不良研究所

Undergraduate Courses

Undergraduate courses, which teach written and oral communication in English, are listed below with links to their respective descriptions in the听eCalendar.

If you wish to take WCOM 245 (formerly CESL 400) or WCOM 255 (formerly CESL 500) you will need to take a placement test.听 For information about the placement tests:听www.mcgill.ca/mwc/courses/placement-tests

Note: These courses are not open to students who have taken them under former course codes CCOM, CEAP, CESL, EAPR, ESLN, and EDEC.

Academic Writing - Academic Writing: ESL - Creative Writing - Science Communication - Digital Genres - Business Communication - Communication for Engineers - Special Topics

Academic Writing


WCOM 250 (formerly CEAP 250): Research Essay and Rhetoric

WCOM 250

3 credits
Research Essay and Rhetoric.

Written and Oral Communication: Academic research-based writing across the disciplines. Article summary, critical analysis, rhetorical strategies, citation and paraphrase of academic sources, and editing for cohesion and clarity.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CESL 500 or CEAP 250 or WCOM 255. Only open to students in degree programs - all years and faculties.
  • Intended for students whose first language is English.
  • Entrance test: Short essay first day of classes.
  • Terms
    • Fall 2024
    • Winter 2025
  • Instructors
    • Richard R Cooper, Yvonne Hung, Zachary J Abram, Andr茅 R Babyn, Kodi Scheer
    • Sumanthra Govender, Yvonne Hung, Richard R Cooper, Zachary J Abram

Academic Writing - ESL

Courses tailored for English Language Learners -placement test required; please see www.mcgill.ca/mwc/courses/placement-tests


WCOM 235 (formerly CESL 300): ESL Academic English 2

WCOM 235

3 credits
ESL: Academic English 2.

Written and Oral Communication: Academic writing skills and communicative competence in English at the mid-intermediate level. Organizational structures and conventions for academic essays; expressing complex ideas effectively; documenting sources; writing cohesive paragraphs. Independent learning strategies for vocabulary building, grammar, editing techniques, critical thinking and reading skills. Fundamentals of oral presentation, including pronunciation skills.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Prerequisites: CESL 200 or WCOM 225 or placement test.
  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CESL 300. Only open to students in degree programs.
  • Terms
    • Fall 2024
  • Instructors
    • Mehdi Babaei

Admission and registration:

Full-time, non-anglophone students whose secondary education (high school and CEGEP) has been in institutions where the primary language of instruction was not English, or who have attended English language secondary institutions (high school and CEGEP) for four years or less, are eligible to take up to 12 credits in English as a Second Language (CESL).


WCOM 245 (formerly CESL 400): ESL: Essay and Critical Thinking

WCOM 245

3 credits
ESL: Essay and Critical Thinking.

Written and Oral Communication: Academic writing skills and communicative competence in English at the upper-intermediate level. Critical thinking and reading applied to the whole writing process. Focus on integrating sources, creating effective arguments, and understanding essay structure and paragraph essentials. Academic genres: summary, paraphrase, quotation, and critique. Review of writing mechanics and grammar.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Prerequisites: CESL 300 or WCOM 235 or placement test.
  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CESL 400. Only open to students in degree programs.
  • Terms
    • Fall 2024
    • Winter 2025
  • Instructors
    • Sumanthra Govender, Mehdi Babaei
    • Mehdi Babaei

Admission and registration:

Full-time, non-anglophone students whose secondary education (high school and CEGEP) has been in institutions where the primary language of instruction was not English, or who have attended English language secondary institutions (high school and CEGEP) for four years or less, are eligible to take up to 12 credits in English as a Second Language (CESL).


WCOM 255 (formerly CESL 500): ESL: Research Essay and Rhetoric

WCOM 255

3 credits
ESL: Research Essay and Rhetoric.

Written and Oral Communication: Principles and use of academic research skills to generate academic writing at an advanced level of English across the disciplines. Focus on article summary, critical analysis, and logical reasoning to develop sound arguments and well-reasoned essays. Common rhetorical strategies, citation and paraphrase of academic sources, and editing skills to enhance cohesion and avoid common English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) errors in grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Prerequisites: CESL 400 or WCOM 245 or placement test.
  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CEAP 250 or CESL 500. Only open to students in degree programs.
  • Terms
    • Fall 2024
    • Winter 2025
  • Instructors
    • Mehdi Babaei
    • Mehdi Babaei

Admission and registration:

Full-time, non-anglophone students whose secondary education (high school and CEGEP) has been in institutions where the primary language of instruction was not English, or who have attended English language secondary institutions (high school and CEGEP) for four years or less, are eligible to take up to 12 credits in English as a Second Language (CESL).


