Graduate Writing Center

The mission of the Graduate Writing Center (GWC) is to develop the writing and critical thinking skills of NPS students for success in graduate school and as military and civilian leaders. It does so by providing: one-on-one coaching with resident and distance learning students in 30- to 60-minute appointments using the students’ coursework and thesis proposals and chapters; hands-on workshops offered in the first four weeks of each quarter and in regular classes; a Foundations of Academic Writing presentation for new students; weekly write-ins for time to make progress on a paper or thesis; online reference materials for self-paced learning; and confidential plagiarism checks on drafts to help students learn how to provide appropriate source attribution.

The GWC supports students wherever they are in their writing and academic programs. Writing-specific instruction covers the writing process, brainstorming, overcoming writer’s block, organization, argumentation, drafting, revising, editing, attribution norms and rules, writing about figures and tables, technical writing, grammar and punctuation, style, clarity, concision, and accuracy. Writing coaches, workshop instructors, and online materials also cover reading actively and critically, note-taking, academic presentations, designing graphics and research posters, time management, the advisor-advisee relationship, and publishing.

The GWC’s Learning Tools webpage provides a starting point for information that helps students optimize their learning environments and manage personal challenges that affect learning and mission completion. Topics include the importance of sleep and a healthy lifestyle, support networks, learning styles, English as a second language, and reasonable accommodation.

For more information, please visit https://nps.edu/web/gwc.