University Composition Program
FAQ
University Composition Program
Rhetoric and composition helps students learn how to compose their ideas. Here’s what our composition faculty have to say about how rhetoric and composition helps students become well-rounded writers and thinkers.
“I tell my students all the time writing is magic because we can write our thoughts from our head onto paper, see them, and then organize them. You don’t know what’s in your head until you get it all written down. Then you can organize it into a composed package to communicate what you want to communicate.” — Joe Schicke
“In composition, I help my students expand their definition of argument. The purpose of argument is not to win an argument—it's to listen, to learn, to understand, and to empathize with other people. I want my students to think about their own arguments, their own beliefs in the law, and their own understanding of research in the context of trying to understand and listen to other perspectives and viewpoints.”
— Kelly Bradbury
FAQ
Incoming Students
Writing is a life-long process that requires continual practice. Because writing is not a “one and done” skill, our composition courses build upon your existing writing, research, and communication skills so you are successful in the writing you will do at CSU, in your jobs, and during your career. Our composition courses are designed to build upon your knowledge of academic and public genres, audience awareness, research skills, and writing processes. You can learn more about CSU’s composition requirement.
Our composition courses aim to help you become well-rounded and competent writers by developing close and critical reading, writing, research practices to understand differing viewpoints and approach arguments critically. In your composition courses, you will practice finding and evaluating scholarly and popular research, composing different genres, writing to various audiences, drafting and revising your writing, and workshopping your writing through peer review. These are all important workplace skills.
To learn more about what lower-division composition course you need to take, visit the CSU Composition Placement Program.
Yes. And you can review your transfer credit by logging into RamWeb and then following these steps:
- On the home page, find the link called “View My Transfer Credit” under Records.
- To view how your prior coursework applies towards your degree, use the “Degree Progress Audit” link to run a degree audit.
- On your Degree Audit Report, check whether the All-University Core Curriculum (AUCC) Category 1A Basic Competencies – Intermediate Writing requirement has been completed or needs to be completed.
If you still have questions, send an email to composition@colostate.edu and one of our program administrators will reply.
A rhetorical approach to writing means we focus more on the communicative situations in which we write than on the grammar and writing style of written English. All of our composition classes take a rhetorical approach, which means students learn how to refine their own purpose for writing while considering the needs of their intended audience. The relationship between writer and audience also impacts the genre selected, the content development, the document design, and the research conducted. The rhetorical approach gives you tools that you can use in all writing situations, whether it’s writing for social media, CSU classes, the workplace, or elsewhere.
Composition courses will give you experience in reading, peer-reviewing, and editing your own work to help you improve your writing style, grammar, and proofreading.
Each fall and spring semester, the English department offers several sections of CO150 specifically designated for non-native speakers of English.
Sections of CO150 for non-native speakers of English have the same objectives as CO150 for native speakers of English, including developing critical reading skills, understanding writing as a rhetorical process, developing a variety of rhetorical strategies to meet the needs of different audiences and purposes, and enhancing research and revision processes.
CO150 sections for non-native speakers of English are taught by faculty who have significant professional development in Teaching English as a Second Language and who understand the challenges non-native speakers may face when reading and writing in English. Also, sections of CO150 for non-native speakers provide more support for assignment planning and revising, and they focus on helping students understand the important features of U.S. academic writing.
If you are interested in registering for one of these sections of CO150: College Composition, please contact composition@colostate.edu. Please include your CSU ID number with your email.
After you send this information, you will receive instructions about registering for the class with an override or, if all the classes are full, on how to be on the waitlist for the section of your choice.
Current Students
Our classes are designed for your fullest engaged participation in courses with a maximum of 24 students per class. Our faculty don’t just lecture. Instead, you can expect you will actively learn through regular in-class discussion, building your writing process skills, participating in individual and group workshopping, receiving written and/or oral feedback from faculty, and content-based peer review. To get the most out of our classes, we encourage you to regularly engage and contribute to each class through your critical reading skills, reflection, research, and experiences.
