Prerequisites and Corequisites
Prerequisite Specialists: prerequisites@cuesta.edu / phone
(805) 546-3100, ext. 2655 / fax (805) 546-3113
A list of Cuesta courses requiring prerequisite verification BEFORE registering can be viewed by clicking the following link: Prerequisite Courses
Prerequisite and corequisite courses completed or in-progress (IP) at Cuesta College will be cleared automatically, as will Cuesta College assessment test scores that satisfy prerequisites.
Successful completion of a prerequisite or corequisite course is achieved by earning a final grade of a "C" or better.
Options to clear prerequisites
A. Take Cuesta's math and/or English Assessment Test(s)
B. Meet one of the Alternatives to Testing options
C. Complete prerequsite coursework at Cuesta with a "C" or better
D. Complete equivalent coursework at another college or university and submit a Prerequisite Clearance Request Form A
E. Challenge a prerequisites based on other grounds such as prior knowledge by submitting Prerequisite Challenge Form B
Index
I: FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS (FAQ)
II: PREREQUISITES AND
COREQUISITES
a. Definitions
b. English
prerequisites
c. Math
prerequisites
d. Physics
prerequisites
III: CLEARING
PREREQUISITES AND COREQUISITES
a. Clearance and
Challenge Forms
b. Prerequisite
courses completed or in-progress at Cuesta
c. Prerequisite
courses completed or in-progress at an institution
other than
Cuesta
d.
Prerequisites completed in HIGH SCHOOL
e. Prerequisites cleared
with AP TEST SCORES
f. Prerequisites
cleared with ASSESSMENT TEST SCORES
g. Processing Time
(clearance is not immediate)
h. Submit forms in
person, by mail or fax
i. Notification of the processing of your clearance request
IV: CHALLENGING PREREQUISITES AND COREQUISITES
V: PREREQUISITE ERROR (registration computer block)
I: FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
What is a course prerequisite and/or
corequisite? (additional
definitions)
• A prerequisite is a course (or equivalent skills or prior
experience) that a student must pass (or possess) before enrolling in the more
advanced course.
• A corequisite is a course that a student must enroll in at
the same time as, or in some cases prior to, enrolling in the desired course.
Who needs to complete prerequisites or
corequisites?
• Prerequisites and corequisites apply to all students,
including dual enrollment and personal enrichment students.
How do I know if a course has a prerequisite or
corequisite?
• Prerequisite and corequisite requirements for a course
can be found in the class schedule or by checking the course CRN section information (e.g. MATH 229 - CRN 30510) in the on-line Find Classes
Search, by clicking on the CRN or the View Catalog
Entry link.
• A list of Cuesta courses requiring prerequisite verification
BEFORE registering can be viewed by clicking the following link: Prerequisite
Courses.
What happens if I register for a course that
needs a prerequisite or corequisite which I have not met?
• If a
student does not meet the prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s) for a course, as
posted in the class schedule or on the on-line class schedule CRN link, the student may not be allowed to
register in the course. The student may be "computer blocked" and receive a PREREQUISITE ERROR message. In order to have the block lifted, the prerequisite clearance process must be followed. If the student follows the process and meets all the prerequisite criteria, the block will be removed by the prerequisite office and registration access will be granted.
Do I have to submit a prerequisite
clearance request form if I took or I am currently taking the prerequisite
course at Cuesta?
• NO, you do not need to complete a Prerequisite
Clearance Request form. Prerequisite and corequisite courses completed or
in-progress (IP) at Cuesta College will be cleared automatically, as will Cuesta
College assessment test scores that satisfy prerequisites.
How do I verify prerequisite courses completed at an institution
other than Cuesta College?
1. Submit an official transcript to the
Cuesta College Records Office.
2. Complete a Prerequisite
Clearance Request Form A and attach a copy of your transcript and other
documentation, as needed (see form).
Clearance or challenge requests can be submitted in person, by mail or by fax.
