Fulfill the Graduation Writing Requirement
The Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR) is a CSU-mandated program that requires students to achieve and demonstrate a level of writing proficiency expected of college graduates. All Cal Poly students who are seeking a degree, including those seeking master’s degrees and teaching credentials, must fulfill the GWR before a diploma can be awarded.
- Undergraduate students with 90 or more completed units should attempt to fulfill the GWR before their senior year.
- Graduate and postbaccalaureate students should attempt to fulfill the requirement during their first quarter of residency in order to be advanced to candidacy.
There are two options for fulfilling the GWR:
- Earn a C or better in a GWR-certified upper-division course, with a C or better on the major GWR writing assignment and at least 35% of the final grade based on the cumulative grade of all writing projects; OR,
- Earn credit for UNIV 401: GWR Portfolio, a 0-unit course that carries a $35 fee. The GWR Portfolio consists of three required documents: one writing reflection of 500 or more words and two independently completed writing artifacts of 750 or more words with an earned grade of C or better from any Cal Poly credit-bearing upper-division (300-, 400-, or 500-level) course. UNIV 401 is offered all four quarters.