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Skills Requirements

Entry Level Skills Assessments

There are entry level skills assessments in:
• Critical Thinking
• Mathematics
• Modern Languages
• Writing

Placement in writing, math, modern languages, and critical thinking courses is determined by the assessments. These tests are a prerequisite for (not completion of) core and graduation skills course requirements.

Freshmen (all students entering with fewer than seven Augsburg course credits) and sophomore transfer students with fewer than 13 course credits are required to take entry level skills assessments and satisfy all skills requirements.

Advanced transfer students (who enter with 13 course credits or more or an A.A. degree accepted in transfer) take only the following entry level skills assessments and fulfill the following requirements:
• The Mathematics assessment and requirement.
• The Modern Language assessment and requirement.
• The Writing assessment and requirement.
• Critical Thinking Assessment and Requirement

Students who have college credit for a critical thinking or logic course are exempt from the critical thinking assessment.
Students who do not achieve the minimum entry score on the placement exam are required to take GST 100 Critical Thinking.

Mathematics Assessment and Requirement
All students are required to have their math placement group (MPG) determined. In some cases, students who have transferred a mathematics course taken at another college may have their MPG determined by the registrar’s office. All other students must take the Augsburg Math Placement Exam, which is administered by Academic Advising. The exam is given during college registration sessions and at other announced times during the year. Practice questions and other information are available from Academic Advising.

Based on the math assessment result, students will be enrolled in the appropriate courses or advised on preparation for retaking the math placement exam. Students may retake the Math Placement Exam once during their first term of enrollment. Students are required to take the Math Placement Exam before registering for the first term and should achieve MPG 3 by the end of their first year at Augsburg.

Students in MPG 1 must take MAT 103 to advance to MPG 2. Students in MPG 2 must take MAT 105 to advance to MPG 3. Students in MPG 3 must take MAT 114 to advance to MPG 4. No other MAT course changes a student’s MPG. A grade of Pass or 2.0 or higher is required to advance to the next math level.

Students are encouraged to advance their MPG as soon as possible. Students must achieve Math Placement Group (MPG) 3 or higher to graduate. In addition, many courses require MPG 2, 3, or 4 as a prerequisite

Modern Language Assessment and Requirement
The BYU-CAPE language assessment is offered to students who have had at least a year of Spanish, French, or German language studies in high school. It is designed to assess and place students at the appropriate course level for language study. Students may waive the modern language requirement by completing this assessment and placing at the 311 level or above.

The Modern Language Core Skill requirement for some bachelor of science majors may vary. Students must consult with the major department to determine the options available. The following bachelor of science majors are approved for modifications in the Liberal Arts Foundation or Modern Language Core Skill requirements: biology, clinical laboratory science, elementary education (LAF option only), health education (teaching licensure only, LAF option only), mathematics, physical education (teaching licensure only, LAF option only), and physics.

Writing Assessment and Requirement
The entry level assessment determines readiness for ENG 111 Effective Writing. Students who do not satisfy the entry level skill in writing will be required to take ENG 101 Developmental Writing before ENG 111.

Students who have transferred in an equivalent course to ENG 111 are excused from the entry level exam.

Core Skills Requirements

Effective Writing
ENG 111 Effective Writing or the equivalent with a grade of 2.0, P, or higher, is required. Attendance the first day of class is required.

Students should complete ENG 111 by the middle of their sophomore year since it is a prerequisite for Writing Graduation Skill courses.

Modern Language
Requirements for the Modern Language Core Skill are determined by placement test. For a language previously studied, successful completion (minimum grade of 2.0 or P) of one language course at your placement level (112 or higher) satisfies the requirement. For a language not previously studied, successful completion of a two-course sequence in the same language with the minimum grade of 2.0/P in both courses is required. Students whose placement test is at 311 or higher will be exempted from further language study.

There is a seven-year time limit on language courses presented for transfer and automatic waiver.

Students who have demonstrated competence in American Sign Language by passing an approved course sequence will have fulfilled the Modern Language Core Skill.

Students whose first language is not English and whose score is below the minimum on the ESL placement test must fulfill the English as a Second Language (ESL) requirement. The requirement is satisfied by successfully completing the ESL course(s) and achieving a score above the minimum on the ESL placement exam. Students who complete the ESL requirement fulfill the Modern Language Core Skill requirement. Contact Academic Advising or the English Department for additional information.

Lifetime Fitness
Two lifetime fitness courses are required. HPE 001 Foundations of Fitness (or a transfer equivalent) is required of all students. The second course may be chosen from a variety of different lifetime activities (HPE 002, 003 Lifetime Activity courses). Students who are not health and physical education majors or intercollegiate athletes may test out of one lifetime activity course. Students may demonstrate proficiency from a selected list of lifetime activities. There is a fee to take the lifetime activity proficiency test.

Foundations of Fitness courses are non-credit courses and are not included in the 32-course graduation requirement.

Graduation Skills Requirements
An Augsburg education includes enhancement of certain skills during the years in college. Critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, speaking, and writing skills are deliberate components of certain courses. Students are required to have one course each with Critical Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning, and Speaking skill components, and two courses with a Writing Skill component. These requirements are modified for advanced transfer students (see page 82). A minimum grade of 2.0 or P is required to satisfy a graduation skill requirement.

Graduation skill requirements typically are embedded in required courses in the major. Some departments, however, designate courses outside the major or elective courses in the major that fulfill this requirement. Academic advisers will provide a list of these courses.

All Writing Skill courses have the prerequisite of ENG 111 or its equivalent. All Quantitative Reasoning Skill courses have the prerequisite of Math Placement Group 3, and all Critical Thinking Skill courses have the prerequisite of passing the entry level Critical Thinking Assessment or GST 100.