• Hand deliver: to the Academic Counseling
Department in the Student Services building (SLO or NCC)
• Mail: to Cuesta College, Assessment Office (attention Prerequisites), P.O. Box 8106, Cuesta College,
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106.
• FAX: to
Prerequisite Specialists at (805) 546-3113.
Plan ahead; prerequisite clearance is NOT IMMEDIATE. See link
for details on
processing time.
What if I’m currently enrolled in the
prerequisite course and want to register for a course that requires its
completion?
• If you are enrolled in the prerequisite course at
Cuesta, the student records program will allow you to register in the next level
course. If you do not pass the prerequisite course with a “C” or better you will be administratively dropped from the next level course. Although we make every effort to process the drop automatically, IT IS THE STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THE DROP HAS OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE DROP DEADLINE.
• If you are enrolled in the
prerequisite course at another school, you will need to submit a Prerequisite
Clearance Request Form A AFTER you have completed the course with a grade of "C" or better. (We do not accept work-in-progress from other institutions.)
What if I do not have a copy
of my transcript and I did not send a copy to Cuesta?
• You will not
be able to clear a prerequisite course with coursework completed at an
institution other than Cuesta without a transcript.
• For English, you may
choose to take an English assessment exam which will serve to clear
prerequisites for admittance into English 099, 156, or 201A or view additional alternatives here: English Access Grid
• For math, you may choose to take a math assessment exam or view additional alternatives here: Math Access Grid
If you have submitted a Prerequisite
Clearance Request Form A without having sent or attached transcripts, your request will not be processed and you will continue to be blocked from registering in the course that requires the prerequisite.
Can I clear a math or English prerequisite without assessment testing or completed college coursework?
• Yes, other test scores and criteria can be used to satisfy math and English prerequisites. See the English Access Grid and the Math Access Grid for details.
What if I’ve satisfied the prerequisite through
means other than completed coursework?
• Some prerequisites may be
satisfied by means other than
coursework (e.g. assessment level, certification, license, portfolio,
previous knowledge, etc.). Students have the right to challenge prerequisites
and corequisites on various grounds other than completion of coursework, in
which case a Prerequisite Challenge Form B must be completed. Please refer
to Student’s
Right to Challenge for specific information.
Where do
I submit the prerequisite clearance or challenge forms?
Completed forms can
be submitted in one of the following ways (Prerequisite Challenge Form B requires department chair's signature prior to submittal):
• Hand deliver: to the Academic Counseling
Department in the Student Services building (SLO or NCC)
• Mail: to Cuesta College, Assessment Office or the Prerequisite Office (attention Prerequisites), P.O. box 8106, Cuesta College,
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106.
• FAX: to
Prerequisite Specialists at (805) 546-3113.
Plan ahead; prerequisite clearance is NOT IMMEDIATE. See link
for details on processing time.
Once I submit my request, how will I find out if it has been processed?
Check your myCuesta email account. Your email account can be accessed through your myCuesta student page. LOGIN to your myCuesta account, CLICK ON your student tab, FIND your Email account in the left column of your student page, CLICK to launch your my.cuesta.edu account, VIEW email with the subject notation of "prerequisite clearance".
What if I still have more questions?
•
Additional information can be found on this website. Please select an area of
interest from the website INDEX.
• Contact
the Academic
Counseling Department at (805) 546-3138 or a Prerequisite Specialist at prerequisites@cuesta.edu or (805)
546-3100 ext. 2655.
II: PREREQUISITES AND
COREQUISITES
Prerequisites and corequisites apply to all students,
including dual enrollment and personal enrichment students.
For help
completing prerequisite clearance or challenge forms visit the Academic Counseling
Department in the Student Services Building.
Prerequisites,
corequisites, and advisories are intended to enhance a student’s chance of
success in a desired course. If a student does not meet prerequisites or
corequisites for a course, as listed in the course schedule, the student may not
be allowed to enroll in that course.
Prerequisite and corequisite courses
completed or in-progress (IP) at Cuesta College will be cleared automatically,
as will Cuesta College assessment test scores that satisfy
prerequisites.
