Academic Catalog
Course Information 2023-2024 Catalog Year
Common Course Numbering
Toggle More InfoFlorida’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 (SCNS). This numbering system is used by all public postsecondary institutions in Florida and by participating nonpublic institutions. The major purpose of this system is to facilitate the transfer of courses between participating institutions. Students and administrators can use the online SCNS to obtain course descriptions and specific information about course transfer between participating Florida institutions. This information is at the SCNS website at http://flscns.fldoe.org/.
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 SCNS. The listing of prefixes and associated courses is referred to as the “SCNS taxonomy.” Descriptions of the content of courses are referred to as “statewide course profiles.”
Example of Course IdentifierPrefix Level Code
(first digit)Century Digit
(second digit)Decade Digit
(third digit)Unit Digit
(fourth digit)Lab Code ENC 1 1 0 1 English
CompositionLower (Freshman)
Level at this
institutionFreshman
CompositionFreshman
Composition
SkillsFreshman
Composition
Skills INo laboratory
component in
this courseGeneral 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, as listed below in Exceptions to the General Rule for Equivalency.
For example, a freshman composition skills course is offered by 84 different public and nonpublic postsecondary institutions. Each institution uses “ENC_101” to identify its freshman composition skills 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, “ENC” means “English Composition,” the century digit “1” represents “Freshman Composition,” the decade digit “0” represents “Freshman Composition Skills,” and the unit digit “1” represents “Freshman Composition Skills I.”
In the sciences and certain 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 that has the same prefix and course number but meets at a different time or place.
Transfer of any successfully completed course from one participating 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, ENC 1101 is offered at a community college. The same course is offered at a state university as ENC 2101. A student who has successfully completed ENC 1101 at a Florida College System institution is guaranteed to receive transfer credit for ENC 2101 at the state university if the student transfers. The student cannot be required to take ENC 2101 again since ENC 1101 is equivalent to ENC 2101. 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 the native students. It is the prerogative of the receiving institution, however, to offer transfer credit for courses successfully completed that have not been designated as equivalent. NOTE: Credit generated at institutions on the quarter-term system may not transfer the equivalent number of credits to institutions on the semester-term system. For example, 4.0 quarter hours often transfers as 2.67 semester hours.
The Course Prefix
The course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline, subject matter area, or subcategory 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 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 Department of Education shall ensure that credits to be accepted by a receiving institution are generated in courses for which the faculty possess credentials that are comparable to those required by the accrediting association of the receiving 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
Since the initial implementation of the SCNS, specific disciplines or types of courses have been excepted from the guarantee of transfer for equivalent courses. These include courses that must be evaluated individually or courses in which the student must be evaluated for mastery of skill and technique. 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.
- Courses not offered by the receiving institution.
- For courses at nonregionally accredited institutions, courses offered prior to the established transfer date of the course in question.
- Courses in the _900-999 series are not automatically transferable, and must be evaluated individually. These include such courses as Special Topics, Internships, Apprenticeships, Practica, Study Abroad, Theses, and Dissertations.
- Applied academics for adult education courses.
- Graduate courses.
- Internships, apprenticeships, practica, clinical experiences, and study abroad courses with numbers other than those ranging from 900-999.
- Applied courses in the performing arts (Art, Dance, Interior Design, Music, and Theatre) and skills courses in Criminal Justice (academy certificate courses) are not guaranteed as transferable. These courses need evidence of achievement (e.g., portfolio, audition, interview, etc.).
Courses at Nonregionally Accredited Institutions
The SCNS makes available on its home page (http://flscns.fldoe.org/) a report entitled “Courses at Nonregionally Accredited Institutions” that contains a comprehensive listing of all nonpublic institution courses in the SCNS inventory, as well as each course’s transfer level and transfer effective date. This report is updated monthly.
Questions about the SCNS and appeals regarding course credit transfer decisions should be directed to Lucero Carvajal in the Office of Academic and Curriculum Support or to the Florida Department of Education, Office of Articulation, 701 Turlington Building, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400. Special reports and technical information may be requested by calling the SCNS office at (850) 245-0427 or at http://flscns.fldoe.org/.