CSU’s Writing Center is free and offers writing support to all CSU students at all stages of the writing process—brainstorming, developing ideas, organizing paragraphs, researching, etc. Students can sign-up for an online or an in-person Writing Center consultation.
The All-University Core Curriculum (AUCC) Intermediate Writing requirement can be completed in one of five ways:
- CO150: Satisfactory completion of CO150: College Composition.
- Testing: Achieving a score of 5 on the Advanced Placement English Composition and Literature Test; or a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Test; or placing in CO150-section 550 (credit by exam for CO150) on the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-Evaluation Essay.
- Transfer Credit: Transferring equivalent credits from another college. (Students who transfer with less than 2.6 semester credits in composition will have the option of writing the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-Evaluation Essay. With a score of 5, we can request the additional credit be waived.)
- HONR193: Satisfactory completion of HONR193 (Honors students only).
- International Baccalaureate Scores: Submission of International Baccalaureate scores that document an English at the Higher Level score of 5, 6, or 7.
Credit for CO150 will not be given for College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) scores.
Students (except first-semester transfer and readmitted students) who have earned 60 or more Colorado State and transfer semester credits and who have not met this requirement will have a Composition HOLD placed on their record. Transfer and readmitted students will be allowed the initial term of enrollment before this restriction is imposed.
Before the start of every semester, undergraduate students are informed, via email from the Registrar, if they have not completed the AUCC composition requirement. After a student has earned 60 or more Colorado State and transfer semester credits without fulfilling the AUCC composition requirement, the email will also give notice that a Composition HOLD has been placed and provide information on how to remove the HOLD.
The procedure to remove a Composition HOLD is as follows:
- Contact the Registrar's Office
- You can contact the Registrar’s Office as soon as you receive the email letting you know that a Composition HOLD has been placed on your registration – you do not have to wait for your registration access time.
- You can contact the Registrar’s Office immediately, if you are currently registered for CO130 or have transfer credit for CO130.
- If you need to complete the Directed Self-Placement Survey, once the Survey is completed, you can contact the Registrar’s Office.
- If you are in the Honors Track I program, you will need to register for HONR193.
- If you were automatically placed into CO130 or selected CO130 on the Directed Self-Placement Survey, you will need to select a section of that course for which to register. After successful completion of CO130, you will need to register for CO150 the following term. CO150 satisfies the All-University Core Curriculum Intermediate Writing requirement (AUCC Category 1A).
- If you were automatically placed into CO150 or selected CO150 on the Directed Self-Placement Survey, you will need to select a section of that course that works with your course schedule.
- If you were automatically placed into CO130 or CO150 and wish to challenge that placement, you will need to write the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-Evaluation Essay as soon as possible.
- If you chose to write the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-evaluation Essay, once your score has been entered, you can contact the Registrar’s Office.
- You can contact the Registrar’s Office as soon as you receive the email letting you know that a Composition HOLD has been placed on your registration – you do not have to wait for your registration access time.
- Composition Selection
- Once you have chosen a section of composition that works with your schedule, contact the Registrar’s Office in Centennial Hall by calling (970) 491-4860, or emailing registrarsoffice@colostate.edu. If sending an email, please do so from your RAMS email account and include your full name, CSUID number, and the CRN for the CO course for which you want to be registered. Please make sure to have the CRN of the section you have chosen available in order to expedite your request.
- Confirmation
- The Registrar’s Office will then remove the Composition HOLD and will either register you for your preferred composition section or place you on the waitlist. If your preferred sections are full, we recommend getting on several section waitlists. If you are waitlisted and do not get a seat in CO150, your HOLD will go back on your record. If you have questions about the waitlist process, visit the Registrar’s Waitlist FAQ.
- If a student drops or withdraws from the composition course or does not earn a passing grade, the grade of record may become an “F.” This grade of “F” will be included in the calculation of both the semester GPA and the cumulative GPA as a consequence of not completing the 60-credit completion requirement.
- The Registrar’s Office will then remove the Composition HOLD and will either register you for your preferred composition section or place you on the waitlist. If your preferred sections are full, we recommend getting on several section waitlists. If you are waitlisted and do not get a seat in CO150, your HOLD will go back on your record. If you have questions about the waitlist process, visit the Registrar’s Waitlist FAQ.
