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PREREQUISITES, COREQUISITES, AND ADVISORIES

Merced College provides you with a wide variety of academic assistance and personal support, but it is up to you to know when you need help and to seek it out. It is your responsibility to keep informed and to obey campus rules, regulations and policies that affect your academic standing as a Merced College student. Meeting deadlines, completing prerequisites and satisfying the degree and certificate requirements, as found in this catalog, are all part of your responsibility as a student.

In both the college Catalog and the Schedule of Classes, skills are listed in the form of prerequisites, two types of corequisites, limitations on enrollment, and advisories. These skills are normally given in the form of a course, the successful completion of which will provide students with the necessary skill(s). A definition of each of these terms is listed below:

Prerequisite

This represents a set of skills or a body of knowledge that one must possess prior to enrolling in a course. Without these skills a student will unlikely receive a satisfactory grade in the course or succeed in the program. Students will not be permitted to enroll in these courses and programs without the prerequisite.

One-way Corequisite

This represents a course whose content is dependent on a main course; however, the contents of the main course can stand alone. These courses do not necessarily need to be taken during the same semester.

Two-way Corequisite

These are paired courses that are part of the same sequence and must be taken during the same semester.

Limitation on Enrollment

This is an audition or try-out requirement associated with public performance or intercollegiate competition, honors courses, safety issues, or blocks of courses intended for a cohort or group of students (such as a nursing program).

Advisory

This is a course, skill, or status which is strongly recommended but not required. Students with the advised skill will probably have a better understanding of the course material. The most common way of satisfying a required or advised skill is by completing the prerequisite course with a grade of “C” or better. Those wishing to enroll in a course with a prerequisite and who have not completed the prerequisite course with a grade of “C” or better should refer to the challenge process below

Challenging a Prerequisite or a Corequisite

Students who believe they have met the requirements (or if one of the conditions below exists) may challenge a prerequisite. A challenge petition can be obtained from the Counseling Office. The form will explain what must be done. Students may challenge the criteria for a course if they:

  1. Believe they have the knowledge or ability to succeed in the course but have not completed the pre- or corequisite;

  2. Believe they will be subject to undue delay in reaching the goal of their educational plan because the pre- or corequisite course has not been made reasonably available, or the course has been limited to a special group of students and there are no other courses which would fulfill the requirement. (Students must attach a copy of their “Student Educational Plan” to be eligible to file a challenge based on this condition.);

  3. Believe it is unlawfully discriminatory or is being applied in an unlawfully discriminatory manner.

Supporting documentation MUST be attached to all challenges submitted. Challenges may be filed any time during the registration period. Upon completion of the challenge procedure, the challenge will be reviewed and a determination will be made within five (5) instructional days. The student will be advised of the determination through the email provided on the form. If challenge is approved, the student must submit the approved challenge petition to Admissions and Records when registering. For more detailed information on the challenge process, call the Counseling Office at (209) 381-6478