Placement

Placement Requirements for Mathematics, English, and Reading

First-time Stevenson University students will need to complete one or more Stevenson University placement assessments prior to registration.

Mathematics Placement

All incoming students are required to take the mathematics placement assessment prior to registering for classes unless they have completed a foundational mathematics course at another college/university equivalent to or higher than Stevenson's developmental MATH 005# course and earned a grade of "C" or better, or completed a college credit-bearing mathematics course at another college/university equivalent to or higher than Stevenson's MATH 135 course and earned a grade of "D" or better.

Results of the placement assessment are valid until the end of the add/drop period of the semester in which the student enrolls in the university. Students are not permitted to take the math placement assessment after enrolling in a math course at SU.

English Placement

All students will take a credit bearing English course (either ENG 150 or ENG 151; honors students will have the option of taking ENG 153: Honors Writing Seminar. English course placement will be determined through the use of a placement assessment designed by the SU English department. Students cannot change their course selection (ENG 150 or ENG 151) after completion of the directed self-placement assessment.

Reading Placement 

Some students may need to register for ENG 006#: College Reading Lab. Students have the option to test out of this course by completing the Reading Challenge Exam. For more information, visit Student Placement.

Placement Information in Foundational and Co-Requisite Courses

Foundational and co-requisite courses in the areas of mathematics and English (MATH 005#, MATH 035#, MATH 036#, MATH 037# and ENG 006#) are designed to improve skills in these content areas. Placement in and successful completion of foundational and co-requisite courses are required of students who do not demonstrate proficiency in the basic skill areas on the SAT, ACT, or the Stevenson placement assessments. Students who are placed into foundational courses are required to complete them during their first year at Stevenson. These courses do not receive college credit, are not calculated in a student's GPA, nor do they count toward the calculation of dean's list. However, they do count toward enrollment status for financial aid and full-time student status.

Placement for Transfer Students

Transfer students are subject to the same mathematics placement requirements as first-time Stevenson University students Transfer students who are not bringing in credit for ENG-151, will be placed in to ENG-150 if their overall transfer GPA is below a 2.0. Placement assessments (if needed) must be taken prior to registration.

Placement in Foreign Language Courses

Stevenson University offers elementary and intermediate level courses in French and Spanish. First-semester foreign language classes (101) are not open to native speakers or students with two or more years of high school study. Placement is required for second-semester classes (102) and intermediate levels (201 and 202). Incoming freshmen who have scored 500+ on the appropriate SAT subject test or who have completed three or more years of high school language within two years will be placed in an intermediate-level class. Placement can also be determined by scores on the Advanced Placement test, by International Baccalaureate achievement levels, or by a test or interview with an instructor. Full-time students interested in languages other than French and Spanish are eligible to participate in the Baltimore Student Exchange Program (BSEP) at area colleges and universities. Additional information about BSEP can be found in the Courses at Another Institution section under "Academic Information" in this catalog. Specific questions regarding foreign language placement should be directed to the chair of the English department. Native speakers may not earn foreign language course credit in their native language.