Writing I Student Self-Placement: ENG 100, ENG 105 or ENG 110

Incoming students at Missouri State University can choose between three first-year writing courses:

Note: Students who take ENG 100 must also take either ENG 105 or ENG 110 in a later semester to fulfill the “Written Communication & Info Literacy (Writing I)” General Education course requirement.

The best choice for each student depends on their unique experiences and needs as a writer and researcher. The following course descriptions are here to help guide you in this decision.

English 100: Introduction to College Composition

Course Description: An introduction to the composition sequence: the purposes of whole compositions, the processes that lead to finished compositions, and the parts that combine to create compositions. Cannot be used as elective credit on any major or minor offered by the department and cannot count toward hours required for graduation.

Graded Pass/Not Pass only.

This class might be useful for students who are concerned about their writing and research skills and haven’t written many academic or school-based essays. Students who would like to start their academic writing career in a lower-pressure atmosphere with more time to hone skills like organization, development, research, citation, and grammar will feel at home in English 100.

Students with an ACT English score below 14 or an SAT English score below 459, who are also nervous about their writing acumen or feel they need quite a bit of extra help with writing, should consider this course.

Pros

  • Graded Pass/Not Pass, so it does not affect GPA.
  • Offers a “cushion” semester for those who are worried about their writing skills.
  • Provides a slower, more nurturing approach to college composition.
  • Features smaller class sizes for more individualized attention.

Cons

  • Does not fulfill the “Written Communication & Info Literacy (Writing I)” General Education requirement, so students will still need to successfully complete ENG 105 or ENG 110 in a later semester.
  • Counts as 3 credit hours for financial aid and enrollment purposes, but does not count toward graduation or degree requirements.
  • May be too introductory for some writers, covering material that intermediate writers already know.

English 105: Writing I with Studio

Course Description: An introduction to college-level writing in which students develop critical reading and writing skills. The emphasis in reading has students locating, evaluating, and synthesizing information in an analytical and ethical manner. The emphasis in writing develops students’ understanding of the ways writers generate and express ideas of different purposes to various kinds of audiences across a range of contexts, including social, academic, and professional. Students work on argumentation, rhetorical analysis, and editing for clarity, style, and conventions. Course uses an interactive approach that includes additional classroom support through individualized and small-group writing instruction. Cannot receive credit for both ENG 105 and ENG 110.

5 credit hours.

This class might be useful for students who are somewhat concerned about their writing and research skills and would like a little more attention and writing time in the classroom (with the bonus of not having homework). Students who have a little extra time in their schedules and enjoy more one-on-one teaching and tutoring will feel at home in English 105.

Students with an ACT English score between 15-17 or an SAT English score between 460-479, who are also nervous about their writing acumen or feel they need some extra help with writing, should consider this course.

Pros

  • Fulfills the “Written Communication & Info Literacy (Writing I)” General Education requirement.
  • Includes a studio component with extra instruction and one-on-one support from the instructor.
  • Requires minimal take-home work, as homework and writing are completed during the studio sessions.

Cons

  • Could crowd a student’s schedule. ENG 105 meets for 2 hours 45 minutes twice a week and is worth 5 credit hours.
  • Follows the ENG 110 curriculum, which may be challenging for students with significant writing anxiety.

English 110: Writing I

Course Description: An introduction to college-level writing in which students develop critical reading and writing skills. The emphasis in reading has students locating, evaluating, and synthesizing information in an analytical and ethical manner. The emphasis in writing develops students’ understanding of the ways writers generate and express ideas of different purposes to various kinds of audiences across a range of context, including social, academic, and professional. Students work on argumentation, rhetorical analysis, and editing for clarity, style, and conventions.

3 credit hours.

This class will be useful for students who are fairly confident in their writing and have some experience with academic or school-based essays. Students who would like to hone their writing and research skills, learning more deeply about audience, argumentation, analysis, and source evaluation and usage, will feel at home in English 110.

Students with an ACT English score of 18 and above or an SAT English score of 480 and above should consider taking English 110. Students who are at least somewhat confident in their writing and have had some experience with academic writing should also consider English 110.

Pros

  • Fulfills the “Written Communication & Info Literacy (Writing I)” General Education requirement.
  • Meets for 75 minutes twice a week, allowing more room in a student’s schedule than ENG 105.
  • Ideal for students with stronger time- and work-management skills.

Cons

  • May have higher expectations than some students are prepared to meet.
  • Requires more time management and self-direction.

For more information, contact:

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