Successful completion of a prerequisite or corequisite course
is achieved by earning a final grade of a "C" or better.
Many courses at Cuesta
College have enforced prerequisites and/or corequisites. Prerequisite and corequisite requirements for a course
can be found in the class schedule or by checking the course CRN section information (e.g. MATH 229 - CRN 30510) in the on-line Find Classes
Search, by clicking on the CRN or the View Catalog Entry link.
If a student does not meet the
prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s) for a course, as posted on the on-line class
schedule CRN link, the student may not be allowed to register in the course. The
student may be "computer blocked" and receive a PREREQUISTE
ERROR message. A few courses with prerequisites may not have registration
"computer blocks" in place and the student may be allowed to register but may be
dropped from the course if they have not satisfied the prerequisites prior to
the beginning of the term.
A list of Cuesta courses requiring prerequisite
verification BEFORE registering in the course can be viewed by clicking on the
following link: Prerequisite Courses.
Some prerequisites may be satisfied
by means other
than coursework (e.g. assessment level, certification, license, portfolio,
previous knowledge, etc.). Students have the right to challenge prerequisites
and corequisites on various grounds other than completion of coursework, in
which case a Prerequisite Challenge Form B must be completed. Please refer
to Student’s
Right to Challenge for specific information.
a. DEFINITIONS:
• Prerequisite: A course that a student must pass before
enrolling in the more advanced course. Equivalent skills or prior experience
that a student possesses may also be accepted as a prerequisite for a course.
• Corequisite: A course that a student must enroll
in at the same time as, or in some cases prior to, enrolling in the desired
course.
• Advisory Recommendations: In addition to
prerequisites, many courses at Cuesta College have recommended minimum math
and/or English advisories, which are noted in the course schedule. Advisories
have been established as a means of alerting students to the minimum standards
necessary for class success. Enrollment in such courses is recommended only for
students who have met the prescribed eligibility level.
• Prerequisite Clearance: Approval to use coursework completed
at another institution for prerequisite purposes.
•
Prerequisite Challenge: Request to use means other than coursework to
clear prerequisites (e.g. certification, license, portfolio, previous knowledge,
etc.).
b. ENGLISH PREREQUISITES:
Any student who has not been enrolled in an English course at Cuesta
College is required to establish an English level placement which can be done in one of the following ways.
• Take the Cuesta College English Placement exam AND submit your high school transcript prior to registration. A qualifying English assessment score will place students in English 099, 156, or English 201A.
HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS ARE AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT IN DETERMING YOUR COURSE PLACEMENT LEVEL - PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR TRANSCRIPT!!
• Complete an English assessment/placement exam at another California Public college or university and submit your results to our Assessment
Services office.
• Earn a 3.7 overall high school GPA and an "A" in senior level English and SUBMIT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT. This will place students in English 201A.
• Earn a grade of "C" or better in an English course taken at another college or university AND submit a copy of your transcript with a Prerequisite
Clearance Request Form A. To use coursework from out-of-state or private
institutions, supporting documentation such as catalog course
description, course outline or a course syllabus may be required.
• Earn "Ready for CSU college-level English courses" status on the EAP exam generally taken in 11th grade as part of STAR testing. This will place students in English 201A.
• Earn a 3 or above on the AP English Composition or Literature exam and submit a copy of your results with a Prerequisite
Clearance Request Form A. This is equivalent to Cuesta's English 201A and will allow student to enter courses that require English 201A as a prerequisite.
See our English Registration Access Grid for details.
See Cuesta's English Flow Chart for our English Course Sequence.
Students who wish to begin in Academic Skills English courses (ACSK 030A, 032,036, 050, 055, 058) may directly enroll in the courses without assessment testing.
c. MATH PREREQUISITES:
Any student who has not been enrolled in a mathematics course at Cuesta
College is required to establish a math level placement which can be done in one of the following ways:
Our assessment test scores and other accepted test scores are only valid if the assessment test or exam was taken within the past 18 months (AP test scores are valid indefinitely).
