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Course descriptions

Required core courses in the Associate in Arts degree and the Associate in Science degree programs are fully transferable to a senior Florida public institution. All other catalog courses, except those below the 1000 or 2000 levels, are credited for purposes of graduation from PHCC, but may not be accepted by the institution to which a student transfers. An advisor will assist in providing information about courses normally accepted for transfer to a bachelor’s degree program at a specific university or four-year college.

College-preparatory courses are not creditable as part of the basic 60-hour requirement for degrees. Technical certificate courses are not creditable toward the Associate in Arts degree.

Students may register for any course for which they have the necessary prerequisites (see below). A student who feels that he or she has sufficient training or experience to warrant an exception to a prerequisite should consult a PHCC advisor.

Students should not expect that all courses will be offered at each campus or in any given session. To determine when and where courses are to be offered, see a PHCC advisor.

Prerequisite and corequisite courses

A prerequisite is a requirement and/or course that must be completed successfully before a student can enroll in another particular course. A corequisite is a particular course in which a student enrolls in conjunction with, i.e., in the same term as, another closely related course. Any prerequisite(s) and/or corequisite(s) for a course are noted in the “Course listing” section.

Florida’s Statewide Course Numbering System

Courses in this catalog are identified by prefixes and numbers that were assigned by Florida’s Statewide Course Numbering System. This numbering system is used by all public postsecondary institutions in Florida and by thirty-three participating non-public institutions. The major purpose of this system is to facilitate the transfer of courses between participating institutions.

Each participating institution controls the title, credit, and content of its own courses and recommends the first digit of the course number to indicate the level at which students normally take the course. Course prefixes and the last three digits of the course numbers are assigned by members of faculty discipline committees appointed for that purpose by the Florida Department of Education in Tallahassee. Individuals nominated to serve on these committees are selected to maintain a representative balance as to type of institution and discipline field or specialization.

The course prefix and each digit in the course number have a meaning in the Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS). The list of course prefixes and numbers, along with their generic titles, is referred to as the “SCNS taxonomy.” Descriptions of the content of courses are referred to as “course equivalency profiles.”

Example of course identifier

General rule for course equivalencies

Equivalent courses at different institutions are identified by the same prefixes and same last three digits of the course number and are guaranteed to be transferable between participating institutions that offer the course, with a few exceptions. (Exceptions are listed below.)

For example, a survey course in social problems is offered by 31 different postsecondary institutions. Each institution uses “SYG _010” to identify its social problems course. The level code is the first digit and represents the year in which students normally take the course at a specific institution. In the SCNS taxonomy, “SYG” means “Sociology, General,” the century digit “0” represents “Entry-Level General Sociology,” the decade digit “1” represents “Survey Course,” and the unit digit “0” represents “Social Problems.”

In science and other areas, a “C” or “L” after the course number is known as a lab indicator. The “C” represents a combined lecture and laboratory course that meets in the same place at the same time. The “L” represents a laboratory course or the laboratory part of a course, having the same prefix and course number without a lab indicator, which meets at a different time or place.

Transfer of any successfully completed course from one institution to another is guaranteed in cases where the course to be transferred is equivalent to one offered by the receiving institution. Equivalencies are established by the same prefix and last three digits and comparable faculty credentials at both institutions. For example, SYG 1010 is offered at a community college. The same course is offered at a state university as SYG 2010. A student who has successfully completed SYG 1010 at the community college is guaranteed to receive transfer credit for SYG 2010 at the state university if the student transfers. The student cannot be required to take SYG 2010 again since SYG 1010 is equivalent to SYG 2010. Transfer credit must be awarded for successfully completed equivalent courses and used by the receiving institution to determine satisfaction of requirements by transfer students on the same basis as credit awarded to native students. It is the prerogative of the receiving institution, however, to offer transfer credit for courses successfully completed which have not been designated as equivalent.

The course prefix

The course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline, subject matter area, or sub-category of knowledge. The prefix is not intended to identify the department in which a course is offered. Rather, the content of a course determines the assigned prefix to identify the course.

Authority for acceptance of equivalent courses

Section 1007.24(7) Florida Statutes, states::

Any student who transfers among postsecondary institutions that are fully accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and that participate in the statewide course designation and numbering system, shall be awarded credit by the receiving institution for courses satisfactorily completed by the student at the previous institutions. Credit shall be awarded if the courses are judged by the appropriate statewide course numbering system faculty committees representing school districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and participating nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions to be academically equivalent to courses offered at the receiving institution, including equivalency of faculty credentials, regardless of the public or nonpublic control of the previous institution. The award of credit may be limited to courses that are entered in the statewide course numbering system. Credits awarded pursuant to this subsection shall satisfy institutional requirements on the same basis as credits awarded to native students.

Exceptions to the general rule for equivalency

The following courses are exceptions to the general rule for course equivalencies and may not transfer. Transferability is at the discretion of the receiving institution:

1. Courses in the 900-999 series (e.g., ART 2905)
2. Internships, practica, clinical experiences, and study abroad courses
3. Performance or studio courses in Art, Dance, Theatre, and Music
4. Skills courses in Criminal Justice
5. Graduate courses
6. Courses not offered by the receiving institution
7. For courses at non-regionally accredited institutions, courses offered prior to the transfer date of the course

College preparatory and vocational preparatory courses may not be used to meet degree requirements and are not transferable.

Questions about the Statewide Course Numbering System and appeals regarding course credit transfer decisions should be directed to the vice president of instruction/provost, West Campus at PHCC or the Florida Department of Education, Office of Articulation, 1401 Turlington Bldg., Tallahassee, Fla. 32399-0400. Special reports and technical information may be requested by calling the Statewide Course Numbering System office at 850-245-0427 or Suncom 205-0427.