General Education Requirements in Writing at UCSC

LOWER-DIVISION REQUIREMENTS:

Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)
Composition 1 (C1)
Composition 2 (C2)

The Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)

All candidates for a bachelor’s degree at UCSC must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement (formerly known as the Subject A requirement).

Students who have not satisfied the ELWR must enroll in the appropriate writing class (an ELWR-required section of college Core, Writing 20, 21, or 23) every quarter until they have met the requirement.

After enrolling at UCSC, students must satisfy the ELWR at UCSC, and complete the requirement by the end of their 4th quarter. Students who do not satisfy the ELWR within four quarters should consult with ELWR Coordinator Sarah-Hope Parmeter (shparmet@ucsc.edu).

The General Education Requirement in Composition (C1 & C2)*

In completing UCSC’s two-part General Education Requirement in Composition, students learn how to become effective participants in university discourse, spoken as well as written. Students who do not satisfy their C1 and C2 requirements prior to their 7th quarter will not be able to enroll in classes at UCSC until the requirement has been met elsewhere.

The Composition 1 requirement (C1) has two parts:

The two parts of the C1 requirement may be completed in the order listed below, concurrently, or in reverse order.

1. Completion of the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)
2. Satisfaction by exam, or by completion (with a minimum grade of C or Pass) of a C1-level composition course*

*This downloadable letter from UCSC Vice Provost/Dean of Undergraduate Education William A. Ladusaw attests that C1 sections of college Core classes are equivalent to the first course (e.g., English 1A) in a college-level composition series.

The Composition 2 Requirement (C2):

Completion of a C2-level course (with a minimum grade of C or Pass) satisfies the C2 requirement. Students must complete the C1 requirement before attempting to satisfy the C2 requirement.

Students who have satisfied the C1 requirement prior to enrolling at UCSC may attempt to satisfy the C2 via the appropriate section of their college Core course (e.g., Porter 80B, Stevenson 80B, Stevenson 81B).

The Writing Program at UCSC offers the C2-level course Writing 2: Rhetoric & Inquiry during all three quarters of the regular academic year, and during UCSC's summer session. This requirement also may be satisfied at a community college, provided the C1 requirement has been met prior to enrollment in the C2-level class.

*The C General Education Requirement was replaced by the C1/C2 General Education Requirement in fall of 2005. For students who first enrolled at UCSC prior to fall 2005, taking and passing "Writing 1: Composition & Rhetoric," satisfied the "C" requirement. As of fall 2005, "Writing 1: Composition & Rhetoric" and "Writing 2: Rhetoric & Inquiry" were cross-listed and taught concurrently as the same course. As of December 2008, Writing 1 was retired as an enrollment option.

UPPER-DIVISION REQUIREMENT:

Disciplinary Communication (DC)*

The new Disciplinary Communication (DC) general education requirement will replace the W requirement for students enrolling at UCSC fall quarter 2009, and after. Students will be required to acquire five credits in writing-intensive classes appropriate to their academic major during their junior or senior year. Students must complete the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement and satisfy the Composition C1 and C2 requirements before enrolling in a course satisfying the DC requirement.

*The Writing-Intensive requirement (W) (Effective prior to fall 2009. Contact your college adviser if you have questions about which requirement applies to you.) Students must take and pass an upper-division Writing-Intensive (W) course, usually in their major. These courses often require more writing than other classes, but they also stress explicit attention to the craft of writing in the subject matter of the course or discipline. Papers are assigned throughout the quarter and editorial comment is provided by the instructor. Students must complete the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement and satisfy the Composition C1 and C2 requirements before enrolling in a course which satisfies the writing-intensive requirement.

*For summary tables of ways to satisfy writing requirements at UCSC, click on Methods of Satisfying Writing Requirements Before Entering UCSC and Methods of Satisfying Writing Requirements After Entering UCSC. For students who first enrolled at UCSC prior to fall 2005, please see The C Requirement page.