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• Undergradaute Catalog

• Undergraduate Catalog
• Catalog Course Descriptions

Prerequisites, Corequisites, Recommended Preparation

The term prerequisite implies a progression from less advanced to more advanced study in a field. Students must satisfy the prerequisite(s) before registering for the course, unless exempted by the instructor. Corequisite courses must be taken concurrently.  When a course is listed as both a prerequisite and a corequisite, it may be taken prior to or concurrently with the other course. 

Prerequisites taken out of sequence within a single department shall not count towards degree credit unless the head of the department offering the course grants an exception.  For example, assume that courses A and B are in the same department and A is prerequisite to B. If the instructor permits the student to take B without having taken A, and the student passes B, the student may not take A for credit without permission. The student seeking credit for A must have the permission of the head of the department offering the course. The department head must notify the Registrar in writing.

Many University courses require consent of the instructor for enrollment. The course directory section of the Catalog and Schedule of Classes specify the required permissions.  Permission numbers will be used to allow enrollment.

Course numbers show the level of the material presented. The numbers and the academic levels follow:

• 01-99 courses in the Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture. Baccalaureate students may not register for these courses.
• 100-199 courses primarily intended for Freshmen and Sophomore students.
• 200-299 courses primarily intended for Junior and Senior students.
• 300 and above courses primarily intended for Graduate students.

Students registering for their fourth semester may enroll in 200-level courses not "open to sophomores or higher" provided: (a) they will have at least 54 (62 for Engineering and Pharmacy students) credits by the end of the semester; (b) they have the instructor's consent. Students without the required credits who wish to take 200-level courses not "open to sophomores or higher" must have the consent of the instructor and their academic dean.

Unless their school or college has more stringent requirements, undergraduate seniors with a cumulative grade point average of 2.6 or above may take 300-level courses. Other undergraduates must have the permission of the instructor and the student's academic dean to enroll in a 300-level course.

Recommended preparation denotes that the instructor will assume that students know material covered in the course(s) listed. Students who register for a course without the recommended background may experience difficulties and are encouraged to consult with the instructor prior to registration.

Students should read carefully the course descriptions in the Catalog before they register because some of the course credits may not count toward graduation. Math 101, for example, lists three credits, but no credits count toward graduation. Some courses state that a student will earn fewer credits if they have passed a given course. For example, Math 105Q, which normally carries 3 credits, gives only 2 credits to students having passed Math 104. Some departments have restrictions on combinations of courses. For example, students can earn only 4 credits toward graduation from STAT 100, 110. Restrictions also apply to a) variable topic, special topics and independent study courses taken during the same semester (See "Maximum Number of Credits"), b) repeating courses (See "Repeating Courses") and c) prerequisites taken out of sequence (See "Prerequisites").

For example, students who register for a three-credit course where no credits count toward graduation should expect the following consequences:

• 1. The student's transcript will show three more credits than the number of credits earned for graduation.
• 2. The Registrar will compute the student's grade point average for the semester, division, and cumulative grade point average just as with any other course. Also, in all other ways the Registrar treats restricted credit courses in the same way as other courses.

The University faculties require students to develop writing, quantitative and computing skills. Courses including one or more of these skills have a letter following the course number showing the skill(s) taught.

• W-courses have major writing assignments aimed at teaching the student to write clearly. All W-courses have English 105 or 110 or 111 as a prerequisite.
• Q-courses require the student to know and use algebra, or a higher form of mathematics. Passing the Q-course Readiness test or Mathematics 101 is prerequisite to any Q-course.
• C-courses give students hands-on experience in at least one major computer application.
• J-courses teach writing and quantitative skills.
• S-courses teach writing and computing skills.
• V-courses teach quantitative and computing skills.
• Z-courses teach writing, quantitative and computing skills.
• P-courses teach some writing skills, but fewer than a W-course.