Strayer University Paper Format & Writing Requirements
A career-focused online university (business and IT since 1892) whose quarter system pairs weekly discussions with applied APA case papers. This page documents what the campus actually requires: citation styles (APA 7), the composition sequence, the writing quirks that catch new students, and the assignment genres its programs grade most.
James Parker, MLS
Citation & Formatting Reviewer · Master of Library Science; 9 years as a reference librarian coaching APA, MLA and Chicago styles
Quick answer
Strayer University requires APA 7 across most courses. Eleven-week quarters grade weekly discussions plus 2–5 page applied papers; business courses build a capstone business plan across the final quarter. Top programs: Business Administration, Information Technology, Accounting. The three quirks that surprise new students are listed below — all checkable before your first deadline.
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Strayer University at a glance
A career-focused online university (business and IT since 1892) whose quarter system pairs weekly discussions with applied APA case papers.
The campus sits in Herndon, Virginia, operates as a private (online) institution, and enrolls about 50,000 students — a scale that directly shapes how writing support works. Founded in 1892 with an acceptance rate around Open admission, SU pairs selective admissions with the large-course writing loads typical of its category.
Citation styles Strayer University actually requires
SU courses predominantly require APA 7. That is not a trivial preference: it decides your title page, heading levels, in-text punctuation and reference format on every graded document.
- APA 7: used across social science, nursing and business courses
Verify against the specific course syllabus anyway — instructors can override departmental defaults, and the first paper is where they enforce it.
The writing requirement, decoded
Eleven-week quarters grade weekly discussions plus 2–5 page applied papers; business courses build a capstone business plan across the final quarter.
Plan the sequence early: composition requirements compound, and students who defer them discover the advanced seminars — where the writing-intensity lives — conflict with major courses later. The registrar's degree audit shows exactly which flags remain; check it each semester.
Three things about Strayer University papers that surprise new students
- Strayer's Graduation Fund turns completed courses into credits, but the writing load still stacks: one discussion post AND one paper per course per week is normal.
- Applied assignments dominate: papers analyze real companies with current sources — company annual reports and EDGAR filings are expected citations.
- The LMS runs a similarity check on discussion posts, not just papers, so paraphrasing discipline starts in week one.
None of these appear in the course description. All of them appear in the rubric. Students who learn them in week one report smoother first-semesters than students who meet them at the deadline.
Assignments Strayer University students face most
- Essay — most frequently assigned across SU's programs
- Case Study — most frequently assigned across SU's programs
- Research Paper — most frequently assigned across SU's programs
- Capstone Project — most frequently assigned across SU's programs
Popular programs at SU include business administration, information technology, accounting — each pairs the assignment list above with its own capstone or practicum expectations, detailed on our subject pages.
What's your next step?
Two taps to the exact page that unblocks this paper.
Citation Generator
BIBLIOGRAPHYSmith, Jane (2024). The effect of spaced practice on essay quality. Journal of Writing Research, 16(2), 245–268. https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2024.16.02.03
Verify before submitting (APA 7):
- Author names inverted (Surname, Initials.) with an ampersand before the last author
- Article titles in sentence case; journal names in Title Case italics
- DOI shown as a live https://doi.org/ link (no 'DOI:' prefix)
- Edition and publisher location rules: editions in parentheses, no city since APA 7
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GPA Calculator
Semester GPA
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10 credits graded
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SU essentials
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SU format check
1 / 3Which citation style is safest as a default at SU?
Frequently asked questions
4 answered1What citation style does Strayer University use?
APA 7 — the mix depends on the course's department. Social science and health courses lean APA 7; check the specific syllabus before formatting, and use the citation generator on this page to switch styles without re-learning punctuation rules.
2Does Strayer University have a first-year writing requirement?
Yes — Eleven-week quarters grade weekly discussions plus 2–5 page applied papers; business courses build a capstone business plan across the final quarter. Plan it in your first year: the requirement chains into writing-intensive courses later, and deferring it creates scheduling conflicts with major requirements in junior year.
3What assignments are most common at SU?
Essay, Case Study, Research Paper, Capstone Project. Each has a full format guide on EssayAtlas — the links below adapt them to your specific courses and programs.
4How competitive is Strayer University?
Around Open admission acceptance, enrolling about 50,000 students since 1892. Admissions selectivity matters for writing because graded curves and writing-center capacity scale with class size — use the GPA calculator below to see what your current grades project.
James Parker, MLS
Citation & Formatting Reviewer · Master of Library Science; 9 years as a reference librarian coaching APA, MLA and Chicago styles
Formats for SU assignments
Nearby campuses with format guides
Same-state and same-region schools whose writing requirements differ more than you would expect — transfer students and cross-registration students get caught by these every term.