The millennium shift has witnessed an academic writing turn in the view of academic writingas “an essentially and private process” (Maher et al. 2008). The relatively recent emphasis onthe social aspects unfolds perspectives on how norms within academics are negotiated, andwhich norms, cultures and languages that are present in academic writing processes wherestudents with different experiences participate (Hellstén & Ucker Perotto 2018. Turner2003).This study presents patterns of progression among PhD students in a doctoral course inacademic writing, i.e. skills and insights offered and/or acquired within the course thatpotentially are useful for action as full-fledged researcher. The analysis is based onethnographic documentation of the course across two different academic years of delivery.The findings highlight the role of social activities within the course for broadening and deepenunderstandings of academic work and mission.