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Alternatives to the English requirement for admission

The English subject requirement for admission applies to all freshmen and transfer applicants and cannot be waived. It may be satisfied by coursework completed in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom, countries where English is recognized as the primary language of instruction. Additionally, the options presented below are acceptable alternatives for students whose first language is not English — whether immigrants, refugees, U.S. permanent residents, undocumented or U.S. citizens — and whose K-12 education has NOT been entirely in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom. In all cases, high school and/or college coursework equivalent to 4 units (years) of high school English are required.

Alternative one

Option for students with ACT or SAT test scores.

To fulfill the English subject requirement for admission under this alternative, both A and B must be satisfied.

A. Test score requirement

Submit one of the following official test scores by the application deadline:

  • SAT Critical Reading 430
  • ACT English 17

A test score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Michigan Language Test (MLT) cannot be used to meet this requirement.

B. Coursework requirement

A total of four years of study are required.

  • Composition or literature courses in the student’s first language may satisfy up to three units (years) of the requirement.
  • English composition or literature courses taken in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the U.S. may satisfy up to four units (years) of the requirement.
  • These courses may satisfy no more than one unit (year) of the requirement:
    • English, if taken outside of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the U.S.
    • ESL taken in the U.S.
    • Courses in drama as literature, public speaking, debate, journalistic writing, or business English that were completed in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the U.S.

Alternative two

Option for students with 60 or more transferable college quarter credits

To fulfill the 4 unit high school English subject requirement for admission under this alternative, each of the following sections (A, B, and C) must be satisfied.

A. Credit level requirement

A minimum of 60 transferable quarter credits from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or from an accredited college or university in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom must be completed at the time of application. Transcripts showing 60 completed credits must be submitted by the application deadline.

B. English composition coursework requirement

Two units of the requirement must be satisfied by two college-level English composition courses for a minimum total of eight quarter credits. These courses must be taken at a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S., or from an accredited college or university in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom. All college-level English composition courses must be completed with a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 (B).

C. Additional English coursework requirements

The remaining two units of the requirement may be satisfied by any combination of coursework from among the following options:

  1. Up to two units may be satisfied by high school English composition or literature courses from high schools where the primary language of instruction is English.
  2. Up to two units may be satisfied by composition or literature courses in the student’s first language (when the first language is not English) for coursework completed in educational systems other than the U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom.
  3. Only one unit (year) of the requirement may be satisfied by one of the following:
    • English courses taken in countries where English is NOT recognized as the primary language of instruction.
    • ESL courses taken in the U.S.
    • Courses in drama as literature, public speaking, debate, journalistic writing, or business English that were completed in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the U.S.
  4. Up to two units may be satisfied by additional college-level English composition or English literature courses from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S., or from an accredited college or university in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom. (5 quarter or 3 semester credits = 1 high school unit)