Guidelines for Reading and Composition Courses
In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing and critical thinking for work in the major, the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition—Reading and Composition (R&C), Parts A and B, in sequential order.
- All undergraduates must complete the Reading and Composition (R&C) requirement by the end of their fourth semester or their enrollment may be blocked for the following semester.
- All courses used to satisfy Part A or B of Reading and Composition must be completed with a letter grade of C- or better.
- Students who have been admitted to Berkeley and have not completed Entry Level Writing, must enroll in College Writing R1A (6 units) which satisfies both Entry Level Writing and the first half of R&C. Please note: A minimum grade of C is required in COLWRIT R1A in order to satisfy Entry Level Writing.
- AGRS (formerly CLASSIC) R44 (completed with a C- or higher) may be used to satisfy either Part A or Part B of R&C. This course may also be used to satisfy Arts and Literature, Historical Studies, or Social & Behavioral Sciences breadth.
- With the exception of AGRS (formerly CLASSIC) R44, courses fulfilling the Reading and Composition requirement may not be applied to Seven-Course Breadth.
Satisfying Reading and Composition with an Exam
- Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and Composition - Minimum Score of 4 satisfies Part A
- Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and Composition - Minimum Score of 5 satisfies Parts A & B
- Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition - Score of 4 or 5 satisfies Part A
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level (HL) English A: Literature* - Score of 5, 6, or 7 satisfies Parts A & B
- Beginning with students admitted in fall 2018 - International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level (HL) English A: Language and Literature* - Score of 5, 6, or 7 satisfies Parts A & B
- GCE A-Level English Literature exam for students entering Berkeley fall 2017 and PRIOR - Score of A, B, or C satisfies Parts A & B
- GCE A-Level English Literature exam for students entering Berkeley fall 2018 and BEYOND - No longer accepted for this requirement
* The IB Literature and Performance, exam, as well as the Standard Level (SL) exams in English A: Literature and English A: Language and Literature are NOT eligible for satisfaction of Reading and Composition.
Satisfying Reading and Composition with Berkeley Courses
- Successful completion with a C- grade or better of two designated Reading and Composition courses in sequence order. Review all approved below.
Satisfying Reading and Composition Requirement with Transfer Courses
- Transfer courses must be taken on a letter-graded basis and be completed with a grade of C- or better.
- Students admitted with IGETC Certification from a California community college or UC Reciprocity have satisfied Reading and Composition. No additional coursework is required.
- Transfer applicants from campuses outside of the California Community College System should review admissions.berkeley.edu/transfer_info for currently articulated courses from non-CCC institutions. If the institution is not listed on the website, once an admission application is filed, the admissions office will facilitate a review of prospective courses. Courses that are at least 3 semester units or 4-5 quarter units in value, and focus on instruction on English composition are eligible for consideration.
- Students can complete a pre-approved Reading and Composition course at a California Community College. Pre-approved courses can be found on ASSIST. Refer to the L&S Transfer Coursework page for instructions on how to take transfer credit as an L&S student before enrolling at a California Community College.
