International Students FAQs

1) What are EAP courses?

The English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses are offered by the Writing Program’s Rutgers English Language Institute (RELI). The EAP program is a suite of first-year, credit-bearing composition courses for multilingual students. The specific EAP writing course students are required to take depends on their English Placement Test results as well as their first day writing samples. All students begin with the writing course in which they are placed and continue until Expository Writing is completed. The following courses are currently being offered by EAP:

EAP I 356:155 Writing Across Cultures (4 credits)

EAP II 356:156 Academic Writing in the United States (4 credits)

         Optional support course for students in EAP I or EAP II:  EAD 356:152 Discussion and Presentation Skills.   Can be taken only once, at the request of the student or student's advisor.   

355:100 Basic Composition (3 credits)

355:101 Expository Writing (3 credits)

For more details about these courses, please https://reli.rutgers.edu/programs/ead and https://wp.rutgers.edu/academics/undergraduate/courses.

2) As an international student who speaks English as a second language, do I need to take all of the EAP courses offered?

The specific writing course you need to take depends on your English Placement Test result or your writing instructor. All students must begin with the course in which they place, and continue along until Expository Writing is completed. Many international students are placed in one of the EAP courses, but it is possible for an international student to be placed into Basic Composition or Expository Writing.

3) Besides the EAP courses, are there any other writing courses that are required by SAS?

Yes, after you have successfully completed EAP II, the highest level EAP course, you will need to register for Expository Writing, on a continuous level.

Expository Writing (355:101) is the required writing course for all students at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. The course is designed to prepare students for the writing they will do at the university and in their professional lives.

There are two other writing courses required for the SAS Core (Revision-based Writing or WCr and Discipline--based Writing or WCd) after you finish Expository Writing but do not need to be taken immediately after Expository Writing.

4) How does the level of EAP course I am placed at affect my eligibility to take required courses in my desired major?

There are some important courses for certain majors, such as General Biology, that require finishing at least Basic Composition as a prerequisite because many courses use the proficiencies developed in writing courses. There are also a few majors (such as Communication) that cannot be declared until you finish Expository Writing with a grade of C or better. Please consult with a SAS advising dean for more detailed analysis of your English placement and the path towards your desired majors/minors.

5) How can I expedite my progress through EAP and other writing courses?

Limited sections of the EAP and some other writing courses are offered at Rutgers in the summer. SAS requires that all courses in the EAP/Expos writing course sequence must be taken at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

6) What are the zero-level courses offered by the Writing Center? Do I have to take them?

The writing tutoring course, or the Writing Center (355:096), is a 1.5 credit (pass/fail) course. These credits count toward the 12 credits needed to be full time, but do not count toward the 120 credits required for graduation. Any student (ESL student or not) taking a writing course can take the Writing Center. It can be re-taken many times, unlike the Presentation and Discussion course (152) which can only be taken once. Students can sign up for Writing Center through the Writing Program after the second week of classes.