University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

You must fulfill course placement in the required areas of math and English. We also have tools for optional placement recommendations for foreign language courses. Please read the sections on this page about placement information in each subject to ensure you understand how you are placed into courses and to explore any additional placement options you might want to pursue.

You have two options for satisfying your course placement requirement.

1. Submit your ACT or SAT scores to UW Milwaukee. Your ACT/SAT scores will have no affect on your admission status; the scores will be used for placement purposes only.
   • • If you have already submitted your ACT/SAT scores with your application, you do not need to submit them again.
     • If you have not submitted your ACT/SAT scores, you can request those scores be sent directly to UWM from ACT or SAT.
     • If you have a copy of your ACT/SAT scores, UW Milwaukee also has an online form to report your test scores.

   OR

2. Use our free online placement tools in BOTH math and English. You do not need to schedule these online tests in advance. You can take them any time it is convenient for you.
   • Math – Panther Math Prep is a free online placement tool that allows you to assess your current math skill level and receive a course placement via an online proctored math placement test in a platform called ALEKS. You have the opportunity to utilize the free prep, review, and practice tools within ALEKS to build and refresh your math skills and take a placement test up to five times.
     For more information or to complete the online math placement test, visit the Panther Math Prep website.
   • English – UWM offers a free online placement option called Guided English Placement (GEP). The GEP is not a standardized test and there are no right or wrong answers. You will be asked a variety of questions about your educational experiences, writing and reading skills, and academic mindset. You will also be given reading and writing samples to reflect upon; no writing is required from you. The GEP takes about 30-60 minutes to complete.
     For more information or to complete the online English placement, visit the Guided English Placement website.
     

Regardless of your major, all UWM students need to satisfy general education requirements (GER) in both English and mathematics in order to earn a bachelor’s degree or meet core requirements in writing and math to earn an associate’s degree. It is important that you are placed into courses that properly reflect your skills and strengths to give you the greatest chance to be successful in your courses.

Yes! You can use our free online placement tools in math and/or English.

• Math – Panther Math Prep is a free online placement tool that allows you to assess your current math skill level and receive a course placement via an online proctored math placement test in a platform called ALEKS. You have the opportunity to utilize the free prep, review, and practice tools within ALEKS to build and refresh your math skills and take a placement test up to five times. For more information or to complete the online math placement test, visit the Panther Math Prep website.
• English – UWM offers a free online placement option called Guided English Placement (GEP). The GEP is not a standardized test and there are no right or wrong answers. You will be asked a variety of questions about your educational experiences, writing and reading skills, and academic mindset. You will also be given reading and writing samples to reflect upon; no writing is required from you. The GEP takes about 30-60 minutes to complete. For more information or to complete the online English placement, visit the Guided English Placement website.

If you have multiple sets of scores, for example multiple ACT/SAT scores or ACT/SAT scores plus scores from our Panther Math Prep program and/or our Guided English Placement (GEP), you will be allowed to utilize whichever score places you highest when enrolling in your courses.

UW Milwaukee does not accept the results of the online UW System placement tests.

Regardless of your major, all UWM students need to satisfy general education requirements (GER) in math in order to earn a bachelor’s degree or meet core requirements in math to earn an associate’s degree. You may also have specific math course(s) required by your particular major to attain your degree above and beyond these requirements.

Math placement is determined by the math score on your ACT/SAT, prior college credit earned in math courses, or by completing an ALEKS placement test via the free online Panther Math Prep program.

It is very important that you assess the math placement chart below and consider the math placement level you have earned along with the recommended math courses required for your major to determine if you would like to utilize our free online Panther Math Prep program to try and attain a higher placement level. Panther Math Prep is a free online placement tool that allows you to assess your current math skill level and receive a course placement via an online proctored math placement test in a platform called ALEKS. You have the opportunity to utilize the free prep, review, and practice tools within ALEKS to build and refresh your math skills and take a placement test up to five times.

