Getting Started: Choosing your Classes

Reading and Composition

"Getting Started" Home | Environmental Sciences Home | UC Berkeley

ES majors must fulfill two semesters of Reading and Composition (R&C) to graduate. Unless you have fulfilled the entire requirement prior to starting at UC Berkeley or you have to take College Writing R1A, you must take an R&C class in the fall semester.

The Reading and Composition requirement is a two semester freshman English composition requirement.

Links on this page:

• Fulfilling the R&C requirement with coursework
• Fulfilling part or all of the R&C requirement with AP scores
• Fulfilling part or all of the R&C requirement with community college courses
• Fulfilling the R&C requirement with an International Baccalaureate exam
  

Fulfilling the R&C requirement with coursework

Berkeley offers a wide variety of courses that fulfill the R&C requirement. You must take one "A" course and one "B" course (but not in the same semester). The "A" course and the "B" course do not need to be from the same department.

The list of R&C courses being taught in fall is available http://schedule.berkeley.edu. Select the proper semester for your search. To find a first half course, an "A" course, type "R1A, R2A, R3A, H1A, R5A, R44" without the quotation marks in the Course Number search box. To find a second half course, a "B" course, type "R1B, R2B, R3B, H1B, R5W, R5B, R44" without the quotation marks in the Course Number search box.

Note that College Writing R1A is only open to students who have not fulfillied the Subject A requirement.

Be sure that you read the General Catalog description for each class. Although most R&C classes are open to anyone and do not have prerequisites, some are specialized. For example, Comparative Literature R2A and R2B require knowledge of French, Comparative Literature R3A and R3B require knowledge of Spanish, and Comparative Literature H1A and H1B are honors sections that require the instructor's permission to enroll. Linguistics R5W only fulfills the R&C requirement when taken concurrently with Linguistics 5. Restrictions may also apply to other classes. It is your responsibility to know the prerequisites for a class.

[top]

Fulfilling part or all of the R&C requirement with AP scores

AP scores can exempt you from part or all of the R&C requirement.

[top]

Fulfilling part or all of the R&C requirement with community college courses

Community Colleges frequently offer classes equivalent to the R&C courses at Cal. You can find equivalent courses by using the Assist web site, www.assist.org. You should verify with the ES advisor that the class you intend to take will satisfy the Reading and Composition requirement.

If you take a class at a community college, you must have the transcript sent to the CNR Office of Instruction and Student Affairs. They will approve the transfer of units and forward the transcript to the Office of the Registrar so the units can be posted on your UCB transcript.

[top]

Fulfilling the R&C requirement with an International Baccalaureate exam

Students who have passed the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English Language A credential examination with a score of 5 (five) or higher fulfill both halves of the Reading and Composition requirement. Enroll in another ES Requirement or a College of Natural Resources elective. The Environmental Sciences advisor must approve the class

[top]

PREVIOUS PAGE: Subject A	NEXT PAGE: Freshman Seminar Program

Back to "Getting Started" home page

Return to top

Environmental Sciences
260 Mulford Hall
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-3100
phnoe: 510-643-9479
fax: 510-643-3132
e-mail: es-help@nature.berkeley.edu

Modification Date: 07/25/2005