UMGC WRTG 112: Academic Writing II
WRTG 112 is UMGC's research-writing course: you develop a research question, evaluate sources, and produce an academic research essay through staged milestones across the session. It satisfies the core writing requirement for most UMGC degrees and is one of the most-taken courses at the university.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with University of Maryland Global Campus. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
Source evaluation and citation mechanics carry more of the grade than students expect: a well-argued essay with sloppy APA loses real points. The staged structure (annotated bibliography, draft, final) also means a weak research question chosen in week 2 haunts you through week 8.
What you'll cover
- • Developing a research question
- • Finding and evaluating sources
- • Annotated bibliographies
- • Synthesizing sources into argument
- • APA citation and formatting
- • Revision and academic integrity
The WRTG 112 study guide
How to study for UMGC WRTG 112, step by step.
- 1
Choose a narrow, researchable question by week 2
A weak question chosen early haunts you through week 8. Test it before committing by trying to find solid sources in the library databases tonight. If you can't, narrow or pivot now.
- 2
Front-load the library research
The annotated bibliography is your evidence locker for the whole paper. Gathering and evaluating sources early means the drafting weeks are about writing, not scrambling.
- 3
Learn APA before the final week
Citation mechanics carry more of the WRTG 112 grade than students expect. Format references correctly from the first milestone instead of patching them the night the paper is due.
- 4
Use the milestones to actually revise
The staged structure (bibliography, draft, final) exists so feedback can improve the paper. Build revision sessions in, because milestone points add up and the final inherits everything.
Today
Today's WRTG 112 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for WRTG 112. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is WRTG 112 hard?
It's more work than WRTG 111 because of the research component, but it's very structured. Choosing a focused, researchable question early is the single biggest predictor of how smooth the course goes.
What citation style does WRTG 112 use?
APA is standard. Citation mechanics are graded directly, so learn the reference-list and in-text formats early rather than patching them the night the final paper is due.
How long is the WRTG 112 research paper?
Expect a substantial academic essay built through milestones (annotated bibliography, draft, and revised final) rather than one big deadline. The staged points add up, so every milestone matters.
More UMGC courses
WRTG 111: Academic Writing I
WRTG 111 is the first course in UMGC's writing sequence, rebuilding academic writing fundamentals (paragraph and essay structure, thesis development, and revision) for students who may be returning to school after years away. Work is scaffolded: short pieces grow into essays through drafts and instructor feedback.
WRTG 393: Advanced Technical Writing
WRTG 393 is UMGC's workplace-writing course and a common upper-level writing requirement: instructions, technical descriptions, reports, and proposals, all written for defined audiences and purposes. Most assignments mirror documents you'd actually produce on the job, and many students build them around their own workplace.