Alternatives to 100-Level Courses
English exams for ENGL 101/107 credit
Some English exams can earn Foundations Writing credit (ENGL 101/107).
The following exams and scores are eligible for ENGL 101/107 credit:
AP English Language and Literature (4 or higher)
AP English Language and Composition (4 or higher)
IB English Literature (HL) (5 or higher)
Cambridge English (E or better)
College Composition CLEP exam (50 or higher)
If you report an English exam in the FWE, a Writing Placement Advisor will be notified via email and will follow up with your next steps.
To earn Foundations Writing credit, your official scores must be submitted to the UArizona Registrar. More information about submitting your scores can be found at this link.
Previous college writing courses
You may have courses that satisfy Foundations Writing.
If you're completing the FWE and do not have any previous writing courses automatically receiving Foundations Writing credit:
First, go to the Transfer Credit Guide to look up your course(s). Typically, you will be searching for English courses.
If your course is listed as receiving Foundations Writing credit (ENGL 101, ENGL 102, ENGL 107, ENGL 108, ENGL 109H), then your course will satisfy a requirement, provided you earned a C or higher. Have your official transcripts sent to the University of Arizona in order to earn credit for your transfer coursework.
If your course is not listed in the Transfer Credit Guide, or your course is listed as receiving elective credit (ENGL 1TR), you may submit a syllabus to the Transfer Credit and Articulation Office to be reviewed for Foundations Writing credit. Because the Transfer Credit and Articulation office requires a syllabus to complete a course review, English courses completed prior to 1995 cannot be evaluated for Foundations Writing credit.
Transfer students with 40+ credits
If you have over 40 credits transferring to UA from another institution, you are eligible for either one of the two alternative options to satisfy the Foundations Writing requirement: you can enroll in ENGL 306T or submit a Transfer Portfolio. Whether you need ENGL 101, 102, or both, these options are available to you. Read on!
Option 1: Transfer Portfolio
Earn a waiver for previous writing experiences
With this free, non-credit bearing option, students compile a portfolio of previous writing along with a reflection that explains how their writing demonstrates familiarity with the concepts stated in our Foundations Writing Student Learning Outcomes.
If you select this option, you will be enrolled in a D2L workshop that provides guidance for compiling a successful portfolio. Most students are able to compile and submit the portfolio within 4-6 weeks.
Who should do it?
If your previous course(s) do not satisfy the Foundations Writing requirement (either partially or fully), the requirement can be waived if you successfully complete the Transfer Portfolio. We typically recommend this option to students who have taken at least one English composition course but this course has not been approved to satisfy the Foundations Writing requirement.
What is it?
The Transfer Portfolio is:
A collection of at least 4 writing "artifacts" that serves as evidence of your familiarity and experience with the concepts stated in the Foundations Writing Student Learning Outcomes.
An accompanying Reflection Essay that discusses why you have included each artifact in the portfolio.
How do I start?
Complete the Foundations Writing Evaluation in order to select this option (you may select this option even if you are recommended something else!). Once you have submitted your FWE, you'll receive a follow-up email with more information about enrollment. You should also review the Transfer Portfolio Policies on the Foundations Writing for Transfer Students page.
Option 2: ENGL 306(T)
One requirement, one course
This intensive, 7.5-week course covers the major outcomes of our ENGL 101/107 and 102/108 courses while emphasizing students' unique backgrounds, professional interests, and academic disciplines. Students who enroll in the course are also eligible to complete the Transfer Portfolio, but elect to take the course as a means of receiving more direct instruction and support to help them through the portfolio compilation and reflection process.
Who should do it?
ENGL 306T is ideal for students who:
have non-academic experiences that have exposed them to different types of workplace or recreational writing;
have taken at least a few courses in their major discipline and want to know more about how writing and research are done in their discipline.
What is it?
The course is extended study in rhetorical knowledge to support writing development. Students will be expected to do more independent work, discovering, analyzing, and producing the kind of writing used in their unique academic disciplines or intended professions. Through both formal and informal writing activities, this course emphasizes awareness of how writing differs across academic and professional contexts with guided practice in shifting purpose, style, and register.
How do I start?
Complete the Foundations Writing Evaluation in order to select this option (you may select this option even if you are recommended something else!). Once you have submitted your FWE, you will be eligible to register for ENGL 306T.