• Take the Cuesta College
math assessment/placement exam AND submit your high school transcript prior to registration. IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH AN ACCURATE PLACEMENT, BOTH THE ASSESSMENT TEST AND YOUR HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT ARE NEEDED. A high school transcript must be submitted in order togain access into transfer level math classes.
• Complete a math assessment/placement exam at another California Public college or university AND submit your results AND your high school transcript to our Assessment
Services or Prerequisite office.
• Earn a grade of "C" or better in a math course taken at another college or university AND submit a copy of your transcript with a Prerequisite
Clearance Request Form A. To use coursework from out-of-state or private
institutions, supporting documentation such as catalog course
description, course outline or a course syllabus may be required.
• Earn "Ready for CSU college-level math courses" status on the EAP exam, generally taken in 11th grade as part of STAR testing. This will place student into transfer level math courses.
• Earn a 3 or above on the AP Statistics exam and submit a copy of your results with a Prerequisite
Clearance Request Form A. This will place student into transfer level math courses.
• Earn a 3 or above on the AP Calculus AB exam and submit a copy of your results with a Prerequisite
Clearance Request Form A. This is equivalent to Cuesta's Math 265A and will allow student to enter courses that require Math 265A as a prerequisite.
See our Math Registration Access Grid for details.
See Cuesta's Math Flow Chart for our Math Course Sequence.
Students who wish to begin in our Academic Skills Math course (ACSK 075) or Math 003 may directly enroll in the course without assessment testing.
d. PHYSICS
PREREQUISITES:
In order to satisfy prerequisite requirements for
Physics 205B, 208B, and/or 208C with Physics courses completed at an institution
other than Cuesta College, students must complete a Prerequisite
Clearance Request Form C. Completion of this form includes consultation with
the physical science department.
Prerequisites: return to
top
III: CLEARING OR
CHALLENGING PREREQUISITES AND COREQUISITES
Clearance of a prerequisite or corequisite course will only be applied towards prerequisite approval for Cuesta College courses and NOT for unit credit nor transfer purposes. Other institutions are not obligated to accept Cuesta College’s evaluation of external coursework.
An approved clearance request does not guarantee a space in any course.
If a student has completed a required prerequisite or corequisite at a college or university other than Cuesta, a Prerequisite Clearance Request (Form A) or Challenge (Form B) must be completed and submitted BEFORE registering for the course requiring the prerequisite or corequisite.
a. PREREQUISITE
FORMS:
For help completing prerequisite clearance or challenge forms
visit the Academic
Counseling Department in the Student Services Building.
Prerequisite
Clearance Request Form A (for clearance of courses completed at an
institution other than Cuesta)
Prerequisite
Challenge Form B (for challenging prerequisites based on other grounds, see
Student’s Right
to Challenge)
Prerequisite Clearance Request Form C (for clearance of
PHYSICS courses completed at an institution other than Cuesta)
b. PREREQUISITE COURSES COMPLETED
OR IN-PROGRESS (IP) AT CUESTA:
Clearing of
successfully completed prerequisite courses taken at Cuesta College is done
automatically. Successful completion of a
prerequisite or corequisite course is achieved by earning a final grade of a "C" or
better.
Clearing of in-progress (IP) courses taken at
Cuesta College is done automatically. If a grade of “C” or better is not earned upon completion of the in-progress
prerequisite course, the student will be administratively dropped from the
course requiring the prerequisite once the final grade is posted.
If a
student believes they will not earn a “C” or better, or has been placed on Early
Alert for the in-progress prerequisite course, they should meet with a counselor
to discuss their options and consider re-enrolling in the prerequisite course in
the following term.
c. PREREQUISITE
COURSES COMPLETED OR IN-PROGRESS AT AN INSTITUTION OTHER THAN
CUESTA:
Coursework successfully completed at an
institution other than Cuesta College can be used to satisfy prerequisites and
corequisites. Students must file a Prerequisite
Clearance Request Form A BEFORE registering for
the course requiring the prerequisite. Successful completion of a prerequisite
or corequisite course is achieved by earning a final grade of a "C" or better.
d. HIGH SCHOOLTRANSCRIPTS:
Official high school
transcripts will automatically be processed for the high school transcript component of the math and English assessment process.
