UCSB Writing Requirements for Transfer Students

Each year, nearly two thousand students transfer to UCSB from California's community colleges, state colleges, out-of-state universities, and other University of California campuses. The key to a successful transfer for most students will be learning the new institution's requirements and figuring out which of those requirements they have met. Most students will find that they have partially satisfied UCSB's writing requirements. The three writing requirements that concern every student who enters UCSB are the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement , English Composition and two kinds of General Education Requirements (a General Subject Area Requirement in English Reading and Composition and a Special Subject Requirement called Writing). The University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement is of special concern to incoming students, both because there is a time limit to complete it and because it is a prerequisite to advanced writing classes.

Subject A

Before they matriculate, most transfer students will have satisfied the UC's statewide University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement in one of the following ways:

1. receive a grade of C or higher in appropriate transfer English composition course;
2. score 3 or higher on the Advanced Placement English;
3. score 680 or higher on SAT II Subject Test in Writing;
4. score 5 or higher on the International Baccalaureate higher level English A Examination; or
5. receive passing score (8 or higher) on the University of California Analytical Writing Placement Exam (formerly called Subject A Exam)

It is important to note that once students matriculate at UCSB, they may no longer fulfill the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement with coursework from another institution. Further, they must satisfy Subject A by the end of their third quarter at UCSB. For that reason, students who have not satisfied this requirement prior to matriculation must take the Subject A writing test at the beginning of their first quarter. Students may take only one Subject A test; if their score is lower than 8, they will have to earn a grade of C or higher in the course Writing 1 to satisfy the requirement.

General Education Writing Requirements

Additionally, students who transfer to UCSB must satisfy the university's General Subject Area Writing requirement, which is six courses from the UCSB list.

* The first of these is a continuation of the goals of the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement: General Subject Area Requirement A, English Reading and Composition, requires the completion of two courses, UCSB Writing 2 (or 2E or 2LK) and one course from the following: Writing 50, 50E, 109AA-ZZ, or English 10. In many cases, transfer work will fulfill these requirements.
* In addition, we have a Special Subject Area requirement known as Writing, which specifies that six courses must be completed from the UCSB list. Transfer courses do not apply to this requirement, but the requirement is reduced for transfer students to the number of omissions at the time of admission in General Subject Areas D through G at the time of matriculation.

Help for Transfer Students

Talk with the advisor at your previous school to find out which courses transfer to UCSB.
UCSB has articulation agreements with many California colleges that specify which of the classes that you take there will count at UCSB.

Contact the UCSB Admissions and Outreach Office for Advisement.
Transfer services provides information and advisement for students prior to their application to UCSB.

Check the transferability of your coursework at ASSIST.org.
ASSIST (Articulation System Stimulating Interinstitutional Student Transfer) is California's official statewide repository of transfer information, offering easy access to a single database. ASSIST can help you determine if you will receive credit for courses you've already taken, and how those courses will apply to specific academic goals."

Contact the Writing Program's Undergraduate Advisor.
In addition to advising students about taking writing courses at UCSB, the Undergraduate Advisor can also enter student's transfer information into UCSB's data system, clearing the student's writing prerequisites and allowing them to register for upper division writing courses. (Note: official transcripts must still be sent to the Admissions Office.)