Center for Writing and Academic Support

The Center for Writing and Academic Support helps students write well both for their courses within the Divinity School and for their ongoing work within the academy and the church. The Center provides 1-1 writing tutoring for all master and doctor of ministry students. In addition, the Center provides subject specific tutoring in the form of 1-1 tutoring, group tutoring, and regular writing workshops for core courses. The center's director offers general academic advising reviewing effective study habits, drawing connections between course material and the broader curriculum, and developing strategies for navigating the academic challenges of the school.

The center organizes a two-day pre-orientation workshop (RISE) for incoming first-year students designed to orient students to the academic life in the Divinity School broadly, and specifically to equip them with practical skills for the distinct forms of analysis and writing they will develop throughout their study in the Divinity School.

Writing Assessment

Students entering the MDiv (residential and hybrid), MA, and MTS degree programs at the Divinity School are required to complete a writing assessment at the start of their first semester. This assessment is evaluated by the center’s tutors. Tutors meet with students 1-1 to provide feedback on the students’ strengths and weaknesses as writers, review the types of theological writing they will be expected to master in their classes, and acquaint them with the services of the Center. The writing assessments offer students the opportunity to receive feedback on their writing within the first few weeks of their program.

Tutoring and Resources

All students are encouraged to make use of the center. Writing and subject-area tutors are available throughout the week (hours and sign-up instructions are found on both the Divinity School’s website and the center’s Canvas site) and can work with students at all stages of the writing process and all levels of proficiency. In collaboration with faculty, the center also provides term-time workshops offering students opportunities to develop particular skills for effective academic and theological writing in the context of specific assignments in their core classes. For more information or to access several web-based resources, visit the center’s website at divinity.duke.edu/academics/center-theological-writing.