In order for transcripts to be
official they must be received in an official stamped and sealed envelope. Allow
at least 6 weeks for official transcripts to be received and processed by
Cuesta’s Records office.
Mail transcripts to: Cuesta College Records Office,
P.O. Box 8106, San Luis Obispo CA 93403-8106.
Students wanting to insure more immediate processing of their high school transcript should bring a copy of the transcript to their assessment test.
Students wishing to use high school coursework for SCIENCE prerequisites or corequisites must submit a Prerequisite Clearance Request Form A.
If you would like to process your science prerequisites without allowing for the six week processing period, please attach a copy of your transcript to your clearance form.
Math placement scores will be calculated based on students' assessment test results AND the highest level high school math course successfully COMPLETED. If a student is currently enrolled in a high school math course and only has received a grade for the first half of the course (1/2 year or 1 semester/trimester), it will not be used to calculate math placement. The highest, fully COMPLETED math course will be used. Upon completion of the entire course, students may resubmit a transcript with the final course grade in order to have their math placement recalculated based on the grade in the higher level course.
e. PREREQUISITES CLEARED WITH AP TEST SCORES:
AP test scores can be used to clear some prerequisites and corequisites.
Student must submit a copy of the test results AND a Prerequisite Clearance Request Form A BEFORE registering for the course requiring the
prerequisite.
AP test scores of 3 or higher, in the following areas, can be
used to satisfy prerequisites and corequisites:
• Biology
•
Calculus AB
•
English Language and Composition
• English Literature and Composition
• Environmental Biology
•
Statistics
f. PREREQUISITES CLEARED WITH ASSESSMENT TEST SCORES
Assessment results may satisfy some English, ESL and/or
math prerequisites or corequisites.
• To see a list of scheduled assessment dates, please view the calendar section of our Assessment
Office website.
Scores from assessment tests taken at other colleges/universities
may be accepted. For details, please refer to the assessment information listed
below.
Assessment Information:
To use Math Assessment Test Scores from other institutions:
If you have a math assessment score from an assessment test, taken within the past 18 months, from an institution other
than Cuesta College and would like to use it in lieu of re-testing at Cuesta,
please contact the Assessment Office to have
scores evaluated, verified and processed. Submission of test results AND high school transcripts will be required.
To use English
Assessment Test Scores from other institutions:
If you have an
English assessment test score from an institution other than Cuesta College and
would like to use it in lieu of re-testing at Cuesta, please contact the Assessment Office to have
scores evaluated, verified and processed.
PREREQUISITE CLEARANCE IS NOT IMMEDIATE
In order to ensure registration priority, clearance requests and
challenges must be filed at least five working days prior to a student's
registration priority date.
If a prerequisite clearance decision is
pending and the student is eligible to register, he/she is strongly encouraged
to register for all courses not restricted by prerequisites and later add courses that are pending prerequisite clearance decisions.
• Prerequisite clearance is NOT IMMEDIATE. Students
will not be permitted to enroll in courses requiring prerequisites until their
clearance has been approved. In order to ensure registration priority, it is
essential to plan accordingly. See below for details:
• 5
day processing time, upon submission of clearance FORM A,
for coursework completed at a California Public
School/College/University IF transcript/report card/test score is
attached or if your official transcripts were submitted to Cuesta’s Admissions
and Records office at least 6 weeks prior to this request.
• 10 day processing time, upon submission of clearance FORM A,
for coursework completed at a Private California or any
Out-of-State institution IF transcript, catalog course
description, and a course outline or syllabus are attached. If an official
transcript was submitted to Cuesta’s Admissions & Records office, at least 6
weeks prior to this request, it can be used to clear prerequisites but a catalog course
description, and a course outline or syllabus still need to be included with
the form.
