Writing Course Requirements & Placement

For more information about placement, writing requirements, and the goals of the Writing Program’s courses.

NOTE TO STUDENTS: Your College 1/”core” class is not offered by the Writing Program and does not meet any writing requirements. You may take “core” and Writing 1/1E at the same time.

Image is "Writing 1" and "Writing 1E" against a light blue background. The font is old typewriter style.

Writing 1/1E

Writing 1/1E meets the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR). Writing 1 and Writing 1E are the same, except that Writing 1E offers pedagogical support for multilingual learners. Learn more about Writing 1/1E!

See the current schedule to find information about instructors and modalities for Writing 1/1E.

Writing 2

All undergraduates are required to meet the Composition (“C”) requirement. Students who enter UCSC as frosh meet this requirement by taking Writing 2 prior to their seventh quarter of enrollment. Transfer students may have already met the “C” requirement before coming to UCSC. Learn more about Writing 2!

See the list of current schedule to find information about modalities for Writing 2.

Image is "Writing 25" and "Writing 26" against a green-blue background. The font is old typewriter style.

Writing 25 and 26

The Writing Program offers two courses for undergraduates who are learning English and learning writing at the same time: Writing 25 and Writing 26. These courses provide rigorous writing experiences along with the opportunity to connect with the UCSC community. Learn more about Writing 25 and 26!

See the current schedule to find information about instructors and modalities for Writing 25 and Writing 26.

Directed Self-Placement

Students place into required writing courses by completing the Writing Program’s Directed Self-Placement (DSP) process. DSP is a process that results in students making an informed decision about which writing course is the best starting point for their education at UCSC. Learn about our DSP!