Course Descriptions

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Course descriptions in this section are reasonable summaries only and are neither completely inclusive nor completely exclusive of total course content for any given course.

Courses listed herein may or may not be offered each term.

Courses are listed alphabetically according to prefix.

Numbering Code

Courses are grouped into a three-digit number series which indicates the normal teaching levels. Some variations may occur.

1-99 Preparatory and Developmental Courses. Courses numbered below 100 are not applicable toward a degree even though units are assigned, grades are awarded and tuition is assessed.

Lower-Division Courses (freshman and sophomore)
100-199 First-Year Courses
200-299 Second-Year Courses

Upper-Division Courses (junior and senior)
300-399 Third-Year Courses
400-499 Fourth-Year Courses

Graduate Courses
500-599 Graduate Courses

Other Codes

Each Term:

Some courses in this section have a code following the course title. This code designates when the course will be offered. F indicates Fall, W indicates Winter, S indicates Spring.

Lecture, Lab, Credit Hours:

The three numbers following the course title. For example:

CST 101 Introduction to Personal Computing
(3-3-4) = weekly lecture hours – lab hours – total credits

For more information, see Baccalaureate General Education Requirements  

Courses with the following notation fulfill the appropriate general education requirements: 
C - Communication H - Humanities HP - Humanities Performance SS - Social Science

Special Terms

As Required: This term designates a course or series of courses which will be offered only as enrollment, student interest, or individual department needs demand and as staffing allows. A course so designated may be offered if special student needs, situations of extreme hardship, or other unusual circumstances deem it in the best interest of both the student(s) and the institution to do so.

Hours to be Arranged Each Term: Normally students negotiate individually with faculty members and/or departments and arrange to have courses so designated offered for the term most suitable to their unique situation.

Corequisite: A course that must be taken simultaneously with another course. Corequisites are noted at the end of each course description.

Prerequisite: A course that must be passed satisfactorily before another course may be taken. Prerequisites are noted at the end of each course description. Courses transferred in to Oregon Tech with a C- or better meet the prerequisite requirement of obtaining a C or better.

Quarter Credit: A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:

1. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practicals, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

A numerical credit value assigned to certain number of lecture or laboratory hours. A lecture class meeting for three 50-minute periods a week would be assigned three units of credit. Students have traditionally been expected to spend an additional six hours of outside class work per week for each three units of lecture class credit. Generally, a lab class requires three hours per week for one unit of credit, or a total of nine in-lab hours with no additional outside class work expected for three units of lab class credit.

Reading and Conference: A course taken on an independent study basis with the supervision of an instructor, usually consisting of weekly conferences, assigned readings, research papers, etc.

Seminar: A class taught by a group discussion process rather than by means of formal lecture. Student research and reporting are usually expected.

Sequence: A series of classes in the same subject area that, taken as a whole, comprise a full year’s work. Generally, course sequences are numbered consecutively, and often (though not always) should be taken in the numerical order listed (i.e., CHE 201  should be taken before CHE 202 , etc.).

Engineering

Engineering Technology

Environmental Sciences

Geography

Geology

Geographic Information Systems