2013-14 Undergraduate Student Handbook - College of Natural ...

Degree Requirements
All students must satisfy campus, university, and college requirements in addition to their major requirements.
Campus Requirements
American Cultures
All students must take and pass an American Cultures course to graduate. The requirement introduces students to the
diverse cultures of the U.S. through a comparative framework. Courses are offered in more than 40 departments in many
different disciplines. For complete details, including the most current list of approved courses, visit
http://americancultures.berkeley.edu.
University Requirements
American History and Institutions (AH&I)
The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that graduates from an American university
should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States. Students often satisfy the
AH&I requirements with high school courses, e.g., U.S. History and American Government. For more information about
the AH&I requirements, go to http://registrar.berkeley.edu/?PageID=ahi.html.
Entry-Level Writing (ELW)
Fulfillment of the University of California Entry-Level Writing requirement is a prerequisite for enrollment in all reading
and composition courses. If you have not passed the Analytical Writing Placement examination (AWP —formerly known
as the Subject A Examination) or otherwise satisfied the requirement by the time you enter the University, you will need
to enroll in College Writing R1A during your first semester at Berkeley. It is a 6-unit course that fulfills the Entry-Level
Writing requirement, as well as the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement. Further details on the AWP
exam and College Writing courses can be found at http://writing.berkeley.edu.
Reading and Composition (R&C)
In addition to the university-wide Entry-Level Writing requirement, the University requires two semesters of lower division
work in composition. All CNR undergraduates must complete the Reading and Composition (R&C) requirement before
reaching junior status, or the university will block your registration for the following semester. Many departments offer
R&C courses – not just the English Department – so be sure to review the wide range of course choices. You must take
R&C courses for a letter grade. We do not allow waivers for this requirement.
To search for all the courses that fulfill the R&C requirement, select the “Course Prefixes/Suffixes” drop-down menu, and
choose the “R” prefix on http://schedule.berkeley.edu. Many different departments offer R&C courses, all of which fulfill
the R&C requirement. Courses with numbers such as “R5A, R4B, etc.” may also be used.
If you opt to fulfill your R&C requirement by completing equivalent coursework from a California community college,
please check with the Office of Instruction and Student Affairs for recommendations on courses. You may also check
http://assist.org to check for courses that articulate as R&C at Berkeley. Newly admitted transfer students will be notified by
email by the Office of Instruction and Student Affairs if their previous coursework has not satisfied the R&C requirement.
Transfer work usually posts to your Berkeley transcript between August and the end of October. CNR will accept IGETC
certification to satisfy the full R&C requirement, as well as any variances that have been granted by other colleges on the
Berkeley campus regarding the R&C requirement.
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