College of Marin enforces satisfactory completion of prerequisites at the time of registration. Prerequisites are defined in Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations:
Prerequisites are conditions of enrollment that students are required to meet prior to enrollment in particular courses or programs. The assignment of a prerequisite to a course signifies that the course, skills, or body of knowledge described in the course are essential to the success of the student in that course and that it is highly unlikely that a student who has not met the prerequisite will earn a satisfactory grade in the course (or at least one course in the program) for which the prerequisite has been established.
Prerequisites for chemistry and physics courses must have been completed within the previous five years. Students may challenge any prerequisite requirements by taking a test. Please contact the Physical Sciences Department chairperson to begin the challenge process.
How to Satisfy a Prerequisite Requirement
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Take and pass the prerequisite course at College of Marin:
Our computer system will check your academic history for satisfactory completion of the prerequisite (C or higher for letter graded courses or Pass/P/Credit/CR), and will allow you to enroll in the course for which the prerequisite was established. -
Be currently enrolled in the prerequisite course:
If you are currently enrolled in the prerequisite course at College of Marin and final grades have not been processed, you will be allowed to register in the course for which the prerequisite was established. NOTE: See the exception for the summer/fall registration cycle, explained below.
NOTE: Once grades are processed, if you have not satisfactorily completed the prerequisite course you will be dropped. -
Be currently enrolled in the prerequisite course at another accredited college:
If you are currently enrolled in the prerequisite course at another accredited college/university and final grades have not been processed, you will not be allowed to register in the course for which the prerequisite was established until a final grade has been posted. Once you have satisfactorily completed the prerequisite and a grade has been posted, you may submit a Prerequisite Equivalency Request online through the MyCOM portal and attach a complete transcript (official or unofficial) and catalog course description.
NOTE: Attach a complete copy of your transcript for expedited processing. Requests submitted without a copy of the transcript may have a delay of 10 or more working days. -
Placement test scores from College of Marin:
If you took the placement test at College of Marin and placed in the course for which the prerequisite was established, you will be allowed to enroll in that course. -
Placement test scores from another accredited college/university:
If you took the placement test at another accredited college/university, you will need to submit a Student Petition Form online along with a copy of your placement test scores.
NOTE: Only English placement scores from other accredited colleges/universities will be accepted by the College of Marin. The Mathematics Department will only accept ACCUPLACER test raw scores and students will be placed according to College of Marin Mathematics Department standards.
Prerequisite Equivalency and Challenge Requests
Prerequisite Equivalency and Challenges are submitted online through the MyCOM student portal. Follow the Petitions and Prerequisites link.
The Prerequisite Equivalency Request, along with all supporting documentation, must be submitted for approval/denial to the Office of Enrollment Services by the deadline date for full-term courses, and 5 working days prior to the start of instruction for short-term classes. Forms received by the deadline will receive priority processing in order for students to enroll prior to the first day of instruction for the fall term. Any forms received after the deadline may require longer processing times due to the increased volume of workload for all persons involved in the review process during the start of the term.
NOTE: Prerequisite equivalencies are reviewed by the academic evaluator, Counseling Department, and in some cases, the department chairperson or divisional dean. You will be notified by your MyCOM Portal email account within a reasonable amount of time whether your equivalency has been approved or denied.
Equivalency from Another Accredited College/University
If you feel that you have satisfactorily completed the prerequisite at another accredited college/university you may complete a Prerequisite Equivalency Requests online through the MyCOM portal and attach a complete transcript (official or unofficial) and catalog course description.
NOTE: Attach a complete copy of your unofficial transcript for expedited processing. Requests submitted without a complete copy of the transcript may have a delay of 10 or more working days.
Prerequisite Challenge Process
Students have the right to challenge a prerequisite under the following conditions:
- Knowledge or ability to succeed: You believe you can succeed in the course without meeting the prerequisite based on knowledge or ability outside the classroom.
- Invalid prerequisite: You believe the prerequisite is not valid because it is not necessary for success in the course for which it is required. Understand the faculty of the department and the college’s curriculum committee has considered and approved the prerequisite.
- Prerequisite course not available: You believe the prerequisite course was not made reasonably available.
- Prerequisite is discriminatory: You believe the prerequisite is discriminatory or is applied in a discriminatory manner.
- District process: You believe the prerequisite was not established in accordance with district’s process for establishing prerequisites
Exception to Prerequisite Enforcement during the Summer and Fall Registration Cycles
An exception to prerequisite enforcement will allow students who are completing the prerequisite class in summer to enroll in a fall course prior to completing the summer course ONLY if both are in the same discipline. The equivalency request is necessary when the prerequisite course is in another discipline. Example: Math 101 is the prerequisite for CHEM 110 so the form is required. A form is not required if the prerequisite course is MATH 101 which is the prerequisite for MATH 103. The system can track courses in the same discipline.
Procedure:
- Enroll in the prerequisite course in summer.
- Submit a Prerequisite Equivalency Request online through the MyCOM portal for enrollment in the fall course.
- An email confirmation of enrollment will be sent to you.
Example: Enroll in MATH 101 for the summer term. Complete the form, requesting enrollment in CHEM 110 for the fall term and submit to the Office of Enrollment Services.
If the summer course is not satisfactorily completed, the fall course will be dropped.