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    Nov 21, 2024  
2024-25 Academic Catalog 
    
2024-25 Academic Catalog

Course Descriptions Detail


All Laurel Ridge Community College course descriptions are a part of the Virginia Community College System Master Course file (http://courses.vccs.edu/courses), which is standardized statewide. Students should refer to individual faculty course syllabi for more specific details.

Course Credits: The credit value for each course is indicated after the title in the course description. One credit is equivalent to one collegiate semester hour credit.

Each semester hour of credit given for a course is based on approximately one academic hour (50 minutes) of formalized, structured instructional time in a particular course for 15 weeks, or the equivalent in other time periods or instructional format. This may consist of lectures, out-of-class study, laboratory, or combinations thereof as follows:

  1. Lecture - One academic hour of lecture (including lecture, seminar, discussion, or other similar experiences) per week for 15 weeks plus an examination period = 1 collegiate semester-hour credit.
  2. Laboratory - Two to three hours, depending on the academic discipline, of laboratory, clinical training, supervised work experience, coordinated internship, or other similar activities per week for 15 weeks plus an examination period = 1 collegiate semester-hour credit.
  3. General Usage Courses - One to five credits, with variable academic hours of attendance, may be earned in Coordinated Internship, Seminar and Project, and Supervised Study.

Course Prerequisites: If any prerequisites are required before enrolling in a course, the College identifies these prerequisites in the course description. Courses in special sequences (usually identified by the numerical I-II) require that prior courses or their equivalent be completed before enrolling in a course unless special permission is obtained from the Vice President of Instruction or the Instruction Departments.

Course Offerings: The College reserved the right to develop schedules of courses offered based on demand or other factors.

Course Numbering System: The following is a description of Laurel Ridge Community College’s system for logically and meaningfully numbering courses

Level of Courses

01-09
These courses will be used for Development Studies. Credits earned in these courses are not applicable toward associate degree programs. However, upon approval by the deans of instruction, some developmental courses may provide credit appropriate for diploma or certificate programs. Students may re-register for these courses in subsequent semesters in accordance with state policy.
10-99
These courses are basic occupational courses for diploma and certificate programs. The credits earned in these courses are applicable toward diploma and certificate programs. These credits are not applicable toward an associate degree.
100-199
These courses are freshman-level courses applicable toward associate degree, diploma, and certificate programs.
200-299
These courses are sophomore-level courses applicable toward associate degree, diploma, and certificate programs.

General Usage Courses: These courses are used by inserting the appropriate department prefix for the desired course and by adding relevant descriptive information in the course title. Credit value is variable, from one to five hours. In instances where work, clinical, or field experience is used, the work/credit ratio may not exceed one credit for each five contact hours per week (or the equivalent in other time periods). All of these courses may be repeated for credit.

90, 190, and 290 - Coordinated Internship (discipline)
93, 193, and 293 - Studies In (discipline)
95, 195, and 295 - Topics In (discipline)
96, 196, and 296 - On-Site Training (discipline)
98, 198, and 298 - Seminar and Project In (discipline)
99, 199, and 299 - Supervised Study In (discipline)