English Language Improvement Program: Graduate Writing

Overview & Policies

The English Language Improvement Program offers three courses to help international graduate students develop the writing skills they need to succeed in their studies. In the courses, students are encouraged to work on writing assignments from discipline-related classes and receive individualized instruction.

There is no additional fee for these classes as long as the student is registered full-time. These courses count toward required minumum credit hours. Only students with TOEFL scores of 62 iBT/173 CBT/500 PBT are eligible to take these courses. The courses are taken for credit/no credit and do not affect the student's GPA.

Students are placed into courses based on their  TOEFL writing score, their on-site Composition score, or a sample of their academic writing. Students wishing to take the classes can contact the  English Language Improvement Program Director (Dawn Bikowski, bikowski@ohio.edu, 593-0201) or register themselves online. 

GRADUATE WRITING Courses

Introduction to Graduate Writing (OPIE 573), 3 hours

Sample syllabus here.

Students work on writing assignments for academic coursework. Topics include summarizing, organizing essays, paraphrasing, and citing sources. Grammar and vocabulary covered as well. Individualized attention.

Textbook: Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills, 2nd ed., Swales & Feak, 2004, University of Michigan Press. Chapters 1-4.

Who should take OPIE 573: Students with a TOEFL score of at least 62 iBT (500 paper-based test/173 CBT) and with a TOEFL Essay/TWE score of at least 5.0 or ESL Composition placement of 48-53

Advanced Graduate Writing (OPIE 574), 3 hours

Sample syllabus here.

Students work on writing assignments for academic coursework. Topics include summarizing, critiquing, writing up research, paraphrasing, and citing sources. Vocabulary is covered as well. Individualized attention.

Textbook: Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills, 2nd ed., Swales & Feak, 2004, University of Michigan Press. Chapters 5-8.

Who should take OPIE 574: Students with a TOEFL score of at least 62 iBT (500 paper-based test/173 CBT) and a TOEFL Essay/TWE score of at least 5.5, or ESL Composition placement of 54-59, or successful completion of OPIE 573

Register at the Ohio University Course Offerings web page at http://iliad2.cats.ohiou.edu:8100/courses/

Thesis/Dissertation Writing (OPIE 575), 3 hours

Sample syllabus here.

Students should register for this course when they are ready to write up their research. Students work on their own

proposal, thesis, dissertation, or an article for publication. Focus is on idea organization and development and citation of sources.

Textbook: English in Today’s Research World: A Writing Guide, Swales & Feak, 2000, University of Michigan Press.

Who should take OPIE 575: Students with a TOEFL score of at least 173 (500 paper-based test; 62 on iBT) and a TOEFL Essay/TWE score of 6.0, or ESL Composition placement over 60, or successful completion of OPIE 574