2011-2012 Academic Catalog

• Catalog Home
• Alphabetical Index
• Site Map

Home > 2011-2012 Academic Catalog > Catalog Guide

Print this page

Catalog Guide

All students need to become familiar with the language of the college catalog and the necessity of planning a sequence that will provide either a certificate or degree. Every course is not offered each year. Some courses are taught only when there is a demand for specific instruction to complete a major curriculum. For a list of courses available each semester, students should consult the current class schedule. A course listing consists of the following elements:

Prefix

Each course has a three-letter code designating the instructional department or division.

Course number

A three-digit number is assigned to all college courses. Courses listed in the 100s are designed for freshman level; 200s are intended for sophomore level. (Ex. COM 115 = Public Speaking)

Section Number

A three-digit number or letter combination is assigned to all college courses. The section number is found immediately following the course number. (Ex. COM 115-111 = Section 111 of Public Speaking). This number is not indicative of the number of sections offered at CCA.

Course Title

This is the official course title. Class schedules and transcripts will often abbreviate the course title.

Credit hours

Each course has state approval for a specific number of "semester credit hours" that translates into a number of clock hours of interaction with the instructor. Practicums, clinicals, laboratory, and vocational skill training classes have specific clock hour requirements. Tuition charges are based on credit hours, not clock hours. Some vocational programs have set costs because of equipment requirements.

Independent Study

The College may provide for individual student needs through independent study. All requests for independent study are subject to the approval of the Division Dean. No more than 6 semester hours of independent study course work may be applied to any Associate degree program.

Prerequisites

Some courses require another course or special permission before enrolling. For example, students cannot enroll in MAT 121 until MAT 099 is successfully completed or an appropriate assessment score is achieved. Prerequisites are listed in the course description.

Co-requisites

Some courses require special permission, or another course be taken at the same time as the current course. For example, students cannot enroll in MAT 135 without enrolling in MAT 179 because the material covered in the courses complement each other. Co-requisites are listed in the course description.

Special Topics Courses

Special Topics courses provide instruction on selected topics within a program. The number of semester hours of credit is determined by the department offering the course and approved by the Instructional Leadership Team. No more than 6 semester hours of Special Topics course work may be applied to any Associate degree program.

Supervised Field Experience

The Community College of Aurora recognizes the need for supervised field (off-campus) experience in various programs. Supervised field experience may be titled "work experience," "practicum" or "internship." These field experiences are designed to provide on-the-job training for students with the goal of increased employability upon completion of their education. In a supervised field experience, the community, its resources, and employees become an extension of the college. All supervised field experience courses include: (1) course descriptions; (2) an instructor with credentials in the program area to supervise the off-campus instruction; (3) course activities designed by the instructor; (4) attendance at a minimum of one class session per week with the assigned instructor; (5) a plan developed by the student and instructor, including all assignments required for completion of the course; (6) grading following the established grading policy of the College; and (7) instructor scheduling of the supervised field experience hours, requiring the same types of assignments and preparation as for on-campus courses.

Degree

At CCA, students can obtain Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of General Studies, or Associate of Applied Science degrees. Each degree has specific course requirements of major courses and general education courses.

Recommended Electives

College curriculums have courses that are not required, but would be helpful to the student’s future. Students should consult their academic advisor before selecting electives.

Attention: Course numbers and descriptions are subject to changes.

The Colorado Community Colleges participate in a common course numbering and common competency system to provide students ease of transfer and to ensure curriculum quality across the colleges. This system includes all courses offered for credit at every community college and is available for review at www.cccs.edu.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Click arrowheads to expand or collapse contents

Expand all • Collapse all