WCOM 295 (formerly CESL 299): Academic Skills

WCOM 295

3 credits
ESL: Academic Skills.

Written and Oral Communication: The university classroom: note-taking and summary of lectures; paraphrase and summary of written and multimedia materials; oral and seminar presentations. Critical thinking, reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills and strategies. Exigences des cours universitaires: prendre des notes, faire des expos茅s oraux, r茅sumer (cours magistraux, documents oraux, 茅crits et multim茅dias). Raisonnement critique, lectures, 茅coutes, r茅dactions, habilet茅s et strat茅gies de communication.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Restriction: Only open to students whose first language is not English and who are newly admitted at 不良研究所 (into Year 0 or Year 1) to a Bachelor program in the following fall. The course is designed to assist these new students to integrate into the English language milieu at 不良研究所.
  • Restriction: Ce cours s'adresse aux 茅tudiants dont la langue maternelle n'est pas l'anglais et qui sont nouvellement admis (en premi猫re ann茅e pr茅paratoire - niveau U0 ou premi猫re ann茅e d'茅tudes universitaires - niveau U1) 脿 不良研究所 脿 un programme de 1er cycle 脿 l'automne suivant. Il est con莽u pour faciliter leur int茅gration dans le milieu anglophone de 不良研究所.
  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CESL 299.
  • Due to the intensive nature of this course, the standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines do not apply. Add/drop is the second lecture day and withdrawal is the fourth lecture day.
  • Although this course follows a MTWR class schedule pattern, the last day of class may be on a Friday.
  • Terms
    • This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
  • Instructors
    • There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year

Class time:

WCOM 295 is an intensive course.听 Class time is from 9:35am to 12:25pm, M, T, W, R, and there will be one Friday on the last day of class, August 11, 2023.

Admission and registration:

Full-time, non-anglophone students whose secondary education (high school and CEGEP) has been in institutions where the primary language of instruction was not English, or who have attended English language secondary institutions (high school and CEGEP) for four years or less, are eligible to take up to 12 credits in English as a Second Language (CESL).

Tuition subsidy

Students newly admitted (into Year 0 or Year 1) at 不良研究所 to a Bachelor program in the following fall will receive a subsidy upon completion of the course (only students who have not previously been enrolled in a Bachelor program at 不良研究所 are eligible). Students are expected to pay for the course, and those eligible will automatically receive a credit to their student account in the fall. For more information, read the last paragraph at this web page Scholarships, awards and assistance.

Creative Writing


WCOM 203 (formerly CCOM 200): Introduction to Creative Writing

WCOM 203

3 credits
Introduction to Creative Writing.

Written and Oral Communication: Production of original creative works in English. Study and application of writing techniques and craft elements observed in both traditional and contemporary forms, ranging from poetic forms such as the sonnet, the villanelle, and free verse,to short fiction forms such as the short story and the vignette, to hybrid forms such as prose poetry and flash fiction. Craft, analysis of literary texts, workshop-style critique, and multiple drafts.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CCOM 200.
  • Terms
    • Fall 2024
    • Winter 2025
  • Instructors
    • Sarah A Wolfson, Yvonne Hung, Kodi Scheer
    • Yvonne Hung, Sarah A Wolfson, Kodi Scheer


WCOM 333: Writing Creative Nonfiction

WCOM 333

3 credits
Writing Creative Nonfiction.

Written and Oral Communication: Production of original works of literary creative nonfiction in English. Advanced study and application of story telling techniques and craft elements used in forms such as the memoir essay, literary journalism, and the lyric essay. In-depth instruction in the nuanced use of structure, scene, narration, reflection, description, and researched information. Craft, analysis of published literary creative nonfiction essays, workshop-style critique, multiple drafts, and substantive revision.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Prerequisites: CCOM 200 or WCOM 203 or permission of the Centre.
  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CCOM 323.
  • Terms
    • Winter 2025
  • Instructors
    • Yvonne Hung

Science Communication


WCOM 314 (formerly CCOM 314): Communicating Science

WCOM 314

3 credits
Communicating Science.

