Competency Requirements
Competency requirements include the following three components:
Success in college and the ability to function as an educated citizen require not only the ability to master areas of foundational knowledge, but also a series of fundamental skills that underlie and make possible the acquisition of knowledge. Competencies may be demonstrated by satisfactory completion of designated courses or by earning appropriate scores on designated examinations.
Competencies or skills are preconditions for higher education, and thus basic competencies should be demonstrated early in a student's baccalaureate degree program. Students who fail to meet the specified deadline will be allowed two additional semesters (or equivalent) in which to satisfy the competency requirement. After the two-semester limit, students who have not satisfied the requirement may be barred from enrolling in courses other than those which satisfy the competency requirement until the requirement has been completed.
The following general principles apply to all competency requirements:
- Students who satisfy any competency requirement by passing a prescribed Wayne State University placement, qualifying, screening, competency, or proficiency examination shall be excused from equivalent course work but will receive NO course credit.
- Course credit granted for satisfactory completion of an Advanced Placement, CLEP, International Baccalaureate, or Departmental examination will satisfy the appropriate competency or inquiry requirement; credit so earned will be applicable to a baccalaureate degree.
- Courses used to satisfy competency requirements shall not generally be used to satisfy inquiry requirements.
- Competency requirements BC, IC, and QE must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
Written Communication (BC, IC)
Writing ability is a cornerstone of academic study and is often considered the touchstone of a university education. Skill and effectiveness in writing serve an individual throughout their life — in career, in community, and in social and leisure activities. An ability to write well allows an individual to effectively address general audiences as well as specialized audiences within professional fields. Moreover, writing is a skill that that requires constant renewal. The Written Communication requirements are structured not only to provide training in how to write well, but also to insure that writing skills continue to be exercised and enhanced throughout the undergraduate years. The progression of the Written Communication requirements reflect the important notion of 'writing across the curriculum,' and Intermediate Composition courses therefore build from the skills learned in Basic Composition courses.
Basic Composition (BC) Requirement
All students must demonstrate competence in basic English composition prior to completing thirty credits. Basic composition competence shall be determined by satisfactory completion of a designated course that includes instruction in multiple genres of writing, or its course equivalent or earning credit for Basic Composition through a national standardized test.
BC has four program learning outcomes.
After successful completion of this requirement, students will be able to demonstrate their ability to:
- Describe the arguments, purpose, context, and audience in college level texts.
- Integrate credible, relevant sources in ethical ways.
- Employ the conventions of a genre.
- Explain their own writing choices and process.
Satisfactory completion requires a grade of C or better. Course(s) satisfying the Basic Composition requirement include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 1020 | Introductory College Writing | 3 |
Students can also demonstrate competence in basic composition by:
- Earning credit for basic composition through Advanced Placement CLEP, or International Baccalaureate; OR
- Transferring credit received for successful completion of a comparable course completed with a grade of C or better at another college or university.
Intermediate Composition (IC) Requirement
All students must complete satisfactorily a designated intermediate, or more advanced, course in which the teaching of English composition and rhetoric is a major component prior to completing seventy-five credits.
IC has four program learning outcomes.
After successful completion of this requirement, students will be able to demonstrate their ability to:
- Employ the practices of specific discourse community.
- Use sources in ethical ways when writing texts.
- Synthesize academic research that is relevant and appropriate for a specific discourse community.
- Construct a research argument that adequately responds to scholarly questions in a specific discourse community.
Satisfactory completion requires a grade of C or better. Courses currently approved for Intermediate Composition are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AFS/ENG 2390 | Introduction to African-American Literature: Writing about Texts | 3 |
| ENG 3010 | Intermediate Writing | 3 |
| ENG 3020 | Writing and Community | 3 |
| ENG 3050 | Technical Communication I: Reports | 3 |
Schools and colleges may also have specific requirements, such that careful course selection can lead to meeting both General Education and college requirements. Please consult the College/School listing for specific requirements.
Students can also demonstrate competence in intermediate composition by transferring credit received for successful completion of a comparable course completed with a grade of C or better at another college or university.
Oral Communication (OC) Requirement
Educated persons should be comfortable in situations which require them to make oral presentations, be able to convince others of a point of view, or make appropriate remarks in an informal setting. Along with an ability to write cogently, communicating orally is mentioned most frequently by employers and others who evaluate the preparedness of college students as a fundamental skill to be able to compete in contemporary society. Consequently, oral communication is a crucial skill needed for success in virtually every field of endeavor.
OC has five program learning outcomes.
After successful completion of this requirement, students will be able to demonstrate their ability to:
- Adapt to the needs of a distinct speaking situation.
- Integrate credible, relevant sources in ethical ways.
- Incorporate relevant presentation aids or technology in an oral presentation.
- Employ verbal techniques for effective delivery in an oral presentation.
- Employ non-verbal techniques for effective delivery in an oral presentation.
Courses satisfying the Oral Communication requirement include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COM 1010 | Oral Communication: Basic Speech | 3 |
| ENG 3060 | Technical Communication II: Presentations | 3 |
Students can also demonstrate competence in oral communication by:
- Passing the Oral Communication Competency Examination; OR
- Transferring credit received for successful completion of a comparable course taken at another college or university.
Quantitative Experience (QE) Requirement
Individuals with competency in quantitative skills possess the ability to reason and solve problems from a wide range of authentic contexts and everyday life situations. They can interpret quantitative data and use that analysis to provide support for sophisticated arguments. They can clearly communicate those arguments in a variety of formats as appropriate. This requirement is aimed at developing such skills in all of our students.
QE has four program learning outcomes.
After successful completion of the QE requirement, students will be able to:
- Convert real-world information into appropriate mathematical form.
- Perform mathematical or symbolic computations relevant to a multistep problem.
- Draw reasonable conclusions based on quantitative evidence.
- Communicate arguments or interpretations supported by quantitative evidence.
*Please note, revised QE Learning Outcomes were approved on 3/4/2023. Previous versions are available in archived editions of the bulletin.
Satisfactory completion requires a grade of C or better.
Courses satisfying the Quantitative Experience requirement include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AST 2030 | Life in the Universe | 3 |
| COM 3150 | Science Communication | 3 |
| FIN 1200 | Personal Finance Planning | 3 |
| FPC 1010 | Math for the Arts | 3 |
| MAE 1000 | Detroit by the Numbers | 3 |
| MAT 1000 | Mathematics in Today's World | 3 |
| MAT 1070 | College Algebra | 5 |
| MAT 1110 | Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers I | 3 |
| MAT 1120 | Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers II | 3 |
| MAT 1800 | Elementary Functions | 4 |
| MAT 2010 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MAT 2020 | Calculus II | 4 |
| PHI 1070 | Games, Risk, and Logic | 3 |
| PHY 1020 | Conceptual Physics: The Basic Science | 3 |
| PS 1050 | Understanding Political Science Statistics | 4 |
| SOC 2211 | Numbers in Society | 3 |
| STA 1020 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| STA 2210 | Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| THR 2651 | Introduction to Life Skills for the Creative Entrepreneur | 3 |
| TIS 2300 | Quantitative Methods I: Probability and Statistical Inference | 3 |
Competency in quantitative skills must be demonstrated by all students prior to completion of the first 30 credits taken at Wayne State University. Students can also demonstrate a suitable quantitative experience by:
- Placing into a mathematics course above the level of MAT 1000 or MAT 1070 on the Mathematics Placement Examination; or
- Achieving appropriate scores on national standardized tests; or
- Transferring credit received for successful completion of a course equivalent to or higher than MAT 1000 completed with a grade of C or better at another college or university.