Composition Requirements
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Students entering 2020 and after |
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Students enrolled 2018 – 2019 |
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Composition (C) Requirement - The general education writing requirements at UCSC consist of the Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR), and Composition (C). Composition (C) requirements are outlined below.
For more information visit the UC Santa Cruz website for the Academic Senate
Ways to Satisfy Composition at UCSC
Successful completion of College 1 and ELWR are prerequisites for students' enrollment in the C course (Writing 2). Students must successfully complete Writing 2 before the seventh quarter of enrollment.
Update to the Composition Requirement
All students are expected to complete the Composition (C) Requirement by the start of their 7th quarter. We encourage you to take WRIT 2 as soon as possible after you have completed the prerequisites - by doing this, you are making a commitment to your academic success, and will have greater options for taking a course that aligns with your interests.
As a courtesy, the Writing Program will auto-enroll students who have not proactively taken the course earlier based on capacity at their 6th quarter deadline. If you are auto-enrolled in WRIT 2, please do not drop this course. (You may swap to an open WRIT 2 section.) If there are extenuating circumstances (such as the need to complete major qualification courses) that might make taking this course a challenge, please seek advice from your college advisor.
Effective fall 2021, UC Santa Cruz will not cancel students’ enrollment for failing to complete the C requirement prior to their 7th quarter. However, this requirement is foundational for students to make academic progress and is a prerequisite to all disciplinary communication (DC) courses and many upper-division major courses. It is also a graduation requirement.
Other Ways to Satisfy Composition
UCSC Summer Session - Writing course offerings vary by year but Writing 2 is usually offered. Check the Summer Session website to see what courses are offered this summer.
Community College - Consider taking a course at a Community College. Check which courses are transferable for Composition (C) here.
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Students enrolled 2006-2017 |
Composition 1 and Composition 2
Composition 1, Introduction to University Discourse (Freshman Core Course) - As they make the transition from writing in the schools to writing in a variety of academic and professional contexts, students learn to apply rhetorical principles rather than rely on rule-driven formulas. They also experience and come to understand the connections among composing, thinking, and learning. This requirement is satisfied by the College Core Course.
Composition 2, Rhetoric and Inquiry - Students in Composition 2 (C2) (Writing 2, Core 80B) build on their progress in Composition 1 (C1) by learning strategies for becoming more effective readers, writers, and speakers in the context of assignments that require independent research. They deepen their comprehension of how their writing and that of others can add to the understanding of vital issues and sustain meaningful inquiry through responsible persuasion. Students must complete the Composition 2 (C2) requirement before the seventh quarter of enrollment.
Ways to Satisfy Composition 2 at UCSC
Students in Composition 2 (C2) (Writing 2, Core 80B) build on their progress in Composition 1 (C1) by learning strategies for becoming more effective readers, writers, and speakers in the context of assignments that require independent research. They deepen their comprehension of how their writing and that of others can add to the understanding of vital issues and sustain meaningful inquiry through responsible persuasion. Students must complete the Composition 2 (C2) requirement before the seventh quarter of enrollment.
Other Ways to Satisfy Composition 2
UCSC Summer Session
Writing course offerings vary by year but Writing 2 is usually offered. Check the Summer Session website to see what courses are offered this summer.
Community College
Consider taking a course at a Community College. Check which courses are transferable for Composition 2 (C2) here.
Note that satisfying Composition 1 (C1) at a Community College is an option only available prior to beginning at UCSC. Once a student begins enrollment at UCSC, satisfaction of the ELWR and C1 requirements will take a different route.
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Students enrolled before 2005
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