Course Descriptions

The information following course titles indicate (1) hours per week of lecture, (2) hours per week of laboratory and (3) credit hours. A small number of courses are offered for a variable number of credit hours, and the credit hours listed represent the maximum number of hours possible for credit. This will be noted in the course description.

The frequency of offering follows the meeting and credit hour information. Courses offered every year are designated by semester(s) only. Courses offered every other year are designated by semester and odd/even year.

Note: Since most courses are not offered every semester, students should be aware that failure to take a required course when it is offered may delay graduation.

Any course may be offered on demand should sufficient interest be demonstrated and should a qualified instructor be available. “Demand” courses with a defined content will be offered as regularly as practical for the host department.

At the end of the course description, the following information will be given when applicable: laboratory information, corequisites (“simultaneous enrollment”) and prerequisites, cross listed courses (“same as”), special fees, and pertinent information about the use of the course.

Courses and Numbering

All courses are listed alphabetically by course prefix and numerically within each prefix. The department and college assignments are also noted. ACU uses a three-digit course numbering system. Courses numbered 100 to 299 are lower-level courses (primarily for freshmen and sophomores). Courses numbered from 300 to 499 are upper-level, or advanced, courses (primarily for juniors and seniors). Courses numbered 500 to 799 are graduate courses. All courses numbered 000 to 099 do not count toward graduation or GPA.

Prerequisites and Corequisites

Some courses have prerequisites, which must be met before a student may register for that course, or corequisites, which must be completed simultaneously. In some cases, a student may have special knowledge, skills or background that will enable him or her to perform well in a given class without meeting its prerequisites or corequisites. Such a student should seek special permission from the department offering the course.

A course may not use the same requirement as both prerequisite and corequisite. Courses listed as corequisite must be taken together. Students may not drop or withdraw from a course with corequisite requirements without dropping or withdrawing from both courses. Students may repeat a course with corequisite requirements alone in subsequent attempts if they fail or do not receive degree credit for the course on the first attempt. However, in courses with a subject code of EACH, EDUC, NURS, or SPAN, students must repeat both corequisite courses if they fail or do not receive credit for one or both courses on the first attempt.

Students should refer to the most recent catalog for course corequisites, prerequisites, and restrictions.

Course Sequencing

Some courses have recommendations of a previous course(s) for appropriate sequencing. Such recommendations are not prerequisites; the system will allow any student meeting a course’s prerequisites to enroll for a course regardless of whether the student meets the sequencing recommendations. Students are cautioned, however, to follow sequencing recommendations when all of the courses in the sequence are on their degree plans.

Independent Study and Special Topics Courses

Neither an independent study nor a special topics course should be a version or instance of a course that already has been approved for inclusion in the catalog.

Independent Study

An independent study course is a unique, student-initiated and student-driven course. An independent study course should be used to enhance a degree. It should be used as a substitution for degree requirements only in rare circumstances; it should not be used to correct poor planning. All other catalog policies apply.

Independent study courses are usually designed to be worth 3 credit hours. Ideally, independent study courses should make up no more than 6 hours (5 percent) of any student’s undergraduate degree. They should make up no more than 20 percent of any student’s graduate degree. Independent study courses should use the even hundred course number appropriate to the level of study (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, etc.)

Student proposals for independent studies may be approved or denied based on faculty interest or availability and departmental priorities. Students in the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program will incur a separate fee for an independent study course and should contact the Director of the DMin Program for details.

When proposing an independent study, the student should complete the Independent Study Request form and discuss it – including the outcomes and artifacts of the study – with the proposed faculty member. Artifacts should support the student’s and the faculty member’s intended outcomes for the course through research, written work, creative projects, and/or professional projects. If the course is approved by the faculty member, the faculty member is responsible for creating the syllabus for the independent study. The syllabus must include the learning outcomes and how they will be measured.

The syllabus and Independent Study Request form should be submitted to the chair and dean on a timeline that would allow for the proposal to be approved or denied prior to the beginning of the term or part of term in which the course is being proposed. Study Abroad courses should be approved prior to departure from the United States.

Special topics

A special topics course is faculty/department-initiated and faculty-driven. A special topics course will be included in the course schedule for registration in a given term and could be used as a pilot for addition to the curriculum. A substitution form must be submitted for a special topics course to satisfy degree requirement. All other catalog policies apply.

The special topics syllabus must be submitted to the dean before March 1 for a fall course or October 1 for a spring or summer course, so that it will be available for student registration. Special topics courses should choose the course number appropriate to the level of study from the following: 140, 240, 340, 440, 540, 640, 740, etc.

The Texas Common Course Numbering System

The Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) has been designed for the purpose of aiding students in the transfer of general academic courses between colleges and universities throughout Texas. Common courses are freshman and sophomore academic credit courses that have been identified as common by institutions that are members of the common course numbering system. The system ensures that if the student takes the courses the receiving institution designates as common, then the courses will be accepted in transfer.

For further information contact the transfer course coordinator in the Registrar’s Office.

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