2021 Math Test Scores to Placement Level Conversion*

Math placement is designed to place you into a course(s) that will satisfy the Quantitative Literacy Competency Part A (QLA) of your required GERs for a bachelor’s degree and the core requirements for math for an associate’s degree. Completion of QLA or the core requirement can be demonstrated by satisfying one of the following options:

• earning at least three credits with a grade of C or higher in Math 103, 105, 116, 175 or equivalent courses (102, 108), or Math/Philos 111
• achieving a placement level of at least 30 via your ACT, SAT, or ALEKS/Panther Math Prep test scores

Math Course Recommendations by Intended Major/Minor/Area of Study

MATH PLACEMENT LEVEL	STEM PATHWAY (NATURAL SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE)	PROFESSIONAL PATHWAY (BUSINESS, HEALTH SCIENCES/NURSING)	MATH LITERACY PATHWAY (ARTS & HUMANITIES)	EDUCATION PATHWAY (EDUCATION)
0	94 or 92+102+75 (grade of at least C then advance to level 20 courses)	94 or 92+102=75 (grade of at least C then advance to level 20 courses)	92 + 102 (grade of at least C = QLA satisfied then eligible for 175)	92 + 102 (grade of at least C = QLA satisfied then eligible for 175)
10	98 + 108 (grade of at least C = QLA satisfied then advance to level 30 course Math 115)	98 + 108 (grade of at least C = QLA satisfied then advance to level 30 courses)	103 (grade of at least C = QLA satisfied then eligible for 175)	103 (grade of at least C = QLA satisfied then eligible for 175)
20	105 (grade of at least C=QLA satisfied then advance to level 30 course Math 115)	105 (grade of at least C = QLA satisfied then advance to level 30 courses)	103 (grade of at least C = QLA satisfied)	175 (grade of at least C = QLA satisfied)
NOTE: Placement levels of 30 or higher satisfy the math GER QLA requirement. Some majors/minors/areas of study require additional math coursework beyond level 30.
30, 35	115	211 (or 208 for Lubar students)	No additional QLA math course required	175
40	231 (or 213, bio)	211 (or 208 for Lubar students)	No additional QLA math course required	175
45	221 (or 231)	211 (or 208 for Lubar students)	No additional QLA math course required	175

English placement is determined by the English or ERWS score on your ACT/SAT, prior college credit earned in math courses, or by completing the online Guided English Placement. The scores on these tests place you into courses that will satisfy your General Education Requirement (GER) known as the Oral and Written Communication (OWC) Competency Part A for those seeking a bachelor’s degree or your core requirement in writing for those seeking an associate’s degree. To satisfy this requirement, a student must earn credit with a grade of C or higher in English 102 or achieve an appropriate test score to satisfy the requirement.

• Bachelor’s Degree/Main Milwaukee Campus – Students placed into English 100 or 101 will need to complete that course with a grade of C or higher (you only need to complete either English 100 or 101, not both courses) then complete English 102 with a grade of C or higher. Students placed into English 102 will need to complete that course with a grade of C or higher. Students with a sufficient score may satisfy their General Education Requirement and test out of having to complete English 100, 101, or 102.
• Associate’s Degree/Branch Campuses at Waukesha & Washington County – Students placed into English 98 will need to complete 98 then 101 then 102 with a grade of C or higher. Students placed into English 101 will need to complete that course and 102 with a grade of C or higher. Students placed into English 102 will need to complete that course with a grade of C or higher. Students with a sufficient score may opt to submit a portfolio to the English staff to satisfy their core requirement in writing and test out of having to complete English 98, 101, or 102.

If you have never taken the ACT/SAT or are not satisfied with your placement via your ACT/SAT scores, you can utilize our free online Guided English Placement (GEP) to attain an English course placement. The GEP is not a standardized test and there are no right or wrong answers. You will be asked a variety of questions about your educational experiences, writing and reading skills, and academic mindset. You will also be given reading and writing samples to reflect upon; no writing is required from you. The GEP takes about 30-60 minutes to complete. For more information or to complete the online English placement, visit the Guided English Placement website.

English Placement Chart – Main Campus

Course Placement Main Campus	ACT English Score	SAT ERWS
English 100	1-16	200-460
English 101	17-24	461-590
English 102	25-28	591-650
Test Out/GER OWC Part A satisfied	29-36	651-800

English Placement Chart – Branch Campuses

Course Placement Branch Campuses	ACT English Score	SAT ERWS
CGS ENG 98	1-16	200-460
CGS ENG 101 + CGS ENG 99	17-18	461-500
CGS ENG 101	19-24	501-590
CGS ENG 102	25-28	591-650
CGS can inquire about portfolio to satisfy core requirement or enroll in CGS ENG 102	29-36	651-800

We have a great option for you! As a non-native speaker and/or writer of English, you can complete your English general education requirement (GER) by taking English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing courses instead of the English writing courses designed for native speakers of English. Our EAP courses offer smaller class sizes, and instructors that specialize in working with students from various language backgrounds. The support provided in the EAP writing courses can also help you do better in all of your university courses.

Recommendations for EAP course enrollment can be made based off of scores on the ACT, SAT, IETLS, TOEFL, and/or Guided English Placement (GEP). During your academic advising appointment at your New Student Orientation, you can let your advisor know that you are interested in our EAP courses.

