FYC & PTC

Writing Programs Overview

USF’s Department of English houses two writing programs that serve the university community:

  • First-Year Composition (FYC)
  • Professional and Technical Communication (PTC)

In total, the writing programs serve almost 12,000 students a year!

First-Year Composition is comprised of a two-course sequence that many incoming students are required to take:

  • ENC 1101: Composition 1
  • ENC 1102: Composition 2

Designed to provide students the opportunity to advance their writing and reading skills, FYC helps prepare students for the writing they will do throughout their academic career.

The goal of the PTC program is to help students prepare for the type of writing they will do in the workplace and in their lives. The emphasis on practical application is achieved through problem-based scenarios that allow students the opportunities to work through complex communication problems in the safe environment of the classroom. The courses in the PTC program are:

  • ENC 2210: Technical Writing for the Health Sciences
  • ENC 3246: Communication for Engineers
  • ENC 3250: Professional Writing

Any of the PTC service courses can count toward the .

The FYC and PTC writing programs are leaders in innovative pedagogy driven by evidence-based decision making and writing analytics. These innovations are supported by USF Writes, which is a digital, instructional tool that enhances writing pedagogy by providing a robust formative feedback platform that works in tandem with other tools and technologies. Learn more about USF Writes, its benefits, pedagogical orientation, and how it can be used in research.