Viterbi Learning Program
Writing Consultations
Writing support for all undergraduate students
Do you need writing support? A writing consultant from USC’s English Department is available at the Viterbi Learning Program to support your writing work for all undergraduate courses – not just engineering classes! The writing consultant can help you in a variety of ways:
- Developing and revising papers for WRIT 150 and WRIT 340 courses.
- Offering feedback on your writing for other USC courses.
- Reviewing professional writing such as cover letters, personal statements and graduate school applications.
- Helping you to develop your writing skills more generally, including structural considerations, grammar and citation practices.
Writing Consultant tutoring and drop-in hours are open to all USC Students! Please note that math, science, and engineering tutoring is still limited to only Viterbi and Pre-Engineering students.
Appointments
Make your appointment with the writing consultant by clicking the "Book Now" button above! Space is limited. We strongly recommend booking your writing appointments as far in advance as possible to ensure that you reserve your preferred available slot.
If you would like to book a writing session with Professor Wright but do not see an available slot, please email joliangw@usc.edu.
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Drop-in Hours
The Viterbi Writing Consultant is available for Drop-in Hours at Ronald Tutor Hall (RTH) Room 222 on Mondays from 11AM - 1PM. First-come, first-served. No appointments required.
Engineering in Society Program - Writing and Speaking Support for Ph.D. Students
The Communications Hub
The Engineering in Society Program's Communications Hub (Hub) offers in-person and online appointments designed to provide specialized support for Viterbi’s Ph.D. students' writing, speaking, and other communications-based skills and tasks. All Hub appointments are conducted by experienced Viterbi faculty in technical communication. The range of communication efforts that are supported include:
- Writing: journal and conference articles, dissertations, proposal and fellowship applications, career documents, collaborative/multidisciplinary efforts, and industry-related communications
- Speaking: conference presentations, dissertation defenses, qualifying exam presentations, job talks, poster presentations, and small group presentations
The Hub also offers communications-based events for the Viterbi Ph.D. student community, such as a Three Minute Thesis competition, writing retreats, and discussion panels.
Sign up for emails about the Hub's offerings, events and other Hub news here.
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Appointments
Learn more about the Hub's online, in-person, and custom appointments, along with more of its services here.
Writing Center
Additional support is available! All USC students can visit the USC Writing Center, located in THH 321. For more information on consultation times, workshop information, and other services, visit the Writing Center’s website.
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Online Writing Resources
Common Errors in English Usage
Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary Online Edition
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
A complete listing of online resources is available on the Writing Center’s website.
Tips for a Productive Consultation
Writing consultations are most productive when you have thought in advance about what you would like to work on with the consultant. If you are in the beginning stage of working on a paper, let the consultant help you explore brainstorming techniques to generate ideas for answering your instructor’s assignment. If you have written a draft, go through the draft and mark those areas you are least satisfied with.
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Bring any/all of the following with you, or submit them directly to the Writing Consultant when booking an appointment:
- Your assignment.
- Papers previously marked and returned to you from your instructor.
- An idea of what the person grading your paper wants you to do with this assignment.
- Any work you have already done on the assignment.
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Whatever you do, come ready to participate, with some specific discussion topics in mind. Some topics might be:
- I would like to narrow the thesis for this paper.
- I would like to develop some relevant examples for this paper.
- I would like to revise this paper to incorporate my instructor’s suggestions.
- I need to cite my evidence correctly.
- I’m not sure that I have chosen an appropriate voice.
- I don’t know if this evidence is convincing or relevant.
- How can I use commas correctly?
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Courtesy of the USC Writing Center.