1. (a) Credit Courses. Courses recommended by curriculum committees and approved by district governing boards as meeting the criteria described in this subdivision shall be designated either as degree-applicable credit courses or nondegree-applicable credit courses as appropriate.

   1. (1) Standards for Approval. Credit courses shall meet the following standards:

      1. (A) Difficulty, Level, and Intensity. Courses require critical thinking, learning skills, vocabulary, and allocation of concepts at college level as determined by the curriculum committee. Courses treat subject matter with a scope and intensity that requires students to study independently outside-of-class.
      2. (B) Grading Policy. Courses provide for measurement of student performance in terms of stated course objectives and culminate in formal, permanently recorded grades based upon demonstrated proficiency in subject matter consistent with the provisions of article 2 of subchapter 1 of Chapter 6 (commencing with section 55020). Proficiency may be demonstrated through written assignments, problem solving exercises, skills demonstrations, or other means as deemed appropriate by the curriculum committee.
      3. (C) Units. Courses grant units of credit in a manner consistent with the provisions of section 55002.5. Course outlines of record shall record the total number of hours in each instructional category specified in governing board policy, the total number of expected outside-of-class hours, and the total student learning hours used to calculate the award of credit.
      4. (D) Enrollment Requirements. Includes prerequisites, corequisites, or limitations on enrollment established in accordance with the requirements that are authorized, reviewed, and applied pursuant to sections 55003 and 58106.
   2. (2) Conduct of Courses. Course sections must be taught by qualified instructors in accordance with the elements specified in the course outline of record.

   3. (3) Nondegree-Applicable Credit Courses. Nondegree applicable credit courses are courses recommended by curriculum committees and approved by governing boards in one of the following categories:

      1. (A) nondegree-applicable basic skills courses as defined in subdivision (u) of section 55000;
      2. (B) courses designed to enable students to succeed in degree-applicable credit courses;
      3. (C) precollegiate career technical preparation courses designed to provide foundation skills for students preparing for entry into degree-applicable credit career technical courses or programs;
      4. (D) essential career technical instruction for which meeting the standards of subdivision (a) is neither necessary nor required.
   4. (4) In nondegree-applicable credit courses, the assignments shall be sufficiently rigorous that students successfully completing a course or a sequence of required courses will have acquired the skills necessary to complete degree-applicable work.

2. (b) Noncredit Courses. Noncredit courses are recommended by the curriculum committee and approved by the district governing board as a course meeting the needs of enrolled students.

   1. (1) Standards for Approval. Curriculum committees shall recommend approval of courses that treat subject matter and use resource materials, teaching methods, and standards of attendance and achievement that curriculum committees deem appropriate for the enrolled students.
   2. (2) Conduct of Course. All course sections must be taught by qualified instructors, and taught in accordance with the elements specified in the course outline of record.

3. (c) Community Services Offerings. Community services offerings must:

   1. (1) be approved by district governing boards;
   2. (2) be designed for the physical, mental, moral, economic, or civic development of enrolled students;
   3. (3) provide subject matter content, resource materials, and teaching methods district governing boards deem appropriate for the enrolled students;
   4. (4) be open to all members of the community willing to pay fees to cover the cost of the offering; and
   5. (5) may not be claimed for apportionment purposes.

Note: Authority cited: Sections 66700, 70901 and 78300, Education Code. Reference: Sections 70901 and 78300, Education Code.

History

1. Amendment of subsection (a) filed 12-28-83; effective upon filing pursuant to Government Code section 11346.2(d) (Register 83, No. 53).

2. Amendment filed 5-18-84; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 84, No. 20).

3. Repealer and new section filed 10-7-88; operative 11-6-88 (Register 88, No. 42).

4. Amendment filed 3-4-91 by Board of Governors of California Community Colleges with the Secretary of State; operative 4-5-91 (Register 91, No. 23). Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Education Code Section 70901.5(b).

5. Amendment filed 10-25-91; operative 11-24-91 (Register 92, No. 7).

6. Amendment filed 10-5-93; operative 11-4-93. Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Education Code section 70901.5(b) (Register 93, No. 42).

7. Editorial correction of History 4 (Register 95, No. 20).

8. Amendment filed 3-15-2006; operative 4-14-2006. Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Education Code section 70901.5 (Register 2006, No. 17).

9. Amendment of subsection (c)(1) filed 1-17-2007; operative 1-17-2007. Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Education Code section 70901.5 (Register 2007, No. 8).

10. Amendment of section heading and section filed 7-17-2007; operative 8-16-2007. Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Education Code section 70901.5 (Register 2007, No. 35).

11. Amendment of subsections (a)(5) and (b)(5) filed 5-16-2008; operative 6-15-2008. Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Education Code section 70901.5 (Register 2008, No. 21).

12. Amendment of subsections (a)(2)(B)-(C), (a)(3), (a)(5), (b)(1)(A), (b)(2)(B)-(C), (b)(3), (b)(5), (c)(2) and (c)(4) filed 7-20-2017; operative 8-19-2017. Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Education Code section 70901.5 (Register 2017, No. 31).

13. Amendment of subsections (a)(2)(D) and (b)(2)(D) and new subsection (c)(5) filed 7-17-2019; operative 8-16-2019. Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Education Code section 70901.5 (Register 2019, No. 30).

14. Amendment of section and Note filed 9-24-2025; operative 10-24-2025. Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Education Code section 70901.5 (Register 2025, No. 44).