Prerequisites and Corequisites

Prerequisites: Courses requiring successful completion in order to enroll in a target course. Prerequisite knowledge and skills can also be met through course equivalencies and other coursework such as high school AP courses, etc.

Corequisite: Course enrollment is required in conjunction with another course in the same semester. Success in one course often depends on the content of another course.

For a description of Prerequisites and/or Corequisites as they pertain to a particular course, please access one of the following resources:

Please schedule an appointment with a Counselor if you have any questions or are pursuing a challenge to a prerequisite/corequisite course. 

The Prerequisite Override Petition can be found on the “Forms for Students” webpage in the “Registration Forms” section.

Frequently Asked Questions About Advisories and Limitations on Enrollment (Including Prerequisites and Corequisites) 

Advisories are intended to identify skills which will broaden or deepen a student’s learning experience, but without which the student can still succeed in the course. The college does not block enrollment in a course due to a lack of advisory skills.

If a class has an advisory, it will be stated as part of the course description in the Catalog and will be listed with the course in the MyShasta online course listings.

All courses are open to enrollment to any student who has been admitted to the college, with the following exceptions. Title 5 Section 58106 allows the college to limit enrollment in specific courses or programs by using: 

  1.  prerequisites and corequisites;
  2.  health and safety considerations;
  3.  practical considerations such as facilities limitations, faculty availability and funding limitations; 
  4.  registration systems such as a first-come-first-served, or priority system; 
  5.  statutory, regulatory, or contractual requirements; 
  6.  auditions and tryouts for intercollegiate competition, honors, or public performances courses; 
  7.  or courses for cohorts of students.

If a class has a limitation on enrollment, it will be specifically stated as part of the course description in the Catalog and will be listed with the course in the MyShasta online course listings.

 “Prerequisite” means a condition of enrollment that a student is required to meet to demonstrate current readiness for enrollment in a course or educational program. (Title 5, Section 55003) Such a condition of enrollment can be a course or other preparation a student must have before being permitted to enroll in a target course. Prerequisites provide the student with knowledge and/or a set of skills that substantially increase a student’s success. 

There are two types of corequisites: two-way corequisites and one-way corequisites. A “two-way” corequisite is when two (or more) courses are interconnected, and successful completion requires enrollment in both courses during the same term. A “one-way” corequisite is when one of the courses depends on the content of the other course, but not vice-versa. Here, only one course would list the other as a corequisite. Often, with one-way corequisites, if you have previously completed the corequisite course, you may be qualified to enroll in the target course.

We are legally required to enforce prerequisites. The Shasta College faculty have carefully selected prerequisites by evaluating the skills and concepts needed for success in a target course. They are intended to ensure that a student has a reasonable chance for success. For these reasons, enforcement of prerequisites is in the best interest of all students.

There are three ways you can satisfy a prerequisite at Shasta College:

  • You received a grade of C or higher in the prerequisite course at Shasta College:
    • If you completed the prerequisite course with a grade of C or higher, you will be allowed to enroll in the target course (as long as space is available).
    • If you are currently enrolled in the prerequisite course at the time of registration, you will be allowed to conditionally enroll in the target course (as long as space is available). However, when grades are submitted at the end of the semester, if you did not receive a grade of C or higher in the prerequisite course, you will be dropped from the target course.
  • You satisfied the prerequisite through Course Equivalency. There are multiple ways to satisfy a prerequisite through Course Equivalency. For example:
    • You received a grade of C or higher in an equivalent course at another college.
    • You have a qualifying score on the AP Exam.
    • You received CLEP credit for the prerequisite course.

For further information about AP Exam scores and CLEP credit, see a counselor, refer to the Catalog and/or see AP 4235 Credit for Prior Learning.

If you believe you have satisfied the prerequisite through Course Equivalency, before registration, you should contact Admissions and Records/ Financial Aid “One Stop” staff who will direct you through the Course Equivalency Procedure. It is your responsibility to provide supporting documentation, such as transcripts and course description(s) from your previous college(s). You will be allowed to enroll conditionally in the target course for ten working days. If, at the end of ten working days, you cannot provide documentation that you have met the prerequisite through Course Equivalency, then you will be dropped from the course.

