Writing is a foundational skill upon which all education and knowledge is founded. Accordingly, students attending St. Cloud State University must satisfy the writing component for Goal Area One of the Liberal Education Program (LEP). Options to meet the LEP writing requirement are determined by test scores, intended program of study and a student’s course work prior to attending St. Cloud State.
Most students who begin their college careers at St. Cloud State complete the Goal Area One writing requirement by taking one of three four-credit courses: ENGL 190, 191, or 198. Students accepted into the Honors Program often take one of the honors First-Year Composition courses (HONS 160, 161, 163).
Students who transfer credit earned from previous institutions for an introductory writing course often complete the writing component by taking the two-credit ENGL 291. In some cases, students provide evidence from previous experiences that exempt them from the LEP writing requirement.
Students may be considered exempt from the Goal Area One writing requirement if they have:
Exemption allows students to bypass the requirement; it does not, however, grant that student credit for having taken a FYC course at St. Cloud State.
Placement in ENGL 191 and ENGL 198 requires students to earn one of the following test scores:
ENGL 191 is a general, FYC course that introduces students to effective writing processes and strategies by practicing rhetorical analysis and critical thinking. Assigned readings and writing assignments typically address academic and community-centered issues. The culminating project in the course is a researched argument.
ENGL 198 is the same course as ENGL 191 with the exception that it is focused on literature or other humanities-based texts.
If you took your Accuplacer test more than 5 years ago, it can no longer be used for placement.
For more information about ENGL 191 and 198, please contact FYC Director Dr. James Heiman.
ENGL 190 is intended for students whose test scores indicate they need additional support with their writing skills. This course has the same focus and assignments as ENGL 191, but it features both a smaller class size as well as a mandatory supplemental session (in even smaller groups) with a tutor from The Write Place. The supplemental session provides students with access to additional instruction to facilitate their personal success.
Students also enroll in Power Reading (COLL 120) during the fall or spring semester of the same academic year they take ENGL 190.
For more information about ENGL 190, please contact the director of the Write Place.
Transfer students who have not taken a composition course with a suitable research component usually take ENGL 291 to fulfill the Goal Area One writing requirement. In such cases, St. Cloud State (or transferology) assigns credit for the previous writing course as "ENGL 100," and grants the transfer student permission to enroll in ENGL 291. Some students choose instead to take ENGL 191 or 198 or Honors 160 to fulfill the St. Cloud State writing requirement. Others satisfy this requirement by taking and passing the FYC Exemption Exam.
Incoming students who took the Advance Placement test and earned a score of 3 are eligible to take ENGL 291 as well.
For more information about ENGL 291, please contact the English Department.
Non-native speakers of English who are not international students and earn a score below 236 on the ACCUPLACER Next Generation Reading Test may be required to take the ACCUPLACER ESL Reading test, ACCUPLACER ESL Listening test, and the Essay test to determine placement.
For more information, visit the English for Academic Purposes website or contact EAP Coordinator Jesse Sadoff.