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As a student in an online doctoral program, you often represent yourself and your academic work in writing.

By completing the writing skills assessment in your first-term program course, you can learn about your strengths and areas for improvement in foundational doctoral writing skills. This support also can help you build academic writing habits targeted to your individual strengths and needs early in your studies at Walden.

How do I complete the writing skills assessment?

  1. Complete the assignment in your program course that includes the writing skills assessment. The writing skills rubric (available with the assignment that includes your writing skills assessment) will note strengths and areas for improvement. The skills rubric score does not impact your assignment or course grade.
  1. In the term following your completion of the writing skills assessment, you will be enrolled in SKIL 8002 Enhancing Doctoral Writing Skills, a course required in your doctoral program and is designed to help you meet writing expectations:
    • Course description: Students transitioning to doctoral writing learn critical skills to enhance their reading, writing, and research, including critical reading, evaluation, critical thinking, and synthesis.
    • Course details: This 12-week course is self-paced and includes required knowledge checks to demonstrate completion. It carries 0 credits and is designed to be taken at the same time as your courses.
  2. If you do not complete SKIL 8002 during your first time enrolled in it, you will be enrolled in the following term to repeat it for completion.

How much will my writing course cost?

The first time you are enrolled in SKIL 8002, it is tuition-free. If you do not complete the course during your first time enrolled in it, then when you repeat the course, you will be charged for its tuition (currently $210) and fees.