Satisfies Part A of the Reading and Composition Requirement
Please scroll down to see complete list of courses.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AFRICAM R1A | Freshman Composition | |
| AFRICAM R1AN | Reading and Composition | |
| ASAMST R2A | Reading and Composition | |
| CELTIC R1A | Voices of the Celtic World | |
| CHICANO R1A | Reading and Composition | |
| CHICANO R1AN | Reading and Composition | |
| COLWRIT R1A | Accelerated Reading and Composition | |
| COLWRIT R4A | Reading and Composition | |
| COM LIT H1A | English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature | |
| COM LIT N1A | English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature | |
| COM LIT R1A | English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature | |
| COM LIT R2A | English Composition in Connection with Reading of World and French Literature | |
| COM LIT R3A | English Composition in Connection with Reading of World and Hispanic Literature | |
| ENGLISH R1A | Reading and Composition | |
| ENGLISH R1AN | First-Year Reading and Composition | |
| FILM R1A | The Craft of Writing - Film Focus | |
| FRENCH R1A | English Composition in Connection with the Reading of Literature | |
| GERMAN R5A | Reading and Composition | |
| HUM R1A | Global Humanities I: From California to the Global | |
| ITALIAN R5A | Reading and Composition | |
| LEGALST R1A | Reading and Composition in Connection with the Law as a Social Institution | |
| MELC R1A | Reading and Composition in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures | |
| NATAMST R1A | Native American Studies Reading and Composition | |
| RHETOR R1A | The Craft of Writing | |
| SASIAN R5A | Great Books of India | |
| SCANDIN R5A | Reading and Composition | |
| SEASIAN R5A | Self, Representation, and Nation | |
| SLAVIC R5A | Reading and Composition | |
| SPANISH R1A | Reading and Composition Through Readings from the Spanish-Speaking World | |
| THEATER R1A | Performance: Writing and Research | |
| XCOLWRI R1A | Accelerated Reading and Composition | |
| XCOMLIT R1A | English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature | |
| XENGLIS R1A | Reading and Composition | |
| XFILM R1A | The Craft of Writing - Film Focus | |
| XRHETOR R1A | The Craft of Writing | |
| XSEASIA R5A | Self, Representation, and Nation |
Satisfies Part B of the Reading and Composition Requirement
Please scroll down to see complete list of courses.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AFRICAM R1B | Freshman Composition | |
| AHMA R1B | Reading and Composition on Topics in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology | |
| ANTHRO R5B | Reading and Composition in Anthropology | |
| ASAMST R2B | Reading and Composition | |
| CELTIC R1B | Voices of the Celtic World | |
| CHICANO R1B | Reading and Composition | |
| COLWRIT R4B | Reading, Composition, and Research | |
| COM LIT H1B | English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature | |
| COM LIT N1B | English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature | |
| COM LIT R1B | English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature | |
| COM LIT R2B | English Composition in Connection with Reading of World and French Literature | |
| COM LIT R3B | English Composition in Connection with Reading of World and Hispanic Literature | |
| EA LANG R1B | Reading and Composition on topics in East Asian Humanities | |
| ENGLISH R1B | Reading and Composition | |
| ENV DES R3B | Reading and Composition in Energy, Society, and Environmental Design | |
| FILM R1B | The Craft of Writing - Film Focus | |
| FRENCH R1B | English Composition in Connection with the Reading of Literature | |
| GERMAN R5B | Reading and Composition | |
| GWS N1B | Reading and Composition | |
| GWS R1B | Reading and Composition | |
| HISTART R1B | Reading and Writing about Visual Experience | |
| HISTORY R1B | Reading and Composition in History | |
| HUM R1B | Global Humanities: Old World, New World, Our World | |
| ITALIAN R5B | Reading and Composition | |
| LEGALST R1B | Reading and Composition in Connection with the Law as a Social Institution | |
| LINGUIS R1B | Topics in Linguistic Science | |
| LINGUIS R2B | Language and Linguistics in Science Fiction | |
| MELC R1B | Reading and Composition in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures | |
| MUSIC R1B | Reading and Writing about Music | |
| NATAMST R1B | Native American Studies Reading and Composition | |
| NWMEDIA R1B | New Media Reading and Composition | |
| PHILOS R1B | Reading and Composition Through Philosophy | |
| RHETOR R1B | The Craft of Writing | |
| SASIAN R5B | India in the Writer's Eye | |
| SCANDIN R5B | Reading and Composition | |
| SEASIAN R5B | Under Western Eyes | |
| SLAVIC R5B | Reading and Composition | |
| SOCIOL R1B | Sociological Reading & Composition | |
| SPANISH R1B | Reading and Composition Through Readings from the Spanish-Speaking World | |
| THEATER R1B | Performance: Writing and Research | |
| XASAMST R2B | Reading and Composition | |
| XENGLIS R1B | Reading and Composition | |
| XFILM R1B | The Craft of Writing - Film Focus | |
| XHISTAR R1B | Reading and Writing about Visual Experience |
Satisfies Either Part A or B of the Reading and Composition Requirement
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AGRS R44 | Classics of the Ancient Mediterranean World | 5 |