<p>It says on the graduation requirements that you have to take two writing courses. Is that including English classes or is that separate and if it is separate, do you have to take English classes because it didn't have have that posted for Arts and Sciences?</p>
<p>Writing courses, or first-year writing seminars (FWS), are separate from regular English classes. You are indeed required to take two, but you can place out of one (and only one) with AP/IB Credit. To choose your fall FWS, you look through a pretty expansive catalog online during the summer, and enter your top five choices on an electronic ballot. It's the same ballot deal for your spring FWS if you don't use your AP credit to place out of it, only you fill out the ballot in mid-November. Many classes change from year to year, but it can't hurt to look over this year's choices to see what you might expect. </p>
<p>The topics covered in each FWS are spread out quite well over the departments, so you don't have to take an English one if you don't want to. If you do, however, you will be taking a writing-intensive literature course, which some of my more English-inclined friends really liked. Mine was in Anthropology, some of my friends' were about film, philosophy; there's was even a math FWS this year.</p>
<p>More info here: First-Year</a> Writing Seminars - Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines</p>
<p>but if youre an architect, you only need one fws :)</p>
<p>hotelies only need one too right? =]</p>
<p>i believe there are FWS in the english department for "english majors" that way your FWS can apply for your major...</p>
<p>Do you need a 5 to place out?</p>
<p>i placed out of one with a 4 on English Lit AP</p>
<p>Writing seminars are offered by many departments so, no, you don't need to take one in the English department. Mine was in the English department and was just labeled Engl 111 so it was just another English course I guess.</p>
<p>Different schools have different requirements for placing out. Arts and Sciences has the most stringent: you need a 5 on the Engl AP test to place out and even if you had a 5 on both Engl AP tests (like I did), you can still only place out of one.</p>
<p>The English ones tend to be the hardest (although this is not a hard and fast rule given there are so many writing seminars). So, if you're not a strong writer, don't take one from the English department. I had a good teacher but he was an extremely hard grader. I sat next to him and would sometimes look over at his grading book; there were essays where he did not pass out a single A or A- in the class and everyone got B+'s and lower.</p>