The Writing Center can help you with research. We also encourage you to use the CO130 research guide, the CO150 research guide, the CO300 research guide, and the CO301X research guide. If you need additional help, visit the Composition Program and English research librarian's website.
Go to the Registrar's Repeat Repair webpage for more information.
You can find your professor and their email address on the Composition Program Faculty page.
CO301A, CO301B, CO301C, and CO301D are “writing in the disciplines” upper-division composition courses tailored more closely to students’ disciplines. The CO301* courses help focus students’ writing toward their disciplines and potential careers. You will want to select the course that most closely aligns with your major and/or is required by your department. More information on these courses can be found in the CSU catalog.
If the grade you receive is different from the grade listed in Canvas, such as a grade entry error, please email your professor to alert them of the error. For other concerns, email the Composition Program administrators at composition@colostate.edu.
Please email your concern and the course number and section to the Composition Program administrators at composition@colostate.edu.
Our Composition Program courses are specifically a space for learning and practicing invaluable writing and researching processes that cannot be replicated by generative artificial intelligence (AI). While the ever-changing (and exciting!) new developments with AI will find their place in our workforces and personal lives, in the realm of education, this kind of technology can counteract learning. This is because the use of AI diminishes opportunities to learn from our experiences and from each other, to play with our creative freedoms, to problem-solve, and to contribute our ideas in authentic ways. In a nutshell, college is a place for learning, and this AI simply cannot do that learning for us. Academic integrity plays a vital role in the learning that takes place in all Composition Program courses, and submitting work as your own that was generated by AI is plagiarism. For all of these reasons, any work written, developed, created, or inspired by generative artificial intelligence does not lend itself to our learning goals and is a breach of ethical engagement and CSU’s academic integrity policy.
Placement
ACT / SAT Test Scores
- ACT: see actstudent.org/scores for instructions to request scores for CSU. Our ACT code is 0504.
- SAT: see sat.collegeboard.org/scores/send-sat-scores for instructions to request scores for CSU. Our SAT/College Board code is 4075.
- Allow 2-3 weeks for scores to arrive at CSU from the testing agency.
- CSU will accept official copies of score reports sent the following ways:
- by email to admissions@colostate.edu
- by postal mail (CSU Admissions, 1062 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins CO 80523-1062)
- by fax to (970) 491-7799
- Pictures of score reports, screenshots on your computer, unofficial copies, etc. are not accepted.
- Scores reported in full on high school transcripts are also accepted if processed through Admissions or the Registrar's Office.
- All scores must be processed by the Admissions Office and part of the student's official CSU record. For more information, contact Admissions at (970) 491-6909 or email admissions@colostate.edu.
If your scores are on file at CSU and you want to see them, you can access your student record online. Log in to RAMweb.colostate.edu using your eID, navigate to the Records section (right column) and select ACT, SAT & GRE Scores.
If you were admitted to CSU without test scores, then you are in Group 2 for Composition Placement and need to complete the DSP. You also have the option of writing the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-evaluation Essay.
Transfer Credit
With certain scores on AP or IB tests, students can earn credit for CO130 (Academic Writing), CO150 (College Composition), and/or E140 (The Study of Literature).
Advanced Placement Test: English Literature and Composition
- Score of 3 = E140 credit
- Score of 4 = E 140 credit and CO130 credit
- Score of 5 = E 140 credit and CO150 credit
Advanced Placement Test: English Language and Composition
- Score of 3 = CO130 credit
- Score of 4 = CO150 credit
- Score of 5 = CO130 credit and CO150 credit
Students who receive BOTH a 5 on the AP Composition and Literature test AND either a 4 or 5 on the AP Language and Composition test are awarded credit for E140, CO130 and CO150.
- CO150: College Composition credit will satisfy the All-University Core Curriculum Intermediate Writing requirement (AUCC Category 1A).
- E140: The Study of Literature will satisfy 3 of the 6 credits required for the All-University Core Curriculum Category 3B Arts/Humanities requirement.