Common Prerequisites
Toggle More InfoIn 1996, institutions of higher education in the state of Florida, under legislative mandate and through the direction of the Articulation Coordinating Committee, established a list of common prerequisite courses for every degree program. The purpose of such a list is to provide students, especially those who plan to transfer between institutions, with information regarding the lower level courses that they will need to take to be admitted into upper division programs.
Common prerequisites should be taken in the first two years of study. The common prerequisite coursework required for a particular program is dependent on the student's year of matriculation and year of admittance into the upper division. Special guidelines apply to students who transfer from one public institution to another in the State University System or Community College System. For additional information, refer to the college/program description in this catalog, contact an academic advisor/student success counselor, or access the Common Prerequisite Manual in the "Manuals" section of the FloridaShines website.
Course Descriptions
Toggle More InfoCourse descriptions, prerequisites, corequisites are available on the FGCU website at https://fgcu-web02.fgcu.edu/CourseDescriptions/.
Availability of Courses
The university does not offer all of the courses listed in the catalog each year. The Course Schedule should be consulted to determine which courses are offered each semester.
Definition of Prefixes
ACG Accounting: General ADV Advertising AEB Agriculture Economics and Bus. AEC Agricultural Education and Communication AFA African-American Studies AFH African History AFS African Studies AMH American History AML American Literature AMS American Studies ANG Anthropology - Graduate ANS Animal Science ANT Anthropology APK Applied Kinesiology ARE Education: Art Education ARH Art History ART Art ASH Asian History ASL American Sign Language ASN Asian Studies AST Astronomy
ATR Athletic Training BCH Biochemistry (Biophysics) BCN Building Construction BME Biomedical Engineering BOT Botany BSC Biological Science BUL Business Law CAP Computer Applications CCE Civil Construction Engineering CCJ Criminal Justice CDA Computer Design/Arch. CEG Civil Geotechnical Engineering CEN Computer Engineering CES Civil Engineering Structures
CGN Civil Engineering CGS Computers General Studies CHI Chinese CHM Chemistry CHS Chemistry - Specialized CJC Corrections CJE Law Enforcement CJJ Juvenile Justice CJL Law & Process CLP Clinical Psychology CMM Creek/Muskogee/Mikasuki CNT Computer Networks COE Cooperative Education COM Communication COP Computer Programming COT Computer Theory CPO Comparative Politics CRW Creative Writing CWR Civil Water Resources DAA Dance Activities DEP Developmental Psychology DIG Digital Media DSC Domestic Security EAS Aerospace Engineering EBD Education: Emotional/Behavioral Disorders ECO Economics ECP Economic Problems & Policy ECS Economic Systems & Development EDA Educational Administration EDE Education: Elementary EDF Education: Found. & Policy EDG Education: General EDH Education - Higher EDM Education: Middle School EDP Educational Psychology EDS Education Supervision EEC Education: Early Childhood EED Education: Emotional Disorders EEL Engineering: Electrical EES Environmental Engineering Science EEX Education: Excp. Child Core EGI Education: Gifted EGM Engineering Science EGN Engineering EGS Engineering: Support ELD Education: Spec. Learn. Disab EME Education: Technology & Media EML Engineering: Mechanical EMR Education: Mental Retardation ENC English Composition ENG English - General ENL English Literature ENS English as a Second Language
