The Writing Program reviews requests from transfer students who believe that their past coursework satisfies the WC or WCd core learning goal requirements at Rutgers-New Brunswick.
Before submitting these requests (scroll to the bottom of this page), students must:
1. Meet with a transfer advisor at their respective Rutgers school (SAS, RBS, etc.). These transfer advisors will evaluate a student's previous writing classes on a case-by-case basis and advise the student which writing requirements must be fulfilled at Rutgers.
- When determining transfer equivalency, school transfer advisors can, among other options, award course equivalency credit or elective hours credit. Such a decision is made not just based on the course's content and how it fit into the previous institution's curriculum, but also according to established policies and precedents at Rutgers.
2. Understand that the Writing Program will review appeals but can only make non-binding recommendations to the appropriate school transfer deans, as their decisions are final.
3. Once understanding this information, students can proceed to fill out the Google form and submit relevant material pertaining to past writing courses (syllabi, assignments, work completed) via the Dropbox folder -- both of which are found at the bottom of this page.
Notable Rules to Keep in Mind before Submitting Equivalency Requests:
- Transfer students who have earned an AA or AS from a two-year school in New Jersey are considered to have completed all three of their Core Curriculum Cognitive Skills and Processes requirements (New Jersey Comprehensive State-Wide Transfer Agreement & njtransfer.org).
- Transfer students from out-of-state two-year schools typically (but not always) need to complete two composition courses to gain transfer equivalency for College Writing at Rutgers. Submit whatever materials you have available from those composition courses via the Box Folder link at the bottom of this page.
- Students who are currently matriculated at Rutgers cannot complete their writing requirements at another university (SAS Transfer Policies for the Core Curriculum). Only past transfer coursework will be evaluated for WC and WCd equivalency.
- Students who have completed both composition requirements at Rutgers-Newark (50:989:101 & 102) and Rutgers-Camden (21:355:101 & 102) are considered to have completed the WC core requirement (College Writing) at Rutgers-New Brunswick.
- Accelerated, online composition courses that potentially fulfill a general education writing requirement at another university will not be granted transfer equivalency at Rutgers.
WC Equivalency Credit
Students who have been directed to take English 355:101 (College Writing) or English 355:104 (College Writing Extended) to fulfill Rutgers’ WC requirement can use this site to appeal the decision. Successful appeals for Rutgers WC credit generally reflect at least 25 pages of “Final Draft” expository essay composition, written in their previous school’s flagship composition course, written in response to challenging readings, and using a writing process that incorporates revision. Appeals that depend on work completed in literature classes, research-paper writing classes, first-year seminars, or in composition classes that do not emphasize expository essay writing are typically less successful. Student written work must demonstrate satisfactory attainment of critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.
WCr Equivalency Credit
Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) policy states that students must fulfill their WCr requirement at Rutgers. The Writing Program, as part of the English Department, which is a member of SAS, supports this policy and will not consider requests for WCr equivalency for classes taken at other schools. The only students exempt from taking a WCr course are students who have received an AA or AS from a two-year NJ school.
WCd Equivalency Credit
Courses submitted for WCd course equivalency must closely resemble a specific Rutgers course listed for WCd credit in name, nomenclature, type of assignments, pedagogical method, and rigor. Note that 100-level classes taken at other schools are rarely accorded WCd equivalency, which by design is meant to reflect writing achievement in an upper-level undergraduate writing-intensive class.
Non-English courses
The Writing Program will handle evaluation all courses submitted as equivalent to a Rutgers English Department course. For courses submitted as equivalent to courses in other Rutgers departments, students should first submit an equivalency request to the appropriate department and then bring the approved request to this office for review before presenting it to their school transfer advisor.
Submission Requests:
Complete the Transfer Equivalency Review Request Form (click here)
*Inside that form, you also will be asked to submit all supporting documents (syllabi, papers, prompts, etc.) from the course(s) you wish to be evaluated to this Drop Box folder.
Soon after completing the form and uploading files to the Drop Box folder, the Writing Program's Transfer Coordinator, Michael Monescalchi, will contact you with either follow-up questions or a decision. If you have any questions or concerns, please email