Overview of UCI Undergraduate Writing Requirements
Preamble from the UCI General Catalog
Because of the importance of visual, oral, electronic, and written communication in every academic discipline, in the professions, and in public life, the University is committed to developing a variety of communication abilities in students at all levels and in all areas. The Writing Requirement expresses this broad commitment, but the concern for and attention to rhetorically effective, accurate writing is expected in all courses. The Writing Requirement consists of two courses at the lower-division level beyond the UC Entry-Level Writing Requirement and one upper-division course in a discipline.
Learning Outcomes as Stated in the General Catalog
After completing this general education requirement, successful students should be able to do the following:
Lower-division writing:
- demonstrate rhetorically effective, accurate writing and communication ability across a variety of contexts, purposes, audiences, and media using appropriate stance, genre, style, and organization.
- develop flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proof-reading texts.
- develop abilities in critical reading across a variety of genres and media.
- demonstrate information literacy skills by locating, evaluating and integrating information gathered from multiple sources into a research project.
Upper-division writing:
- demonstrate rhetorically effective, discipline-specific writing and communication for appropriate academic, professional, and public audiences.
- demonstrate, at an advanced level of competence, use of discipline-specific research methods, genres, modes of development, and formal conventions.
- demonstrate advanced information literacy skills by locating, evaluating and integrating information gathered from multiple sources into discipline-specific writing.
Entry-Level Writing Requirement
A majority of UCI students fulfill the UC Entry-Level Writing Requirement by taking one of the following writing placement exams and earning the minimum score:
- 8 or better on the UC Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE)
- 30 or better on the ACT Combined English/Writing test; or
- 680 or better on the College Board SAT-II Writing Test; or
- 680 or better on the College Board SAT Reasoning Test, Writing section; or
- 3, 4 or 5 on either Advanced Placement (AP) Examination in English; or
- 5 or above on an International Baccalaureate High Level English A exam
- 6 or above on an International Baccalaureate Standard Level English A exam
Students who have not satisfied the Entry-Level Writing Requirement at the time they enroll in their classes must take and pass with a grade of C or better, a writing course designated by their campus for satisfying the Entry Level Writing Requirement.
Entry-Level Writing Requirement Courses
Humanities 20 Series
Students with the lowest scores or with an ESL designation are placed into Academic English/ESL courses. Upon entrance to AE/ESL, the student is individually tested and placed into the appropriate course in the sequence (Hum 20A, B, C, and D). Maximum enrollment: 18.The purpose of the Humanities 20 series at UCI is twofold: first, to help second language students strengthen their reading and writing skills before they take the Writing 39 series; and second, to prepare students for the language requirements of their other academic classes. Reading and writing assignments at UCI are much more demanding than they are in high school, and professors assume their students can meet those demands. The Humanities 20 series aims to help students do this.
WR 39A, AP
Non-ESL students with low placement scores are placed into WR 39A or WR 39AP. WR 39A is an introduction to college writing designed to help students do well in college courses that require writing and to prepare them for the more advanced courses in the lower-division writing sequence. Writing 39 AP is an intensive version of WR 39 A that includes a mandatory two-hour lab. Maximum enrollment: 23/15.WR 37
Students with the highest non-passing placement scores are eligible for WR 37, an accelerated writing course that teaches students the same skills covered in Writing 39A and Writing 39B, but allows them to accomplish the work in one quarter rather than two. In-class time requirements for this course are three hours per week of seminar instruction plus a one-and-a-half hour discussion section once a week, for a total credit of six units. Writing 37 teaches the critical thinking and analytical writing skills required for university level course work. Maximum enrollment: 20.HumCore 1AS/A
Students who are taking the Humanities Core Course for the Lower-Division Writing Requirement but who have not passed the Entry-Level Writing Requirement must take this course, which focuses on foundations of writing and critical thinking using texts from the humanities. Maximum enrollment: 22 per section.
Lower-Division Writing (LDW) Requirement
All UCI undergraduate students must satisfy the Lower-Division Writing Requirement before the end of their sophomore year. Students may fulfill this requirement in one of four ways (some schools require a certain path):
1. by taking a sequence of writing courses in the Composition Program
2. by taking WR 39B (with a grade of B or higher) and a Creative Writing course
3. by taking a year-long, Humanities Core Course that also satisfies humanities breadth requirements
4. by taking a WR 39B in addition to a First-Year Integrated Program sequenceStudents are advised about which sequence to take based on their major courses of study. Some schools at UCI have specific requirements; for instance, all School of Humanities students and all Honors students must take the Humanities Core Course.
1. The Composition Program, English Department
Composition courses are taught by Teaching Assistants and Lecturers (60/40%). Approximate percentages, home departments of TAs: English (48%), Comparative Lit (30%), Creative Writing (19%), and History (3%).
