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 will be blocked for the following semester.
- A letter grade of C- or better is required.
- Students who have been admitted to Berkeley and have not completed Entry Level Writing , must enroll in College Writing R1A which satisfies both Entry Level Writing and the first half of R&C.
- With the exception of L&S R44, courses fulfilling the Reading and Composition requirement may not be applied to other College breadth requirements.
Satisfying the Reading and Composition Requirement with High School Work
- Advanced Placement Exam in English Literature and Composition—score of 4 satisfies first semester, score of 5 satisfies both semesters.
- Advanced Placement Exam in English Language and Composition—score of 4 or 5 satisfies first semester.
- International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English: Literature (formerly English A1) - score of 5, 6 or 7 satisfies both semesters.
- A-level English Exam—grade of A, B or C satisfies both semesters.
Satisfying the Reading and Composition Requirement at Berkeley
- Successful completion with a C- grade or better of a sequence of two designated Reading and Composition courses. See all approved below.
Satisfying the Reading and Composition Requirement with Transfer Work
- Transfer courses must be taken on a letter-graded basis and be completed with a grade of C- or better. At schools where an equivalent articulated course is offered only on a Passed/Not Passed basis, a Passed grade will be accepted in fulfillment of the requirement.
- For courses from California community colleges, see ASSIST . Note: IGETC certification from a California community college or a letter of reciprocity from a UC campus satisfies the Reading and Composition requirement (and all other L&S breadth requirements).
- For courses from CSUs or UCs, please contact the Evaluation Unit at 510-642-7391.
- For courses from all remaining institutions, please review Transfer Information for currently articulated courses from non-UC, CSU or CCC institutions. If your institution is not on the list, please email the name of the school and the course you wish to have reviewed to asklns@berkeley.edu with the subject line “R&C Articulation Request.” Only courses that satisfy a writing requirement at your institution are eligible for articulation.
Note: Transfer students may satisfy the Reading and Composition requirement with IGETC or UC Reciprocity.
Meets the First Half of the Reading and Composition Requirement
Meets the Second Half of the Reading and Composition Requirement
| AFRICAM R1B | Freshman Composition | |
| 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 N1B | First-Year Reading and Composition | |
| 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 | |
| ITALIAN R5B | Reading and Composition | |
| LEGALST R1B | Reading and Composition in Connection with the Law as a Social Institution | |
| LINGUIS R1B | Endangered Languages: What We Lose when a Language Dies | |
| LINGUIS R2B | Language and Linguistics in Science Fiction | |
| MUSIC R1B | Reading and Writing about Music | |
| NATAMST R1B | Native American Studies Reading and Composition | |
| NE STUD R1B | Reading and Composition in Near Eastern Studies | |
| NWMEDIA R1B | New Media Reading and Composition | |
| PHILOS R1B | Reading and Composition Through Philosophy | |
| RHETOR R1B | The Craft of Writing | |
| S ASIAN R5B | India in the Writer's Eye | |
| S,SEASN R5B | Under Western Eyes | |
| SCANDIN R5B | Reading and Composition | |
| 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 | |
Meets Either Half of the Reading and Composition Requirement