The Literacies

The Literacies

Students in the College Curriculum also complete the Literacies

The Literacies help you master vital skills and develop fluencies needed to succeed in a rapidly-transforming world.You will equip yourselves with modern languages, learning how to communicate in speech and writing, with numbers, and across borders.

Rhetoric for the 21st Century (6 credits)

The Rhetoric for the 21st Century literacy provides experience with rhetorical arts learned and practiced over the course of one’s life. These include written, oral, and digital forms of expression used by highly literate members of our society. Both the First Writing and Second Writing requirements comprise the Rhetoric for the 21st Century component of the new curriculum.

First Writing Course (3 credits)

All students in the College Curriculum enroll in a First Writing course. Multiple skill-levels are available to encourage the development of this literacy for all students. For information on placement, click here: First Writing Placement

Courses taken to fulfill the First Writing requirement cannot also satisfy any additional general education requirement such as, but not limited to, the Second Writing requirement, the Artistic, Interpretive, and Philosophical Inquiry (AIP) requirement (College Curriculum), or the Literature Humanities requirement (traditional curriculum). ENWR classes may NOT count toward any major or minor.

Second Writing Course (3 credits)

All students except Echols Scholars must complete a Second Writing Requirement with a grade of C- or better. To meet the Second Writing Requirement, a class must:

  • Assign at least two writing assignments in English totaling 20 pages or more independent of quizzes and final examinations
  • Have a student/faculty ratio no greater than 30/1

If the class used to fill this requirement is not coded as such in SIS the requirement is not complete until a Second Writing Requirement Completion Form in DocuSign has been submitted, approved, and the entire DocuSign process has been completed. You can find pertinent information about the Second Writing Requirement form and the link to the DocuSign form on The College Forms page.

Students may search “Second Writing Requirement” in the Course Attributes field of SIS for a list of courses that count for this requirement. Students may also petition to have a course fulfill the SWR by filing a  Second Writing Requirement Completion Form (note that a syllabus must be uploaded to the form). Click here for course qualifications for Second Writing Requirement.

World Languages

The World Languages literacy requirement (click here for a list of languages that the fill the requirement) prepares College students to interact and collaborate with multilingual communities across the globe. Students can meet the World Languages requirement by successfully completing one of the following courses of action:

  • Earn exemption by placing beyond the 2020 level by examination
  • Take 14 credits, or four semesters of a language in the proper sequence typically finishing at the 2020 level
  • After placement, complete the remaining courses in the sequence up to the fourth semester (usually 2020)

For placement information, click here: http://college.as.virginia.edu/fl-placement-exams

Quantification, Computation and Data Analysis

The Quantification, Computation, and Data Analysis literacy enables students to apply mathematical skills to understand and solve real world problems. Students fulfill this requirement by completing two 3- or 4-credit courses that include some or all of the following:

  • Theoretical concepts and structures of mathematics and statistics including (but not limited to) pure mathematics, logic, and theoretical statistics.
  • Manipulation and interpretation of mathematical expressions.
  • Application of computational and analytical methods in order to manipulate, organize, summarize, and evaluate quantitative information and experience.
  • Theoretical and/or practical interpretation and communication of data in order to solve real-world problems

Note: this is not a Calculus requirement. Instead, students in the College Curriculum can fulfill this requirement in courses across the College of Arts & Sciences (including courses in Anthropology, Math, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Statistics, and more).

Search "Quantification" in the Course Attributes field of SIS for a list of courses that count for this requirement.