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High School Academic Unit Requirements
For Incoming New Freshman

 

As a general rule, the courses listed below fulfill the high school academic unit requirement for new freshman applicants to UWSP.  Courses must fulfill DPI and high school graduation requirements.  Should you have questions about acceptable courses, please contact the UWSP admission office at admissions@uwsp.edu .


ENGLISH  - 4 units/years

Acceptable composition and/or literature courses:
Freshman English
Sophomore English
Junior English
Senior English
Composition
English sequences of 1, 2, 3 and 4
Grammar (if not remedial)
Writer’s Workshop
Literature – any literature course as long as it isn’t remedial
Creative Writing
 
NOTE: 3 of the credits must be in college prep courses of composition and/or literature. The 4th credit may be any non-remedial English course that DPI and the school count as English for graduation. 
 
Acceptable courses for 4th credit of English:
Mass Media
Speech
Literacy of Media Communications (Literature of Media)
 
The following courses only count toward the 4th credit if the high school counts them toward the 4 credits of English for high school graduation:
Business Writing
Yearbook
School Newspaper courses
Theater Appreciation
Journalism
 
These courses generally are not accepted toward the unit requirements:
Remedial English courses
English as a Second Language (ESL) courses
Theater acting courses
 

MATHEMATICS – 3 units/years

 
Algebra I (even if taken in the 8th grade)
Advanced Algebra
Algebra II
Core Math 1, 2, 3 and 4
Geometry (including basic geometry)
Pre-Calculus, Calculus
Transition to College Math
Trigonometry
College prep math courses for which Algebra and/or Geometry are prerequisites
Statistics
 
These courses generally are not accepted toward the unit requirements:
Business or Computer Math
College and Career Ready Math
Consumer Math
General Math     
Pre-Algebra
Applied Math
 

SOCIAL SCIENCE – 3 units/years

American Government
Civics
Economics
Geography (cultural, not physical)
History
Psychology
Sociology
 
These courses generally are not accepted toward the unit requirements:
Business Law
Personal Finance
Consumer Economics
 

NATURAL SCIENCE – 3 units/years

Agricultural Science – UWSP can accept a maximum of one approved agriculture
     science course.  Approved agriculture science courses must be designated
     “SE” (science equivalent) on the high school transcript
Anatomy
Astronomy
Biochemistry
Biology
Biotechnology
Chem Comm (Chemistry in the Community)
Chemistry
Earth Science
Engineering – Project Lead the Way (PLTW) engineering courses identified as Biotechnical Engineering and Principles of Engineering if they have been designated “SE” (science equivalent) on the high school transcript.
Environmental Science (if offered through the Science Dept and has Biology as a prerequisite)
General Science (9th grade only)
Genetics
Geography (Physical)
Geology
Intro to Physical Science
Organic Chemistry
Physical Science
Physics
 
These courses generally are not accepted toward the unit requirements
Basic Biology or Basic Chemistry
Non-college prep or remedial science courses
“Applied” or “Technical” science courses
 
 
 

ELECTIVE CREDITS – 2 units/years

Additional non-remedial courses in English, Social Science, Math and Natural Science (courses not counted toward the above)
Computer Science courses (excluding keyboarding)
Fine Arts courses offered through music, fine arts, theatre arts or art departments such as:
Choir, Band, Orchestra, Ensemble courses, Music Theory, Appreciation and History, Art courses, Art History or Appreciation, Drawing, Painting, Architecture, Photography, Graphic Design, Crafts, Jewelry, Drama, Acting, StageProduction, Stagecraft
Foreign Language (including American Sign Language and foreign language courses taken in 8th grade if they serve as prerequisites for the next year of foreign language at the high school)

OTHER ELECTIVES – 2 units/years

Additional courses from English, Social Science, Math and Natural Science
Additonal courses from English, Social Science, Math and Natural Scienc
Additional elective course as listed above
Agricultural courses
Business and Marketing courses
Family and Consumer Education
Health Education
Trade and Technology courses
 
DO NOT COUNT IN ANY AREA:
Cooperative Education/Work Experience
Driver Education
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Physical Education
Remedial courses in all areas
Special Education courses
 
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Independent study courses may be counted if they otherwise meet qualifications for content