
In both MCWP 50 and MCWP 125 you will attend classes with no more than fifteen other students, led by a dedicated, experienced instructor. In both you will write papers in which you analyze in detail the themes, arguments, and rhetoric of given texts. In both classes you will focus on your writing process; in order to help you develop the different stages of that process, your instructor will provide detailed responses, both written and oral, to your written work.
Both MCWP 50 and MCWP 125 have different particular foci and particular texts which are explained in the course description available at the Muir College Writing Program office, HSS 2346.

How are these courses different from each other?
We strongly recommend that only those students who have already had significant experience with college writing register for MCWP 125. This is because, simply put, MCWP 125 requires more work than MCWP 50: in 125 you write and revise more pages than you write and revise in 50. Because 125 students have more experience, class discussions and assignments may move more swiftly--for those students who aren't well prepared it may be a little easier to get "left behind." (Remember, only those students who have fulfilled certain requirements at their previous college may enroll in MCWP 125. Ask your academic advisor for details.)

Though it is a more difficult class, there are benefits to taking MCWP 125 instead of MCWP 50. For 125 you'll receive four of the upper division credits you need to graduate. In 125 you'll be in class with other transfer students with whom you may immediately have a lot in common. And because 125 was designed with transfer students in mind, you may find the class work more directly applicable to your specific needs.

If you'd like more information about MCWP 50, MCWP 125, or the Muir College Writing Program in general, please ask your Academic Advisor, or stop by the writing office, HSS 2346, Monday through Friday between 9:00 - noon and 1:00 - 4:00. Whichever class you decide to take, we hope you'll find it challenging and rewarding.

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May MCWP 40 and 50 be taken for Pass/No Pass grading option?

MCWP 40 and 50 must be taken for a letter grade.

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Is there a deadline to complete MCWP 40 and 50?

Yes. MCWP 40 and 50 should be completed by the time a student reaches 90.0 units.

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Can I take MCWP 40 or 50 at a Community College?

No. There is no equivalent to either MCWP 40 or 50 at the community college level. Student can, however, check with the Muir Writing Program or the Academic Advisors regarding equivalent courses at other UC campuses.

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