  • You satisfied the prerequisite through Multiple Measures. Shasta College recognizes that you may have gained the prerequisite skills for some courses by means other than the two mentioned above. For example, you may have completed high school courses that covered the same topics as the prerequisite course. Or, perhaps you gained the prerequisite skills through work experience. Whatever the means, if you have gained skills that are equivalent to those that you would get by taking the prerequisite course at Shasta College, you should take your supporting documentation to a Shasta College counselor before you try to register. The counselor will direct you through the Multiple Measures Procedure.

Note: If you are attempting to register in a course that has Math, English, or Chemistry as a prerequisite, then part of the Multiple Measures Procedure might include an evaluation of your transcripts.

Note: Because you will be unable to enroll in the target course until a counselor determines that you have satisfied the prerequisite through Multiple Measures, it is in your best interest to see a counselor before attempting to register for the course.

Note: If you have a disability and believe that you could be successful in the class with reasonable accommodations, please schedule an appointment with a PACE Counselor at (530) 242-7790, before attempting to register for the course.

Yes, you can. The five grounds for a student to challenge a prerequisite or corequisite are:

  1. The student has the knowledge or ability to succeed in the course or program despite not meeting the prerequisite or corequisite.
  2. The prerequisite or corequisite has not been established in accordance with the district’s process for establishing prerequisites and corequisites.
  3. The prerequisite or corequisite is in violation of Title 5.
  4. The prerequisite or corequisite is either unlawfully discriminatory or is being applied in an unlawfully discriminatory manner.
  5. The student will be subject to undue delay in attaining the goal of their educational plan because the prerequisite or corequisite course has not been made reasonably available, or accessible. For a full description see Title 5 Section 55201(f).

If you believe you have grounds for filing a challenge, please make an appointment with your Counselor for information on the Prerequisite Challenge Procedure. If you choose to file a challenge, you have the responsibility of showing that grounds exist for the challenge.

You should seek advice regarding the challenge from a Counselor. Please see more information below on the Prerequisite/Corequisite Challenge Procedure.

Prerequisite/Corequisite Challenge Procedure

A student who chooses to challenge a prerequisite or corequisite may do so for any of the reasons identified above in the FAQ section. Students are encouraged to meet with a counselor to discuss the prerequisite/corequisite challenge procedure. Once a student has met with a counselor, they can submit the Prerequisite Override form on the “Forms for Students” page of our Admissions & Records website. The Office of Instruction will retain documentation of Board Policy and Title 5 regulations regarding prerequisite/corequisite challenges.

If a student is citing reason #2, #3, #4 or #5 (as listed above in the FAQ section) as the basis for challenging the prerequisite/corequisite, the student must submit a completed Prerequisite Override Petition along with supporting documentation to the Associate Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction in the Office of Instruction.

The student has the obligation to provide satisfactory evidence that the challenge should be upheld. Without supporting documentation, the application for a challenge will be considered incomplete and the challenge will be denied.

When a complete application is filed, the Associate Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction will conduct a Challenge Hearing. This hearing will include, as voting members, the Associate Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction, one faculty from the Curriculum Council, and one other faculty, preferably from a discipline closely related to the target course. The student will have the right to attend and speak at the Challenge Hearing. Staff from the Office of Instruction will attempt to notify the student regarding the time and location of the Challenge Hearing at least one business day before the start of that hearing. The results of the Challenge Hearing will be documented and forwarded to the student and to the Admissions and Records / Financial Aid “One Stop” Office within five business days from the date of the hearing. 

Note 1: Students who submit a Prerequisite Override Petition claiming that a specific disability is a factor in their challenge rationale must forward a copy of the Prerequisite/Corequisite Challenge to the PACE (Partners in Access to College Education) Office. The PACE Office will determine if accommodations or academic adjustments are warranted.

Note 2: Students who initiate the challenge procedure during registration may obtain the Prerequisite Override Petition at the registration site and submit the completed form along with supporting documentation at that site. If space is available, the student will be provisionally enrolled in the target course until resolution of the challenge is complete. Staff at the registration site will time-stamp the form and forward it to the Admissions and Records / Financial Aid “One-Stop” Office Enrollment Services Office or to the Associate Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction, as appropriate. The Challenge Procedure will then proceed as outlined above.