• The five (5) day clock begins at 8:00 am on the morning following the submission of the clearance form, excluding posted school holidays and weekends (e.g. for a challenge form submitted Tuesday at 4:30 pm, the 5 day clock will begin Wednesday at 8:00 am with status/outcome being posted by the close of business on the following Tuesday).
• Processing time is only guaranteed for requests that have required documents (transcript/report card/test scores/course description and/or outline) attached, or if official transcripts were submitted to Cuesta’s Records office at least 6 weeks prior to this request.
Clearance or challenge petitions can be submitted in person, by mail or by fax.
• Hand deliver: to the Academic Counseling
Department in the Student Services building (SLO or NCC) or to the Assessment Office(SLO
campus).
• Mail: to Cuesta College, Assessment Office(attention Prerequisites), P.O. box 8106, Cuesta College,
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106.
• FAX: to
Prerequisite Specialists at (805) 546-3113.
Plan ahead; prerequisite clearance is NOT
IMMEDIATE. See link for details on processing
time
For help completing prerequisite clearance or
challenge forms visit the Academic Counseling Department in the Student Services
Building.
Prerequisites: return to
top
i. NOTIFICATION OF COMPLETED CLEARANCE REQUEST
Once your request has been received and processed, written notification of the decision will be sent to your myCuesta email account.
Your email account can be accessed through your myCuesta student page.
•
LOGIN to your myCuesta account
•
CLICK ON your student tab
• FIND your Email account in the left column of your student page
•
CLICK to launch your my.cuesta.edu account
•
VIEW email with a the subject notation of "prerequisite clearance".
IV: CHALLENGING
PREREQUISITES AND COREQUISITES
STUDENTS HAVE
THE RIGHT TO CHALLENGE PREREQUISITES OR COREQUISITES ON VARIOUS GROUNDS OTHER
THAN COMPLETION OF COURSEWORK:
Use
Prerequisite Challenge Form B.
It is a student's
responsibility to provide compelling evidence, including a written statement, to
support a challenge.
A student may petition to challenge a
prerequisite or corequisite based on one or more of the following:
1.
Student has the knowledge or ability to succeed in the course despite not
meeting the prerequisite (e.g. student has prior course work, assessment levels,
certification, license or work experience that satisfies the prerequisite, or by
other criteria presented by the student).
2. The prerequisite is
discriminatory or applied in a discriminatory manner.
3. The prerequisite
approval is in violation of Title 5 regulations or Cuesta College District
Policy.
4. The prerequisite course has not been made reasonably available
("reasonably available" as defined by the college).
In order to challenge a
prerequisite or corequisite based on criteria listed above, student must submit
a completed Prerequisite Challenge Form B.
A
challenge must be filed at least five working days prior to the student's
registration priority date. If the student has enrolled in a course, pending the
outcome of the petition, and the petition is denied, the student will be dropped
from the course.
For inquiries or questions regarding prerequisite and corequisite challenges contact Prerequisite Specialists at prerequisites@cuesta.edu or call 805-546-3100, ext. 2655.
V: PREREQUISITE REGISTRATION ERROR
If you have attempted to register in a class and have received a "Prerequisite not met" error message, then it is possible that you have not fulfilled the prerequisite or corequisite requirement(s) for a course. For more information pertaining to prerequisites and corequisites click here.
Individual instructors cannot override a prerequisite or corequisite block. Receiving an Add Authorization Code from an instructor does not override the prerequisite requirement or prerequisite block.
If 5 business days have passed since you submitted a petition to clear or challenge a prerequisite and you continue to receive a PREREQUISTE ERROR as you attempt to register, please access your Cuesta email account to verify approval or denial of your petition.
If you believe you have received a PREREQUISITE ERROR or if you need additional help, please contact a Prerequisite Specialist at prerequisites@cuesta.edu or call (805) 546-3100 ext. 2655.
A student has a right to challenge a prerequisite or corequisite. It is a student's responsibility to provide compelling evidence to support the challenge.