- CO130: Academic Writing will satisfy 3 elective credits.
Official score reports must be submitted for advanced-standing credit to be awarded. Unofficial copies will not be accepted. Instructions to request scores can be viewed at http://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores/score-reporting CSU’s Code is 4075.
International Baccalaureate Scores:
- Scores in English A: Language and Literature
- Standard Level: Score of 4, 5, 6, or 7 = CO130 credit
- Higher Level: Score of 4 = CO130 credit
- Higher Level: Score of 5, 6, or 7 = E140 and CO150 credit
- Scores in English A: Literature
- Standard Level: Score of 4, 5, 6, or 7 = E140 Credit
- Higher Level: Score of 4 = E140 credit
- Higher Level: Score of 5, 6, or 7 = E140 and CO150 credit
- Scores in English B: Literature
- Higher Level: Score of 4 = E140, CO150, and 3 elective credits
- Higher Level: Score of 5, 6, or 7 = E140, CO150, and 6 elective credits
Credits Satisfaction
- CO150: College Composition credit will satisfy the All-University Core Curriculum Intermediate Writing requirement (AUCC Category 1A).
- E140: The Study of Literature will satisfy 3 of the 6 credits required for the All-University Core Curriculum Category 3B Arts/Humanities requirement.
Check Credit Status
An official copy for any IB (International Baccalaureate) exam must be sent to Colorado State University. Unofficial copies will not be accepted. Requests to have scores sent to CSU may be submitted through:
Transcript Officer
International Baccalaureate North America
475 Riverside Drive, Ste 240
New York, NY 10115
Phone: 212-296-4464
Fax: 212-889-9242
Email: transcripts.ibna@ibo.org
Website: www.ibo.org
- Log in to RAMweb.colostate.edu using your eID
- On the home page you will find a link under Records called “View My Transfer Credits.”
- To view how your prior coursework applies towards your degree, use the “Degree Progress Audit” link to run a degree audit.
- On your Degree Audit Report, check whether the All-University Core Curriculum AUCC – Category 1A Basic Competencies – Intermediate Writing requirement has been completed or needs to be completed.
If a transferred course does not have an equivalent at CSU and you believe that course could transfer to CSU as CO150, please email composition@colostate.edu for further review. We will need to see a detailed syllabus for the course you have taken.
Questions about your transfer credit should be directed to the Registrar’s Office: (970) 491-7159 or transferoffice@colostate.edu.
Your credit for CO130 will act as a per-requisite for CO150, so you can register for CO150 without completing the DSP.
We do recognize that some students enter the University with higher levels of writing skills than we might expect given the composition courses they have taken. If you’d like to try to “test out” of CO150, you may challenge your composition transfer credit evaluation by writing the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-Evaluation Essay. With a score of 5 or higher on the essay, we will email the Transfer Office to request that your CO130 course be transferred in as CO150. CO150 credit satisfies the All-University Core Curriculum Intermediate Writing requirement (AUCC Category 1A).
Please note, the test out option for transfer credit of CO130 applies to earned coursework and does not apply to CO130 credit earned via AP or IB examinations. Also, only scores of 5 or higher for those with transfer credit in CO130 will be awarded credit for CO150. If you earn a score of 3 or 4 you will need to take and pass CO150.
If your transfer course is fewer than 2.6 semester credits, we recommend you write the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-Evaluation Essay.
With a score of 5, we will email the Transfer Office to request that your composition course be transferred in as CO150 and we will request they waive the additional one credit. CO150 credit will satisfy the All-University Core Curriculum Intermediate Writing requirement (AUCC Category 1A).
You can receive an override to register for CO150 by contacting composition@colostate.edu.
We don’t require students in this situation to write the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-Evaluation Essay, but we do highly recommend it.
If a student with old Composition credit writes the essay and earns a score of 5 we can transfer in their old Composition credit as CO150 and fulfill the AUCC Intermediate Writing Requirement (Category 1A).
