Product

Scientific Writing (online or face-to-face)

Do you struggle to write that perfect sentence or that flawless paragraph? Can’t make your text flow even though you’ve revised it countless times? Wonder why your text is flat, unappealing or rambling?

This course is offered in collaboration with Wageningen Graduate Schools (WGS).

Course description

Scientific Writing is a hands-on course that teaches you to tackle these problems and to write a structured and coherent academic text through lectures, in-class exercises, class discussion and detailed instructor feedback on your texts. 

Target group

PhD candidates and writers with little writing experience who are currently writing or about to start writing an article or their dissertation. Scientific Writing is not appropriate for PhD candidates who have just started their PhD and have no results and/or are not in the process of writing since you will submit sections of your academic text every week during this course. The course is also not appropriate for those writing their proposal. The maximum number of participants per group is 14.

Course objectives

  • Learn how to write a coherent article
  • Develop good sentence and paragraph structure
  • Identify and correct the most common and stylistic errors
  • Learn to use powerful language and to write more succinctly
  • Improve grammar and punctuation
  • Edit your work more independently 

Practical information and credits

Dates and times

Scientific Writing is given 12 times a year. Please click below for the course schedule.

Schedule PhD and Postdoc courses 2023

If you would like to take this course but it is either full or does not list a starting date that suits you, please subscribe to our notification list by filling in the registration form. You will then be kept updated on new sign-up opportunities and dates.

Course materials

The course materials will be distributed online. The costs are included in the course fee.

Certificate

To receive a certificate, participants must meet the following 4 requirements: (1) attend the first class, (2) attend at least 4 of the 5 remaining classes, (3) attend each session in its entirety and (4) submit all assignments on time.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to this course, you need to score at least 70 on the Oxford Online Placement Test (click here to read more about the OOPT) or to have an equivalent score on one of the following international tests:

  • At least 6.5 in the IELTS exam
  • At least an A grade on the Cambridge First exam
  • At least an C grade on the Cambridge Advanced exam
  • At least 87 on the TOEFL exam (internet-based)
  • RATEr certificate with a "pass" for all 4 components
  • We will also accept a diploma from any English-taught Master’s programme.

Course fee

Reduced fee* €337.50
University fee** €675
External fee €770

The fee includes study and training material.

Reduced fee*

  • PhD candidates of Wageningen University with an approved Training and Supervision Plan (TSP) who are registered at one of the WU graduate schools (EPS, PE&RC, VLAG, WASS, WIAS, WIMEK).
  • Postdocs of Wageningen University who are registered at one of the WU graduate schools.

University fee**

  • All other PhD candidates / Wageningen University postdocs and staff.

Cancellation conditions

You may cancel free of charge up to four weeks before the start of the course. After this date you will be charged the incurring course fee. Unless:

  • You can find someone to replace you in the course and supply the course coordinator with the name and contact information of your replacement. In this case you will only be charged a €50 cancellation fee.
  • You (PhDs and postdocs of Wageningen University) have a valid reason to cancel (illness or death in the family 1st or 2nd degree). In this case you will be charged the reduced fee and your supervisor/PI must send a mail indicating the reason for cancellation.