Academic Credit
Academic Credit According to the Ohio Department of Higher Education, one (1) semester hour of college credit will be awarded for each lecture hour. Students will be expected to work on out-of-class assignments on a regular basis which, over the length of the course, would normally average two hours of out-of-class study for each hour of formal class activity. For laboratory hours, one (1) credit shall be awarded for a minimum of three laboratory hours in a standard week for which little or no out-of-class study is required since three hours will be in the lab (i.e. Laboratory 03 hours). Whereas, one (1) credit shall be awarded for a minimum of two laboratory hours in a standard week, if supplemented by out-of-class assignments which would normally average one hour of out-of class study preparing for or following up the laboratory experience (i.e. Laboratory 02 hours). Credit is also awarded for other hours such as directed practice, practicum, cooperative work experience, and field experience. The number of hours required to receive credit is listed under Other Hours on the syllabus. The number of credit hours for lecture, lab and other hours are listed at the beginning of the syllabus. Make sure you can prioritize your time accordingly. Proper planning, prioritization and dedication will enhance your success in your coursework.
The standard expectation for an online course is that you will spend 3 hours per week for each credit hour.
Courses offered in other part of terms (e.g. 14 week, 8 week, flexibly scheduled, etc.) ensure equivalent workloads. Students should prioritize their time accordingly, particularly when taking part of term courses.
Catalog-in-Force
Each student’s Catalog-in-Force, or degree or certificate requirements, is the College Catalog which is in effect when a student first enrolls in credit courses at Cuyahoga Community College. Students have three (3) years in which to complete their degree or certificate program requirements. If the student has not completed the degree in a 3-year period, the student must satisfy requirements of a Catalog-in-Force within the most recent 3 years. Three exceptions to this exist:
- The College may, by notification to the student, determine different requirements if the student has not completed the declared program in a three-year period.
- For programs that have selective admission, a student’s Catalog-in-Force requirements (degree or certificate program requirements) are those that are in effect the term a student is accepted into the program and enrolls in program courses.
- A student who has been away from the College for two consecutive semesters, including summer session, (i.e. Fall and Spring OR Spring and Summer OR Summer and Fall) will follow the Catalog-in-Force (degree or certificate program requirements) effective the term the student re-enrolls in credit courses.
In addition, the College reserves the right to change course offerings and academic requirements as deemed necessary.
Requests for exception or questions about Catalog-in-Force should be submitted to the Registrar upon the recommendation of a counselor.
Choosing a Technical Career Field
Students who want to prepare for specific technical roles in various fields should consider the several program concentrations offered in the general fields of business, engineering, health, public service, agriculture and natural resources, and apprenticeships.
Study in these programs lead to either the Associate of Applied Business or Associate of Applied Science degree; one of the customized degrees available is the Associate of Technical Study; or one of the certificates.
General Application Procedures for Degree and Certificate Programs
Many programs require proficiency requirements to be met before acceptance into the program. This may require taking specific courses or assessment tests before beginning a program, or meeting specific program requirements. Admission to the Nursing program and other health career programs is limited to the number of openings in each program. Students who apply and meet the admission requirements are admitted into the program of choice in the order in which their completed application is received. Program admission requirements are included with each program sequence. Learn more about application procedures for Health Careers and Nursing programs.
Semester Course Numbering
To simplify the task of maintaining accurate and complete academic records for all students at the College, an alpha- numeric code is used to identify all courses. In this code, the alpha characters indicate the subject area. For example, World Regional Geography carries the course number GEOG-1010. The letters GEOG refer to the subject area, Geography. The number 1010 has been assigned to a specific course, World Regional Geography, within that subject area.
Modular courses may be offered in some subject areas. A modular course is a component of an approved semester course and is identified with a final letter of A, B, C, D, or E. The course content of a modular course must be contained in the original course. Modular courses together are the equivalent of the parent course. For example, DMS-235A and DMS-235B together, would be considered equivalent to DMS-2350.
A special topics course permits the teaching of a variety of topics not currently contained in its subject area. An "18xx" numbered course indicates a freshmen-level special topics course; a "28xx" is assigned to a sophomore-level course. No more than six credits of special topics may be applied toward elective and/or program graduation degree requirements. Specific special topics offerings can be found in the Course Description section of the catalog and within the current schedule of classes.
Independent study courses are offered in some subject areas using the following course numbers: 1820 (lecture), 182S (2 hour lab), 182T (3 hour lab), 2820 (lecture), 282S (2 hour lab), and 282T (3 hour lab). Study/research title and specific content for an independent study is arranged between the instructor and student. Independent study courses may be repeated for a maximum of six credits of different topics.
