The C1 General Education Requirement

Home General Education Requirements in Writing at UCSC The C1 General Education Requirement

The UCSC C1 General Education requirement has two parts:

PART I: Satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)

Before you begin a degree program at UCSC, you can satisfy the ELWR by taking and passing an appropriate college writing course at a community college or by exam. (See Methods of Satisfying Writing Requirements Before Entering UCSC.) As soon as you have met the requirement by one of these means, be sure to confirm right away that the testing agency or school has sent its official score report or transcript to UCSC. (If official confirmation of your ELWR satisfaction is delayed until after July 15, we recommend that you contact an adviser at your college to discuss procedures for enrolling in the correct college Core course.)

After you begin a degree program at UCSC, you must satisfy the ELWR at UCSC. You can do this by means of a writing placement exam and/or a portfolio of papers from an appropriate writing course. Many students satisfy the ELWR via a portfolio of papers from one of a series of required Writing Program courses (Writing 20, Writing 21, Writing 23). (See Pathways to Satisfying the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR).

If you have not satisfied the ELWR by spring of your first year at UCSC, you may opt to take an appropriate summer college writing course. By UC regulation, ELWR-unsatisfied students who take a writing course elsewhere after starting a degree program at their home campus cannot receive credit toward their degrees nor satisfy a writing requirement by taking the course. However, taking such a course provides helpful experience in writing college-level papers and should enable you to accumulate a portfolio of papers you can submit for consideration of satisfying the ELWR. (You must also take the September campus Analytical Writing Placement Exam to meet the requirement that you satisfy the ELWR at the UC campus where you matriculated.) You are strongly encouraged to contact the ELWR Coordinator, Sarah-Hope Parmeter (shparmet@ucsc.edu) before summer begins to discuss these procedures.

PART II. Satisfaction by exam score, or by earning a grade of C or better in a C1-level composition course

Before starting a degree program at UCSC, it is possible to satisfy the C1 requirement by exam or by taking and passing an appropriate college writing course. A score of 10 on the system-wide AWPE, or a score of 4 or 5 on the AP English Language or Literature exam, or a score of 5 or above on the IB Higher Level English A exam, automatically satisfies both the ELWR and C1. Taking and passing a C1-level community college course with a grade of C or better will also satisfy both C1 and the ELWR. (If you satisfy the C1 requirement in this manner, you will be placed in a C2-level section of your college Core course provided UCSC Admissions has received your official transcript from the testing agency or school prior to the start of fall quarter.)

After starting a degree program at UCSC, students ordinarily take and pass their college Core course to satisfy the C1 requirement.

If you are ELWR-unsatisfied after having started a degree program at UCSC, you have not yet satisfied the C1 requirement even if you pass your college Core course. If you pass your College 80A (Core) class with a grade of Pass or C or better, C1 will be satisfied once you satisfy the ELWR.

Students who do not pass their college Core course are strongly encouraged to make an appointment with a member of their college advising staff to plan an approach to satisfying the C1 requirement. If you have satisfied the ELWR but have not satisfactorily completed your college Core course, please be aware that if you satisfy C1 via a C1-level community college course, you must still satisfy the College Core requirement; you will likely be directed to take a section of your college Core course to satisfy C2.  See an adviser at your college if you have questions about this.