Please note that only scores of 5 or higher will mean you are awarded credit for CO150. If you earn a score of 3 or 4 you will need to take and pass CO150.
To transfer your Composition course to CSU as CO150, you will need to write the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-Evaluation Essay.
With a score of 5 or higher on the essay we will email the Transfer Office to request that your LGEN1** course be transferred in as CO150. CO150 credit will satisfy the All-University Core Curriculum Intermediate Writing requirement (AUCC Category 1A).
Please note that only scores of 5 or higher will mean you are awarded credit for CO150. If you earn a score of 3 or 4 you will need to take and pass CO150.
Directed Self-Placement (DSP)
If your standardized test scores place you into Group 2, you will be required to complete the Directed Self-Placement (DSP) Survey. The Survey is not a placement test; it is a 10-minute survey designed to help you decide which composition course -- CO130 or CO150 -- is right for you.
To find the Directed Self-Placement Survey:
- Log in to your RAMweb account at ramweb.colostate.edu
- Click on the Menu button on the top right.
- Click on the Registration menu item to expand the list of options.
- Select the Directed Self-Placement (DSP) Survey link.
Please note that only students who place into Group 2 based on their standardized test scores will have access to the DSP link through RamWeb.
Students completing the survey will be assessed a $12 charge, which will be billed to their student account. Payment of these charges is expected even if the student subsequently chooses not to attend Colorado State University after completing the DSP.
The Directed Self-Placement Survey has 20 questions about your writing process and experiences, critical reading, and rhetorical knowledge. Answer the 20 questions carefully and honestly. Doing so will help you:
- Gain insight into your current reading and writing practices, especially in light of your prior experience in writing courses
- Understand what will be expected of you in CSU’s college-level composition courses
- Decide which composition course—CO130: Academic Writing or CO150: College Composition—is right for you.
In the end, the decision about which writing course to take is yours, and this is your opportunity to make a well-informed decision.
CO130: Academic Writing
In CO130, you will develop and practice effective writing strategies and skills, such as how to brainstorm ideas, how to summarize and critically evaluate sources, how to develop and organize your drafts, how to consider your audience when writing, and how to reflect on your growth as a writer. Because writing isn’t a one-and-done experience, CO130 includes time for workshopping, peer review, revision, and instructor feedback before you submit your final draft. Finally, CO130 is focused on academic writing, so you will learn to write a variety of academic genres. The skills you learn in CO130 can be applied to all of your CSU courses, and we hope you do. This 3-credit course does not fulfill the All-University Core Curriculum Intermediate Writing Requirement (AUCC Category 1A) but will prepare you for success in CO150.
CO150: College Composition
In CO150, you will deepen your knowledge about how to write several academic and professional genres for specific audiences and contexts. You will build upon your existing writing and research strategies for university, professional, and public audiences, including how to incorporate scholarly and professional sources into your writing to persuade your readers, how to clearly communicate your purpose and reasons for writing, how to meet academic and professional audience expectations, and how to use reflection to improve your writing. CO150 values writing as a process, so you will have time for workshopping, peer review, revision, and instructor feedback. CO150 moves at a faster pace than CO130. The skills you learn in CO150 can be applied to all of your CSU courses, and we hope you do. This 3-credit course fulfills the All-University Core Curriculum Intermediate Writing Requirement (AUCC Category 1A).
You may also find this short video useful in understanding the differences between the courses.
When you have completed the DSP, you will be able to register for EITHER CO130 or CO150. Remember, even if the DSP score suggests CO130, you may take CO150 if you feel it’s the best fit for you—and vice-versa. If you are unsure about which course is right for you, you can consult your advisor for additional support and information.
Please note that only students who place into Group 2 based on their standardized test scores will have access to the DSP link through RamWeb. If you think you fall into Group 2 and cannot access the DSP link through RamWeb, please contact us.
Composition Placement Challenge and Re-evaluation Essay
Placement into Composition courses is based on standardized test scores; however, we understand that these scores don’t always fully reflect your scholastic abilities and motivation for success. That is why we offer the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-evaluation Essay. Writing the essay offers you the chance to place directly into CO150: College Composition rather than taking CO130: Academic Writing, or the opportunity to “test out” of CO150: College Composition.