WR 39B
Critical Reading and Rhetoric is a course that focuses upon both reading and writing in several genres students will encounter in everyday life at the university; the reading and writing practices taught will help students succeed in other courses and will prepare them to engage responsibly and effectively in the university community. Maximum enrollment: 23.
WR 39C
Argument and Research is a course designed to teach students the process of conducting academic research and to introduce them to the theories of argumentation. Students write researched academic essays that require broad research of both the Internet and several academic databases in the UCI Libraries. Maximum enrollment: 23.2. Composition Course and Creative Writing
Creative Writing courses are taught by TAs in English and Creative Writing.Students who take WR 39B in the Composition Program and receive a grade of "B" or higher may substitute a creative writing or literary journalism course in lieu of WR 39C. Maximum enrollment: 15.
WR 30 The Art of Writing: Poetry. Beginners' workshop in the writing of poetry, evaluation of student manuscripts, and parallel readings.
WR 31 The Art of Writing: Prose Fiction. Beginners' workshop in fiction writing, evaluation of student manuscripts, and parallel readings.
WR 38 (inactive) The Art of Writing: Nonfiction and Journalism. Beginners' workshop in the writing of nonfiction and news articles, evaluation of student manuscripts, projects.
3. Humanities Core Course / School of Humanities Sequence
Humanities Core Courses writing/discussion sections are taught by Teaching Assistants, Lecturers, Faculty, and the Writing Director (current breakdown is 34%/59%/6%/1%). Approximate percentages, home departments of TAs: Comparative Lit (16%), History (21%), Languages (19%), English (19%), Visual Studies (11%), Philosophy (14%).Humanities Core Course is a specialized sequence of three first-year lecture and discussion courses that integrates writing directly into the introductory study of literature, history, philosophy, and visual culture. This integrated approach means that students develop writing skills while interpreting challenging texts from many cultural traditions, historical periods, and genres. An information literacy curriculum about resources from the UCI library and academic databases is also incorporated. Over the course of the year, students write seven essays and complete a capstone research project. Each sequence is offered for three years with faculty from across Humanities; with each new sequence, the theme and faculty change. The current theme is "Thinking – Making – Doing." Maximum enrollment: 22 per section.
4. First-Year Integrated Program /Division of Undergraduate Education Sequence
FIP Courses are taught by Teaching Assistants and Faculty (40/60%). Home department of TAs varies each year. Current TA home departments: Informatics, Film & Media Studies, Ecology Evolution, Social Ecology, and Comparative Literature.The First-Year Integrated Program is a year-long experience that introduces students to the ways different disciplines approach similar topics. Program participants are part of a unique learning community including faculty from different disciplines, graduate teaching assistants, and first-year students. Three FIP sequences are being offered in the 2008-2009 academic year. "Computer Games as Art, Culture and Technology" includes faculty from Information and Computer Science, Informatics, and Film and Media Studies; disciplines represented in "Environmental Studies" include faculty from Earth System Science, Developmental and Cell Biology, and Civil and Environmental Engineering; faculty involved in "Consciousness" include faculty from Cognitive Sciences, Comparative Literature, and French and Italian Literature. The maximum number of students enrolled in a FIP sequence is 80, with discussion/writing sections enrolled to a maximum of 20.
Upper-Division Writing (UDW) Requirement
In addition to the lower-division writing requirements, all students at UCI must complete an upper-division writing requirement, which is usually satisfied by taking an upper-division "W"-identified course in the major. These courses are taught by faculty in the disciplines in which the "W" courses are housed and administered. Some students fulfill this requirement through transfer credits, and some by taking W139, a general upper-level writing course administered by the Office of the Campus Writing Coordinator (CWC). The CWC works with faculty across the disciplines to enhance, assess, and re-design upper-division writing courses. Maximum enrollment: 20 recommended.
Contacts:
Jonathan Alexander (Campus Writing Coordinator) jfalexan@uci.edu
Daniel M. Gross (Director of Composition) dgross@uci.edu
Julia Lupton (Director, Humanities Core Course) jrlupton@uci.edu
Elizabeth Losh (Writing Director, Humanities Core Course) lizlosh@uci.edu
Rudi Berkelhamer (Program Director, First-Year Integrated Program) rcberkel@uci.edu
Lori Miller (Writing Director, First-Year Integrated Program) lorim@uci.edu
Robin Scarcella (Program Director, Academic English / ESL) rcscarce@uci.edu
Christine Moseley (Director, Learning and Acad. Resource Center) cmoseley@uci.edu
Susan Davis (Director, WR 30 / Poetry) sedavis@uci.edu
Michel Latiolais (Director, WR 31 / Fiction) latiolai@uci.edu
Patricia Pierson (Director, WR 38 / Literary Journalism) piersonp@uci.edu