Honors courses are offered in some subject areas and are designated with the final letter of "H". Honors courses are equivalent to the standard course offering and may replace the standard offering to meet degree requirements. In subject-areas that do not have a specific honors offering, a student may complete an Honors Contract (179H, 279H). An Honors contract complements and exceeds requirements and expected outcomes for an existing 1000-level honors course through formulation of a contract with a faculty mentor. This independent study at the honors level may also be taken with a non-honors course. When taken with a non-honors course the Honors Contract adds an honor experience to that course. In conjunction with a faculty mentor, student will formulate a contract, which upon completion will result in distinctive scholarship. The student is required to meet on a regularly scheduled basis with the instructor for mentor-student tutorial sessions. A maximum of six Honor Contracts (six credit hours) may be taken at the College (includes 179H and 279H).
Course numbers do not indicate whether or not a course will be accepted for transfer to other institutions. Students are advised to consult with their counselors regarding transfer of courses and credits to other institutions.
The course number assigned to a course helps to identify the type of course. Developmental courses begin with the digit zero. Introductory courses and major and technical courses are grouped within a number range. Field experience courses have specific course numbers that help to identify the type of field work involved. This numbering scheme is outlined below:
| Description | Freshman-Level No. | Sophomore-Level No. |
|---|---|---|
| Developmental Courses | 0800 to 0990 | |
| Introductory/Non-Majors/Basic Courses | 1000 to 1290 | - - - |
| Majors/Technical Courses | 1300 to 1790 | 2000 to 2790 |
| Special Topics Courses1 | 1800 to 1819 | 2800 to 2819 |
| Honors Special Topics | 180H | 280H |
| Independent Study/Research Courses | 1820 | 2820 |
| Honors Independent Study/Research | 182H | 282H |
| Independent Study/Research Courses (2 hour Lab) | 182S | 282S |
| Independent Study/Research Courses (3 hour Lab) | 182T | 282T |
| Cooperative Education Courses | - - - | 2830 |
| Practicum | 1840 to 1870 | 2840 to 2870 |
| Clinicals (Nursing and Practical Nursing only) | 1880 to 1900 | 2880 to 2900 |
| Directed Practice | 1910 to 19302 | 2910 to 29302 |
| Field Experience | 1940 to 1960 | 2940 to 2960 |
| Seminar | 1970 to 1980 | 2970 to 2980 |
| Capstone Course | - - - | 2990 |
- 1
Prior to Summer 2006, Special Topics courses were numbered as follows: 1800/2800 (lecture); 181S/281S (2 hour lab); 181T/281T (3 hour lab); and 181P/281P (practicum).
- 2
Radiography uses additional course numbers.
Note:
- Modular courses are identified by use of the letters “A through E” instead of fourth digit such as “0”.
- Some laboratory courses are identified by the letter “L” instead of fourth digit such as “0”.
- Independent Study/Research labs are identified by letters “S” and “T” instead of the fourth digit “0”.
- Honors courses are identified by use of the letters “H” instead of fourth digit such as “0”. (such as ENG-101H Honors College Composition I for ENG-1010 College Composition I).
Course Equivalency
Equivalent courses are two or more courses that have been declared equivalent by content experts in the specific discipline. Semester courses that have been deleted are usually replaced with an equivalent course that contains the same or similar content and thus is deemed as equivalent to the deleted course. Two current courses may be declared as equivalent, such as a standard course and an honors course that cover the same material, though the honors course exceeds the requirements and outcomes of the standard course; cross-listed courses that are identical in course content but are listed in different subject areas; or a standard course and its modular courses. When an equivalency exists, the equivalent courses may be treated as repeats: credit is earned for only one completion and the lower of the two grades is not computed into the student’s grade point average. Learn more about equivalencies and view a listing of equivalent courses.
Prerequisites
Courses which are required as prerequisites must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher in order to be eligible to enroll in the listed course. In addition, many courses require “eligibility” for a specific course as a prerequisite, i.e. Eligibility for ENG-1010 College Composition I. Eligibility for a specific course may be demonstrated by any of the following:
- Completion of Tri-C’s assessment with a score appropriate for placement into the specific course listed; OR
- Completion of the prerequisite for the course listed with a grade of “C” or higher (including equivalent courses transferred in from another college or university); OR
- Completion of the course listed with a grade of “C” or higher (including equivalent courses transferred in from another college or university).
Prerequisites are checked by the computer at the time of registration. Prerequisite checking does not recognize courses that were taken under quarters at Tri-C. See a counselor if you took the prerequisite coursework under quarters before trying to register.