Administrative Policy
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Policy Statement
- Departments and colleges should be selective in determining prerequisites for courses. Prerequisites should not be set for a course except in progressive, sequence courses or where departments can clearly demonstrate that a student will not be able to complete the course successfully without first completing the prerequisite course work.
- Where prerequisites have been set, catalogues and course materials must list them and advise students to take only those courses for which the prerequisites have been met.
- Where prerequisites have been set, instructors may require that any student who has not taken the specified prerequisites for the course must withdraw. Instructors may, however, grant permission, on an individual basis, for a student to take a course without having taken the prerequisite(s).
- When a student successfully completes a prerequisite course after successfully completing a subsequent course that required the prerequisite, credit for the prerequisite course will be granted. Colleges and departments, at their discretion, may also allow students to receive credit by examination for the prerequisite course.
Exclusions
This policy is not applicable to the Duluth campuses.
Reason for Policy
Prerequisites inform students that, in order to be successful in a particular course, they must enter the course already having attained specific knowledge as a necessary background. Prerequisites provide a process for directing students to courses for which the students are adequately prepared. This policy implements criteria and requirements for accreditation established by the Higher Learning Commission.