Academic Policies

First-Year English Composition Requirement

Revised 5/4/09: change to Honors composition requirement

Students must complete one of three strands depending upon placement.  Placement in composition courses is based on the student’s high school record and standardized test scores, including the ACT1 English or the RSAT1 Verbal standardized test scores.

1. A three-course sequence in two semesters of:
• English 101 with English 197b (1 credit Studio) and English 102
• English 107 with English 197b (1 credit Studio) and  English 108 (the ESL equivalents)
2. A two-course sequence of:
• English 101 and English 102, OR
• English 107 and English 108 (the ESL equivalents)
3. One course with honors placement:
• English 109H – a grade of C or higher is required to satisfy the requirement with this course.

Transfer students who are admitted with 56 transferable units or who have earned a previous bachelor's degree from another institution may satisfy the English Composition requirement by coming to Modern Languages 380 and submitting to the Writing Program Academic Transfer Assistant one of the following for consideration:

1. A catalog course description or syllabus for 2 transferable composition/writing courses that will not be used to fulfill another UA degree requirement.
2. A portfolio of 3 - 4 writing samples from courses completed at the transfer institution (an adequate sample generally consists of 15 - 20 pages of papers, at least one of which illustrates the ability to develop sustained analyses using appropriately documented secondary sources).
3. A catalog course description for 1 transferable composition/writing course that is not used to satisfy another degree requirement, in addition to a portfolio of writing samples (see above).

All students must have approval in advance in order to submit a portfolio. For this approval or related questions, please speak with a Writing Program Academic Transfer Assistant in Modern Languages 380 or call 621-7411. If approved by the Academic Transfer Assistant and Writing Program Director, the transferable writing courses or portfolio of writing samples will satisfy the first-year English Composition requirement.

English Writing Program
Modern Languages Bldg, Room 380
The University of Arizona
P.O. Box 210067
Tucson, AZ 85721-0067
Phone: (520) 621-3553

Related Topics:

• Mid-Career Writing Assessment (MCWA)
• Writing Emphasis Course