The first-year academic writing workshop at Sciences Po's University College has a twofold objective: to introduce students to scholarly writing while familiarizing them with a variety of practices and methods designed to improve the clarity and relevance of their written work. In line with research on “academic literacy in higher education,” this module aims to strengthen students' writing skills by enabling them, through context-specific exercises, to deepen their knowledge and develop critical thinking through writing. Drawing on readings from first-semester courses—in particular: political institutions, law, political science, 19th-century history, as well as classic texts in political theory—the workshop aims, initially, to introduce a variety of writing styles and academic formats. To this end, students will be exposed, through a multidisciplinary approach, to a variety of discursive and linguistic forms (scholarly articles, biographical narratives, journalistic excerpts, critical essays, novel excerpts, etc.).
Secondly, the workshop aims to provide a space for hands-on experimentation, enabling students to independently produce scholarly work. Drawing on a variety of texts and formats (reading and summarizing excerpts from works, essays, research papers, policy briefs, scholarly articles, etc.), they will be guided in developing their own written work. The goal is thus to provide students with a foundation of practical skills designed to support the diversity of disciplines offered in the bachelor's program, while strengthening their critical, analytical, stylistic, argumentative, and communication skills.
Clotilde NOEL
Séminaire
English
Autumn 2026-2027
Course assessment is based on a pass/fail system (P/F). It primarily takes into account attendance, active participation in class, and the completion of assignments given throughout the course. To pass the course, students must attend regularly and actively participate in class activities. This course is worth 1 ECTS credit.
12 hours of seminars in the first semester (classes held every other week). This course is designed for small groups (15–22 students), allowing for interactive exercises (writing, reading aloud, correction, rewriting, etc.) and individualized support. Each session involves the production of a personal written text, allowing students to gradually develop their writing skills. Peer readings and corrections are also encouraged to foster interaction and collaborative learning in the classroom; The assignments are designed so as not to create an additional workload for students outside of class time; The written work is corrected and evaluated by the instructors, who commit to providing structured feedback and evaluative comments from one session to the next (including lists of recommendations for improvement to foster the development of reflective writing practices).
Becker, Howard Saul et Pamela Richards. Writing for social scientists : how to start and finish your thesis, book, or article. 3rd edition. Chicago : University of Chicago press. 2020.
Eco, Umberto, Caterina Mongiat Farina, Geoff Farina, et al. How to write a thesis. 1re éd. Cambridge, Mass. : The MIT Press, 2015.