Placement by Subject
RWU has placement guidelines to determine the appropriate entry-level course for new students.
About Placement at RWU
Welcome ALL incoming students!
Some of RWU's placement guidelines are based on a writing placement survey, while others are based on the results of online placements that new students take before their registration session.
New students must complete all placement requirements before attending their registration session. Completing this step ensures you receive a correct schedule during your session.
All students must complete writing and modern language. Students who did not take a language in high school are not required to complete the modern language.
*The writing placement survey only takes 5 minutes.
FYI: There are no Business majors that require math placement.
Click here to see if your major requires Math placement.
Incoming Transfer Students
All new students transferring from another school will be looked at on a case by case basis depending on transfer credit and their chosen major at RWU. You would not need to complete the writing survey or language placement (unless you plan on pursuing a language here) or if your major is one that requires it. You will be contacted if you need to complete the math placement. You may know ahead of time that you will not have transfer credits in this area. If you already know this you can complete the math placement prior to being contacted. If you are unsure, please check if your major requires math placement here: placement requirements by major.
Placement Guidelines
Modern language placement is required for all new students who have skills in a modern language and/or have taken courses in a modern language in high school.
Students who are majoring in both the International Relations Major and the International Business Majors are also required to complete modern language placement.
If you are interested in pursuing a foreign language while attending RWU, we encourage you to take modern language placement to determine your placement level in that language.
Modern Language Instructions and Placement is available. How to access the Language Placement exam.
For more information regarding Modern Language Placement please contact the Modern Language Department Chair, Professor Min Zhou at 401-254-5719 or mzhou@rwu.edu.
For questions about waiving general education course requirements or for information on completing a placement test for ancient Greek, or American Sign Language, please contact the Dean's Office in the Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences (School of Humanities, Arts, and Education)
Click here for additional information about modern language courses and placement.
RWU math placement is designed to determine the appropriate entry-level course in the math sequence of a student's major. The math placement also determines the appropriate entry-level for chemistry and biology. We do not use SAT scores or high school transcripts for math placement.
There are two sections of math placement: 2 HR RWU Algebra Placement and 2 HR RWU Functions Placement. Students eligible for extended time can take the 4 hour version of the placement. Please review Online Testing for Students Requiring Extended Time if you are unsure which placements to complete. The placements are the same in everything except time limit.
Only students in majors that have a math sequence or other courses with math prerequisites are required take the math placement. If you are unsure, you can check by clicking here to see if your major requires Math placement.
Online Testing
- You can access the online math placement 24/7 from any computer.
- Math placement should be completed prior to your registration session.
- You will need to create an account for the math placement.
- Please have your student ID number ready, you will need it for registration.
- All questions are multiple choice.
- There is a two hour time limit on each test
- Each section (Algebra) and (Functions) may be taken at different times.
- However, once a single section has been started, you may not stop and resume at a later time.
- Calculator use is allowed.
- Results are automatically sent to RWU.
Click here for additional information about math courses and placement.
Online Placement for Students Requiring Extended Time
- Students who have used extended time in high school or on the SAT/ACT exam may register for the 4 hour option of (Algebra) and (Functions).
- The link to the 4 hour option is available within the math registration link.
- While documentation of disability is not required for the utilization of extended time on the math placement, documentation will be required for the use of extended time and other accommodations during the academic year.
- For more information about submitting documentation for courses in the academic year, please visit Student Accessibility Services
- Click here for math placement registration.
Click here for additional information about math courses and placement
Writing Placement at RWU is determined by a directed self-placement survey. Directed self-placement helps students decide which first-year writing course will be best for them.
What are the writing course requirements at RWU?
The University Core Curriculum writing requirement consists of two courses--WTNG 102: How Writing Works and a second class at the 200 level.
For students who want more practice in reading and writing in academic settings before taking WTNG 102, they should consider taking WTNG 100: Introduction to Academic Writing.
Typically, students complete their two-course writing requirement during their first three semesters at RWU. The table below shows the two paths a student can take to fulfill their Writing Requirement, depending on whether they start with WTNG 100 or WTNG 102.
| If your first-year writing course is: | You will need to take the following courses to complete your Writing Requirement: |
|---|---|
| WTNG.100: Intro. to Academic Writing |
|
| WTNG.102: How Writing Works |
|
For course descriptions, please consult the RWU online catalog.
*RWU is test optional for admission, with the exception of students applying to the Elementary or Secondary Education programs in accordance with guidelines from the Rhode Island Department of Education.
The directed self-placement survey takes 5 minutes to complete. Please read carefully and answer questions as accurately as you can. The survey will help you choose the best first-year Writing course for you based on the answers you provide.
Click here to go to the Writing Placement page and take the directed self-placement survey.
For more information or questions, please contact the 100-Level Writing Program Coordinator, Dr. Brian Hendrickson, at bhendrickson@rwu.edu.