ENT Entrepreneurship ENV Engineering: Environmental EPI Educator Preparation Institutes ESC Earth Science ESE Education: Secondary ETP Engineering Technology: Power EUH European History EVR Environmental Studies EVS Environmental Science EXP Experimental Psychology FIL Film FIN Finance FRE French Language FRT French Culture in Translation or Translation Skills FSS Food Science GEA Geography: Regional Areas GEB General Business GER German GET German Culture in Translation or Translation Skills GEY Gerontology GIS Geography: Information Science GLY Geology GRA Graphic Arts GRE Classical Greek (Language Study) HEB Ancient Hebrew HFT Hospitality Management HIS General History HLP Health/Leisure/Physical Education HSA Health Services Administration HSC Health Sciences HUM Humanities HUS Human Services IDC Interdisciplinary Computing IDH Interdisciplinary Honors IDS Interdisciplinary Studies IHS Interdisciplinary Health Svcs INP Indust. & Applied Psychology INR International Relations IPM Integrated Pest Management ISC Interdisciplinary Science ISM Computer Information Systems ISS Interdisc. Social Sciences ITA Italian Language JOU Journalism JPN Japanese KOR Korean Language LAE Language Arts & English Ed. LAH Latin American History LAS Latin American Studies LAT Latin (Language Study) LDR Leadership Studies LEI Leisure LIN Linguistics LIT Literature MAA Mathematics-Analysis MAC Math Calculus & Precalculus MAD Mathematics-Discrete MAE Education: Mathematics Ed MAN Management MAP Mathematics Applied MAR Marketing MAS Mathematics-Algebraic Struct. MAT Mathematics MCB Microbiology MGF Mathematics-General & Finite MHF Mathematics-History & Found. MHS Ed Counseling Mental Hlth Svcs MLS Medical Lab. Science MMC Mass Media Communication MTG Math-Topology & Geometry MUC Music: Composition MUE Music: Education MUG Music: Conducting MUH Music: History/Musicology MUL Music Literature MUN Music Ensembles MUO Music: Opera/Musical Theatre MUS Music MUT Music: Theory MUY Music: Therapy MVB Applied Music: Brasses MVK Applied Music: Keyboard MVP Applied Music: Percussion MVS Applied Music: Strings MVV Applied Music: Voice MVW Applied Music: Woodwinds NGR Nursing, Graduate NUR Nursing Undergraduate OCB Biological Oceanography OCC Chemical Oceanography OCE Oceanography: General OCG Geological Oceanography OCP Physical Oceanography ORH Ornamental Horticulture ORI Oral Interpretation OTH Occupational Therapy PAD Public Administration PAS Physician Assistant PCB Process Biology PCO Psychology for Counseling PEL Phys. Edu. Acts. - (Gen) Object Centrd., Land PEO Phys. Edu Acts. (Profnl) - Object Centrd., Land PET Education: Physical Ed Theory PGY Photography PHC Public Health Concentration PHH Philosophy, History of PHI Philosophy PHM Philosophy of Man and Society PHP Philosophers and Schools PHT Physical Therapy PHY Physics PHZ Physics (continued) PLA Paralegal/Legal Assistant/Legal Administration POR Portuguese Language POS Political Science POT Political Theory PPE Personality PSB Psychobiology PSC Physical Sciences PSY Psychology PUP Public Policy PUR Public Relations QMB Quant. Methods in Business RED Reading Education REE Real Estate REL Religion RMI Risk Mngt. & Insurance RTT Radio/Television Technology RTV Radio/Television RUS Russian Language SCE Education: Science Education SCM Supply Chain Management SDS Education: Student Develop Svcs SLS Student Life Skills (Learning) SMT Science or Mathematics Teaching SOP Social Psychology SOW Social Work SPA Speech Path. & Audiology SPC Speech Communication SPM Sports Management SPN Spanish Language SPT Spanish Lit. in Translation SPW Spanish Lit. (Writings) SSE Education: Social Studies Ed STA Statistics SYA Sociological Analysis SYD Socio. of Demo. & Area Studies SYG Sociology, General SYO Social Organization SYP Social Processes TAX Taxation THE Theatre TPA Theatre Prod. & Admin. TPP Theatre Perf. & Perf. Training TRA Transportation & Logistics TSL Teaching Eng. as Second Lang. TTE Transportation Engineering URP Urban and Regional Planning VIC Visual Communication WOH World History WST Women's Studies ZOO Zoology