FAQs: English Composition

• What is the difference between the Composition (C) requirement and the Writing (W) requirement?

  The Writing requirement defines the overall category within the General Education requirement which students fulfill. This Writing requirement is divided into two parts: Composition (C) and Additional Writing (W).

  Writing, or "W" courses as they are commonly referred to, are taught all across many different departments and involve writing connected to a theme or field tightly connected both to the learning goals and assessments of a course. Writing classes can involve different languages and forms of English. Further, W courses can incorporate various forms of writing, including print-based and multimodal genres, as well as academic, informal, and public forms of writing. The form should follow the desired function and support learning goals.

  Writing credit is not awarded based on the amount (i.e., page count) of writing involved in a course, but rather for courses that have writing as a staged, supported process that emphasizes students' development. Further course guidelines can be found on the UW Writing Site.

  Composition focuses on the study and practice of good writing technique; this is different to W courses that seek to develop student skills in writing through the lens of a specific field or discipline. Composition courses emphasize the value of feedback and revision on writing skills development, and represent excellent general preparation for writing academic papers. Lastly, Composition courses involve the study and practice of strategies/skills for effective writing and argument. As a result, it's most common to find Composition courses offered through the UW's Department of English.

• The Composition course I'd like to register for says I need an Add Code to register. How do I get that?

  Add Codes for Composition courses are always given by the instructor. If you do not hear back immediately from a faculty member, please know that they can get very busy so give them a 2 day window to hear back from them. Instructors will not give Add Codes to students if the course is already full and/or if the class has already begun.

  Humanities Academic Services does not administer Add Codes. 

• Can I use my AP or IB scores to receive Composition credit?

  AP and IB English does not qualify for the Composition or Additional Writing requirements. However, these scores can be granted for general elective credit.

• I'm a Transfer student who has taken an English course at another institution. Will it count towards the Composition requirement?

  The Admissions department will evaluate your transcript and will mark your transferrable course as a "C" in your transcript to represent that it has been designated for UW-designated Composition credit. These English Composition courses from previous institutions must be valued at 4.5 credits or you may combine two 3 credit English Composition courses.

  If you did not receive Composition credit an English Composition course from a previous institution, you can submit a request to have your transfer coursework here.

• Can I receive credit for a Composition course from an institution located in a Non-Anglophone country if it is taught in English?

  Unfortunately, you cannot receive Composition credit for a course from an institution which was located in a Non-Anglophone speaking country even if it was taught in English.

• A Composition course I want to register for says that it is closed, but when I click the course it says there are available seats. Can I still register?

  The seat availability represents how big the classroom space is, however, the faculty teaching the course will set the class capacity in order to be able to attend to the student community's needs, therefore you cannot register for a course which has closed.

  You can sign up for Seat Availability Notifications in case a student drops the course and then you can be notified if a student drops the course and register.