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First Year Advising Center

North Foundation Hall, Room 101
318 Meadow Brook Road
Rochester, MI 48309-4454
(location map)
(248) 370-3227
FYAC@oakland.edu

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.


Orientation & New Student Programs
North Foundation Hall, Room 101
318 Meadow Brook Road
Rochester, MI 48309-4454
(248) 370-GOLD
gold@oakland.edu

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

First Year Advising Center

North Foundation Hall, Room 101
318 Meadow Brook Road
Rochester, MI 48309-4454
(location map)
(248) 370-3227
FYAC@oakland.edu

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.


Orientation & New Student Programs
North Foundation Hall, Room 101
318 Meadow Brook Road
Rochester, MI 48309-4454
(248) 370-GOLD
gold@oakland.edu

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Young female student sitting at a computer smiling with male student in background

Course Placement & Testing

Incoming students may need to complete a placement process to determine their first course in writing, mathematics and modern language/American Sign Language.  Read below to determine if you need to complete a placement process.  If so, these should be completed before your orientation.

* The University reserves the right to change placement criteria at any time. 
Placement Testing
Placement into Writing

Most students will complete the Directed Self-Placement for Writing. Students are exempt from this process if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • SAT Writing or Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 620 or higher
  • ACT English score of 28 or above
  • AP English and Language Composition score of 3 or higher
  • International Baccalaureate Extended Essay (IBEE) test grade of B or higher
  • Course from another institution deemed equivalent to WRT 1050 or WRT 1060

If you don’t meet one of the criteria above, please complete the Directed Self-Placement at least a week before your orientation, if possible. Important note: students can only take the Directed Self-Placement test once.

Placement into Mathematics

Students who submitted SAT or ACT scores as a part of their admission materials will be placed into their first math course using these scores and do not need to complete a placement test. 

Only students who meet one of the two criteria below need to complete a math placement assessment.  

  • Did not submit SAT or ACT scores to OU for admission and your intended major is math/science, health sciences, education, business or engineering 
  • You feel your SAT or ACT math subscore does not reflect your current abilities in math and you would like to attempt a higher placement.

Visit the Department of Mathematics and Statistics website for directions on completing the mathematics placement assessment. If possible, please complete the placement assessment at least a week before your orientation. Important note: students can take the math placement test up to five times. 

Placement into Modern Language or American Sign Language

Oakland University has a language requirement for all students as a part of the general education curriculum. Students who have taken a college-level language class at an accredited institution have satisfied this requirement. Read below about placement testing for modern languages or American Sign Language.

Modern Languages

Students needing the language placement exam are those who have no previous college coursework in a language, but who have prior high school coursework in Chinese, French, German or Spanish and who intend to satisfy the language requirement by continuing in this language.

Students with no previous high school or college-level language experience do not need this test.

French, German, Chinese, or Spanish
If you took French, German, Chinese or Spanish in high school and wish to continue in that language at Oakland, take the online placement exam prior to orientation, using the password grizzlies1. Remember to bring a copy of your results with you to orientation.

Japanese or Arabic
If you took Japanese or Arabic, contact the Department of Modern Languages and Literature at (248) 370-2060 or visit O'Dowd Hall, Room 372.

American Sign Language (ASL)

Students with no formal training in ASL, do not use ASL in daily life, or have one year of high school ASL, do not need to schedule a placement interview and can enroll into COM 1500 – Introduction to American Sign Language. Students interested in placement into COM 1501 and higher are required to schedule a placement interview.

To schedule an appointment for assessment, email the Communication Program and ASL Coordinator, Dr. Robert Sidelinger, at sideling@oakland.edu with the following information:

  • If you have had two or more years in high school (no college or university ASL courses), submit your transcripts and relevant course syllabi (if appropriate).
  • If you have an extensive ASL background and use ASL in daily life but have not taken any formal courses, please provide details in your email about your background and experience with ASL.
The placement interview has been carefully calibrated specifically to align with the courses and the instruction offered at Oakland University. For more information, visit the   Department of Communication, Journalism and Public Relations website.
Mathematics Placement
All new students are placed into a mathematics class based on their  SAT or ACT math subscore or by completing the mathematics placement assessment (ALEKS PPL). Please review the chart below to determine your math placement.

Math SubscoreALEKS PPL Placement ScoreOU Math Placement

SAT: 0-480

ACT: 0-17

[0, 29]

(or successful completion of
test 'E' on legacy math placement test)

MTH 0661** (Elementary
Algebra)

OR

MTH 1118 (Mathematical
Sciences in the Modern World)

SAT: 490-530

ACT: 18-21

[30, 45]

(or successful completion of
test 'I' on legacy math placement test)
MTH 0662** (Intermediate
Algebra)

OR

Any course listed above

SAT: 540-650

ACT: 22-27

[46, 60]

(or successful completion of
test 'R' on legacy math placement test)

MTH 1221 (Linear Programming, Elementary Functions)

OR

MTH 1331 (College Algebra)
Recommended for ACT 22-23
and SAT 540-560
Recommended if MTH 0662
grade is less than "B"

OR

MTH 1441 (Precalculus)
Recommended for ACT 24- 27
and SAT 570-650


OR

MTE 2110 (Numerical Structures)

OR

STA 2220 (Intro to Statistical
Concepts and Reasoning)

OR

Any course listed above

SAT: 660-800

ACT: 28 or
above

[61, 75]

(or successful completion of
test 'R' on legacy math placement test +
override to take MTH 1332)



MTH 1222 (Calculus for Social Sciences)

OR

MTH 1332 (Trigonometry)

OR

Any course listed above

SAT: 660-800

ACT: 28 or
above

[76, 100]

(or successful completion of
test 'C' on legacy math placement test)


MTH 1554 (Calculus I)

OR

STA 2221 (Intro to Statistical
Methods)

OR

STA 2222 (Statistical Methods
for Biology)

OR

Any course listed above

** No more than 16 credits in courses numbered 0050-0099 may count toward graduation requirements.

Writing & Rhetoric Placement

To fulfill Oakland University’s general education writing foundations requirement, students must complete WRT 1060 (Composition II) or its equivalent with a C or higher.

There are several ways students are placed into their first OU writing course. Review the chart below for details.

WRT 1020
(Basic Writing)
WRT 1050
(Composition I)
WRT 1060
(Composition II)
Writing Foundation
Satisfied*
200-400 SAT Writing or
Evidence-Based
Reading and Writing score
410-610 SAT Writing or
Evidence-Based
Reading and Writing score
620-800 SAT Writing or
Evidence-Based
Reading and Writing score
Score of 4 or 5 on AP
English Language
and Composition
1-15 ACT English
subscore
16-27 ACT English
subscore
28-36 ACT English
subscore
Test grade of B on
International Baccalaureate
Extended Essay (IBEE)
18 or more transfer creditsScore of 3 on AP
English Language and
Composition
Lower than A- in ESL 0079Grade of A- or higher in ESL
0079
Directed Self-Placement 
result of WRT 1020
Directed Self-Placement 
result of WRT 1050

Directed Self-Placement 
result of WRT 1060 and high
school GPA 3.75 or higher

Directed Self-Placement 
result of WRT 1060 and
completion of 
Placement Essay
Exam if high school GPA is below 3.75

*Students receive four credits that satisfy the general education writing foundation requirement, equivalent to WRT 1060.