First-year Placement Information

BASIC SKILLS ASSESSMENT/ORIENTATION COURSE PLACEMENT  

The University of the Pacific is committed to your academic success, including ensuring that you are placed in the appropriate course to support your learning.  The following information will assist you and your faculty adviser in the planning of your program of study. 

Entering students are required to demonstrate competency in the areas of writing, reading, and quantitative analysis (math).  Students taking language and general chemistry courses are also required to complete an assessment to determine appropriate course placement. Please read the information below carefully.  It describes the various types of placement assessments available and provides options for completion of these assessments.

COURSE PLACEMENT ASSESSMENTS

Criteria for Writing Course Placement:

First year students will be placed into the writing sequence based upon their SAT Verbal score.  The following grid describes the various course placements and corresponding scores.  Students who place into the writing sequence can challenge their placement by completing the Pacific Writing Diagnostic Essay during the first week of the writing class. (Note:  If a student has not taken the SAT, an ACT English Subtest score of 22 or above will satisfy the general education requirement in writing.)

Click here to view the Writing Course Placement Guidelines 

Transfer students can fulfill the writing requirement with a transferable course.

Criteria for Reading Course Placement:

First year students can place into the reading course or fulfill the basic skills requirement in reading based upon their SAT verbal score.  A score of 510 or above on the SAT Verbal assessment will fulfill the University Reading Requirement.  A score below 510 places the student into READ 031 Reading for College.  Students who place into the reading course can challenge their placement by completing the reading assessment during the first week of the reading class.  Completion of the skills requirement in reading is a pre-requisite for courses in Biological Sciences. 

(Note:  If a student has not taken the SAT, an ACT English Subtest score of 22 or above will satisfy the general education requirement in reading.)

Transfer students must complete the reading assessment at one of the placement sessions listed below.   This assessment determines the fulfillment of the reading requirement or placement into READ 031 Reading for College.

Criteria for Analytical Skills Requirement and Placement in Mathematics Courses:

All Pacific students are required to demonstrate competency in intermediate algebra to fulfill the basic skills requirement. 

First year students can meet the basic skills requirement in math by scoring 540 or above on the Mathematics Level 1 SAT Subject Test or 520 or above on the Mathematics Level 2 SAT Subject Test.  Pacific math assessments are available at new student orientation or at a pre-orientation session to provide competency and placement information. 

 Transfer students can fulfill the basic skills requirement in math or be placed into subsequent mathematics courses based on a transferable course or by completing the Pacific math assessment at transfer orientation or at a pre-orientation session.  Course admission guidelines for mathematics are listed below.  Examples of the Pacific tests are found at the website of the Education Resource Center listed above.

 Click here to view the Mathematics Course Admission Guidelines

Criteria for Chemistry Course Placement;

All students who wish to enroll in General Chemistry (all science majors including all pre-health majors, all engineering students, sport sciences majors with a concentration is sports medicine, and earth and environmental science majors) are placed based on two possible assessments:

• score of 550 or above on the chemistry subject test, or
• score of 24 or above on the Pacific Chemistry Assessment. 

 Criteria for Language Course Placement;

All students interested in enrolling in foreign language courses while at Pacific are encouraged to take the language assessment.  The outcome from this assessment will be recorded and can be used for course placement at a later date. 

All students are encouraged to pursue the study of a foreign language, however many students are required to do so including anyone pursuing a bachelor of arts in the College of the Pacific, anyone wishing to qualify for the Phi Beta Kappa honors society, and most students wishing to study abroad.

First year students who wish to begin their foreign language courses in the fall must participate in the foreign language assessment at the pre-orientation administration or at new student orientation in the summer. 

Transfer students can be placed into foreign language courses based on prior college coursework in the language.

COURSE PLACEMENT ASSESSMENTS DATES

Pre-Orientation Assessment Administration:

This assessment administration is available on Saturday, May 30, 2009 at 10 a.m. at the following locations:

University of the Pacific Stockton Campus - Pacific Theater
3601 Pacific Avenue,
Stockton CA 95211

Dugoni School of Dentistry - ECR and Room 103
2155 Webster Street
San Francisco CA 94115

McGeorge School of Law - Classrooms A and B
3200 Fifth Avenue
Sacramento CA 95817

Chaminade Preparatory High School
7500 Chaminade Avenue
West Hills CA 91304

University of the Pacific Office of Admission Regional Office
14205 SE 36^th Street, Suite 100
Bellevue WA 98006

Orientation Assessment Administration:

A second opportunity for course placement assessments will be available at new student orientation.  Students will receive written communication from the Educational Resource Center regarding these sessions. 

First year student course placement testing will begin at 8 am on the first day of new student orientation.  

 Transfer student testing at orientation will take place on Monday, August 17, 2009 at 2 pm.

First-year Placement Information

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