We recommend completing the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-evaluation Essay in the follow scenarios:
- You have been placed into CO150 and believe that your writing skills are exceptional and exceed the expected outcomes for CO150.
- You have been placed into CO150 and believe that you have fulfilled the requirement through transfer courses that have not been approved by the University.
- You have been placed into CO130 and believe you have the writing skills and motivation necessary to succeed in CO150.
- You have been placed into CO130 and would like to avoid taking CO130 because, as an elective credit course, it does not fulfill the AUCC requirements necessary for graduation.
- You have composition credit over 10 years old.
The Composition Placement Challenge and Re-evaluation Essay is available via Canvas 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please email composition@colostate.edu to request access to the essay.
First, you need to email composition@colostate.edu to request access. The essay is completed using Canvas (CSU's learning management system) and proctored via this access. Once you are granted Canvas access to the essay by our team then you will have 90 minutes to:
- Read a designated article on a debatable topic.
- Summarize its main ideas in an organized and detailed essay.
- Explain why you agree and/or disagree with the central claims of the article.
- Support your position with references to and analysis of the article, as well as illustrations from your (or others’) personal experiences.
Because CSU values academic integrity, the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-Evaluation Essay is proctored to ensure legitimate authorship.
A $22 charge will be billed to your student account for processing and rating your essay. Payment of these charges is expected even if the student subsequently chooses not to attend Colorado State University after writing the essay.
To prepare for the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-Evaluation Essay, we suggest that you read an argumentative article in a newspaper or magazine. Practice summarizing the main ideas of the argument, explaining whether you agree or disagree with the author’s viewpoint, and supporting your position with evidence from the article and your personal experience.
Students with learning disabilities can contact the Student Disability Center at (970) 491-6385 or email sdctest@colostate.edu. We will give students the accommodations they require to write the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-Evaluation Essay.
The Composition Placement Challenge and Re-evaluation Essay is rated by Composition faculty based on the schedule below. If you submit an essay during the date range in the first column, your scores will be available on RamWeb by 5pm on the date listed in the second column.
You can check your results on your RamWeb homepage. On the right-hand side, under “Records” select "Composition Placement Essay Results."
| Essays Written | Scores Available to Students on RamWeb by 5pm
|
| 10/31 - 11/13 | 11/25/2024 |
| 11/14 - 11/27 | 12/4/2024 |
| 11/28 - 12/11 | 12/16/2024 |
| 12/12 - 12/24 | 12/30/2024 |
| 12/25 - 1/7 | 1/10/2025 |
| 1/8 - 1/15 | 1/17/2025 |
| 1/16 - 1/22 | 1/24/2025 |
| 1/23 - 1/29 | 1/31/2025 |
| 1/30 - 2/12 | 2/19/2025 |
| 2/13 - 2/26 | 3/5/2025 |
| 2/27 - 3/12 | 3/19/2025 |
| 3/13 - 3/26 | 4/2/2025 |
The Composition Placement Essay is rated on a scale of 2 through 6. Based on your score, you will be placed in one of three categories:
Score of 2
- Placement into CO130: Academic Writing - CO130 serves as a prerequisite for CO150, which means after successful completion of CO130, you will register for CO150.
Score of 3, 4, or 5
- Placement into CO150: College Composition - Successful completion of CO150 will satisfy the All-University Core Curriculum Intermediate Writing requirement (AUCC Category 1A).
Score of 6
- Test-Out Credit via Placement into CO150-Section 550 - You will receive 3 credits for CO150. You will have satisfied the All-University Core Curriculum Intermediate Writing requirement (AUCC Category 1A). Students considering writing the Composition Placement Challenge and Re-evaluation Essay to test out of CO150 should consider that earning a 6 requires outstanding critical thinking skills and a sophisticated writing style.
If you have questions about your placement, please email composition@colostate.edu. Please note: You will not be allowed to rewrite the Composition Placement Essay unless there are extenuating circumstances (and special written permission from the Composition Program).