Written and Oral Communication: Production of written and oral assignments (in English) designed to communicate scientific problems and findings to varied audiences Analysis of the disciplinary conventions of scientific discourse in terms of audience, purpose, organization, and style; comparative rhetorical analysis of academic and popular genres, including abstracts, lab reports, research papers, print and online journalism.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CCOM 314.
  • Terms
    • Fall 2024
    • Winter 2025
  • Instructors
    • Katrina G Olsen, Kyle Kubler, Mirjam Guesgen
    • Kyle Kubler


WCOM 414 (formerly CCOM 414): Advanced Communicating Science

WCOM 414

3 credits
Advanced Communicating Science.

Written and Oral Communication: Use of digital platforms to produce written and oral assignments (in English) designed to communicate scientific challenges and findings to broad audiences. Rhetorical analysis of academic and popular genres including abstracts, researcher profiles, infographics, and serial and episodic podcasting.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Prerequisite: CCOM 314 or WCOM 314 or permission of the Centre.
  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CCOM 414.
  • Terms
    • Winter 2025
  • Instructors
    • Kyle Kubler

Digital Genres


WCOM 317 (formerly CCOM 315): Writing the Internet

WCOM 317

3 credits
Writing the Internet.

Written and Oral Communication: Critical assessment of digital genres in terms of audience, purpose, organization, and style; application of rhetorical strategies for effective communication in digital contexts in English. Topics and readings derived from writing pedagogy and critical analyses of online environments: technological affordances, non-linear structure, 鈥渓iving鈥 texts, online identity, network dynamics, authorial collaboration.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Not open to students who have taken CCOM 315.
  • Terms
    • Fall 2024
    • Winter 2025
  • Instructors
    • Kyle Kubler
    • Eric Powell, Kyle Kubler

Business Communication

Required for certain SCS certificate programs; other undergraduate students can request permission by emailing mwc [at] mcgill.ca


WCOM 202 (formerly CCOM 205): Communication in Management 1

WCOM 202

3 credits
Communication in Management 1.

Written and Oral Communication: Written and oral communication in Management (in English): emphasis on strategies for identifying, analyzing, and solving writing and speaking problems. Course work based on academic and professional communication in management.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CCOM 205.
  • Because this course uses a workshop format, attendance at first class is desirable.
  • Continuing Studies: requirement for the EA, AAC, and the Canadian Institute of Management.
  • Terms
    • Fall 2024
  • Instructors
    • Judith Ainsworth, Yvonne Hung

Communication for Engineers


WCOM 206 (formerly CCOM 206): Communication in Engineering

WCOM 206

3 credits
Communication in Engineering.

Written and Oral Communication: Written and oral communication in Engineering (in English): strategies for generating, developing, organizing, and presenting ideas in a technical setting; problem-solving; communicating to different audiences; editing and revising; and public speaking. Course work based on academic, technical, and professional writing in engineering.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CCOM 206. Only open to students in degree programs.
  • Limited enrolment.
  • Because this course uses a workshop format, attendance at first class is desirable.
  • Terms
    • Fall 2024
    • Winter 2025
  • Instructors
    • Steven Sacks, Ross Sundberg, Aaron Golish, Alana M Baskind, Kendra Besanger, Patricia Branco Cornish, Andr茅 R Babyn, Yvonne Hung, Madelaine C Longman, Quinn Valencourt, Kumar Sundaram Pathak
    • Aaron Golish, Ross Sundberg, Alana M Baskind, Kendra Besanger, Patricia Branco Cornish, Quinn Valencourt

Special Topics


WCOM 371 (formerly CCOM 371): Selected Communication Topic 1

WCOM 371

3 credits
Selected Communication Topic 1.

Written and Oral Communication: Study of a selected topic in written and/or oral communication in English that is relevant to undergraduate students.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • The content can vary from year to year and will be announced prior to registration.
  • Terms
    • This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
  • Instructors
    • There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year


WCOM 372 (formerly CCOM 372): Selected Communication Topic 2

Winter 2025: The Craft of Plurilingual Writing

WCOM 372

3 credits
Selected Communication Topic 2.

Written and Oral Communication: Study of a selected topic in written and/or oral communication in English that is relevant to undergraduate students.

Offered by: 不良研究所 Writing Centre

  • The content can vary from year to year and will be announced prior to registration.
  • Terms
    • Winter 2025
  • Instructors
    • Mehdi Babaei


Notes

  • Courses coded as WCOM may be taken to fulfill language requirements or as electives in some degree programs.听In some faculties, you need to obtain approval from your Student Affairs Office as well as from your academic advisor before you take courses outside your faculty, especially if the courses do not form part of your program requirements.
  • Placement tests are required for admission to most ESL undergraduate courses.
  • WCOM 206听is restricted to students pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering degree at 不良研究所.
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