All schools at Indiana University Bloomington have a composition requirement, and students should plan to complete this requirement in their first and/or second semesters.

Students who have not completed the requirement within the first 55 hours of credit or within their first two semesters will be placed on the academic checklist and will not be allowed to register further through University Division. If they have already enrolled for further classes, their enrollments will be monitored and their registrations may be cancelled.

Most students do, in fact, complete the composition requirement within the recommended time frame. This policy simply aims to help ensure that all students do so as timely and effectively as possible.

How can I fulfill the composition requirement?

If you have not established exemption from the English composition requirement, you will need to fulfill this requirement through course work. A grade of C or higher in the appropriate course or sequence of courses fulfills the campus-wide IU General Education requirement.

Please see the General Education 2015-2016 Bulletin for a list of courses that satisfy the English Composition requirement. Your advisor will help you determine the best course for you based on your SAT/ACT/AP scores, your high school background, and your chosen major. Depending on your scores, you may be placed in a smaller section of English W131 for students who need more basic instruction in writing. Other sections of W131 are designated specifically for international students.

How do I know if I am exempt from the composition requirement?

If you have achieved one of the following test scores, you have fulfilled the English composition requirement and will be exempted from it:

• For applications received prior to August 1, 2017: SAT EBRW score of 670 or higher;
• For applications received August 1, 2017, and after: SAT EBRW score of 710 or higher;
• ACT English score of 32 or higher; or
• AP Program English: Composition and Literature score of 4 or 5; or
• AP Program English: Language and Composition score of 4 or 5.

Can I transfer credits from another university and apply them toward the composition requirement?

Please visit the Indiana University Office of Admissions Credit Transfer service to ascertain whether credits will transfer and be applied to composition credit.

I took W131 in high school. Does this fulfill the composition requirement?

If you have taken English W131 during high school through the Advance College Project, credit for this course should be listed on your transcript and the English composition requirement is fulfilled. However, you must have completed the course for Indiana University credit and have paid the fees involved at the time the course was being completed. If this was not done at the time you took the course, you will not receive credits and the English composition requirement has not been fulfilled.