For more information on EAP courses, you can contact Brooke Haley at HaleyB@uwm.edu.

Foreign Language Requirements
UW-Milwaukee has a General Education Requirement (GER) for foreign language for those seeking a bachelor’s degree. The minimum requirement to meet the foreign language GER is completing at least two years of a single foreign language in high school. If you have met this requirement then completing additional foreign language coursework is optional. Students planning to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree through the College of Letters and Science may be required to complete foreign language coursework beyond the University’s General Education Requirement.  Please check the list of majors that fall under the B.A. requirements to determine the foreign language requirement you will need to meet to graduate. Click here for more information on the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.

There is no general foreign language requirement for those seeking an associate’s degree.

Placement
Foreign language course enrollment recommendations are based on either previous college credit earned or years of high school coursework. Please reference the charts below to determine your appropriate placement level. You will need the assistance of your academic advisor to make a course recommendation and enroll in any course higher than the first level introductory course.

We also offer a free, online UWM World Languages Placement Survey for you and your advisor to use in finding the appropriate semester of a world language at UWM for you to begin your language studies at UWM. In addition to questions about your language abilities, it asks about your language learning experiences, whether in the classroom or beyond.

You will be able to complete the UWM World Languages Placement Survey on a computer or mobile device. It takes about 5 minutes to complete. You do not need to schedule a time to complete the survey; you can complete it online whenever it is convenient for you.

You will see your placement recommendation immediately at the end of the survey and will receive a copy at your UWM email address. Together you and your advisor can use the UWM World Languages Placement Survey and your transcripts to place you in the best language class for your level, or help you meet with a languages coordinator to confirm your placement. You are not required to complete a world language survey before enrolling in your first language course; however, we strongly recommend it as it sets you up for success by being enrolled in the most appropriate course for you.

Follow this link to access the UWM World Languages Placement Survey.

The tool can be used to help determine a placement recommendation in the following languages:

Retro Credits
If you enroll in a foreign language course higher than the level one/introductory course and earn a grade of B or better in that course, you can earn retroactive credits for the courses leading up to it without taking them. For example, if you enroll in the level three Spanish 203 course and earn a B or better, you can fill out paperwork with your academic advisor to request retroactive credit for Spanish I (103) and Spanish II (104).

Foreign Language Course Recommendation Charts for French, German, & Spanish
Please use these charts in combination with the UWM World Languages Placement Survey to determine your optimal placement level.

 French

HS Coursework	French Course Placement
1 year	103
2 years	104
3 years	203
4 years	204
Successfully completed a French 5 or AP French	303

You cannot move up or down a level from this placement, but the French department will run a diagnostic test in the first week of classes to let you know if you should change courses.

• Questions? Larry Kuiper kuiper@uwm.edu or Anita Alkhas alkhas@uwm.edu

German

HS Coursework	German Course Placement
1 year	102
2 years	203
3 years	204
4+ years	331 or 332

You may move up or down one course at your discretion; for example down if you’ve not taken the language in a few years, or up if you’ve done intense self-study or extra-curriculars such as extended travel to/living in a German-speaking country.

• Questions? Jonathan O Wipplinger wippling@uwm.edu

Spanish

HS Coursework	Spanish Course Placement
1 year	103
2 years	104
3 years	203
4+ years	204

You may move up or down a level from these courses, depending on how long it’s been since your last Spanish class and whether or not you feel prepared for the course.

• Questions? Stellia Jordan SAdvisor@uwm.edu

You can use the credit earned from your AP/IB test scores to fulfill your course placement requirement if your scores are high enough. Please review our policies on awarding credit for AP scores and IB scores. If you have earned non-elective credit in both math and English via your AP and/or IB scores, then you have fulfilled your course placement requirement. If this applies to you, please be sure to email us at NFTest@uwm.edu so we can update your PAWS account accordingly. If you have earned non-elective one subject area (math or English) but not both, you will still receive credit in that area but you will need to submit your ACT/SAT scores or fulfill your course placement requirement with one of our free online math or English placement options outlined above.

Milwaukee Main Campus

• NFTest@uwm.edu
• 414-229-2210 (voicemail)*

Washington County Campus

• Wsh-cgs@uwm.edu
• 262-335-5201 (voicemail)*

Waukesha Campus

• Wak-cgs@uwm.edu
• 262-521-5041 (voicemail)*

*Please note that due to COVID-19, our staff members are currently working remotely. All emails and voicemails will be returned within 1-2 business days.