I took a bio psych class to fill my bio requirement for the IGETC at my CC. I’m getting ready for orientation/registering for classes and was doing some research about what I’m able to take, just to have some ideas before I get there. If a class has a prereq of the universities biology intro class will I have to take that class to qualify since I took a bio psych class and not normal biology? Or since all my GE stuff is cleared, will I qualify for that class?
Tricky question.
Chances are it will prevent you from adding the course you want as it’s not a direct equivalent course.
For the most part, IGETC and Major Prep standards are separate and STEM majors are usually strict about it having to be exact with major prep course. The UCs generally abide by assist.org and if your Bio psych class is not listed as the equivalent of intro to bio, regardless of IGETC equivalency, then the UC won’t either. You can also petition to have the requirement waived for you, but that usually has to be done well ahead of time.
On the other hand, if the course catalog states “at the instructor’s discretion” for the course in question, then you usually are allowed to register and then required to show proof / argue your case to the instructor at a later time.
Outside of your ability to register you need to speak with a department adviser about your course as it could be a prerequisite for other major courses or a graduation requirement that you are overlooking.
Look around on assist, going through various majors, and see if the intro bio class is noted as a major requirement somewhere. It’s bound to be for some majors (e.g., biology?). Then see if your course is listed as a match to it. It doesn’t sound like a match off the top of my head.
A course can fulfill IGETC or general education requirements but not prerequisite requirements for other courses.
Are you sure about that @UCBalumnus? Wouldn’t that cause chaos if no course you took for IGETC could ever count for a needed pre-req? You would simply be forced to repeat a course and that kind of goes against the CCC-UC mandate in the Master Plan of making CCC courses usable. My daughter’s psych 1 from CCC (used for IGETC) fulfilled the
needed pre-req for a higher psych course she wanted for her major. She was not forced to retake psych 1. Also IGETC courses may be used to fulfill a major req.
Maybe I’m misreading something…
@lindyk8 I think ucbalumnus means that while the class fulfilled the IGETC bio requirement, it might not satisfy the prerequisite for other courses that have bio as a pre req.
Oh, I seeee.