Since 1991 UW-La Crosse has required undergraduates to complete two writing emphasis classes in addition to freshmen composition. Writing emphasis courses include specified amounts of formal and informal writing. They are taught by instructors who participate in a campus writing seminar and who develop a writing emphasis course proposal that is reviewed by a writing committee. More than 250 instructors have attended campus training seminars and offer more than 100 sections of writing emphasis classes each semester.

As part of their General Education Program, all students at the university must complete two writing emphasis courses at the 200 level or above, one of which must be at the 300 level or above. One course must be in the major (not core).