Graduation Requirements
Catalog Rights and Continuous Enrollment
For graduation, students may follow the catalog degree requirements that were in effect for the academic year when their attendance began at Coastline College or follow the catalog requirements in effect during subsequent years of attendance provided that continuous enrollment has been maintained.
Continuous enrollment is defined as enrollment in at least one course at Coastline College for at least one semester (fall and/or spring) in each academic year. The student must receive a grade of A, B, C, D, F, P, NP, W, EW, MW, I or IP for the course.
An official education plan for students enrolled in the Extended Learning Division Agreement will remain valid as long as the student maintains continuous enrollment. For a student whose break in attendance is necessitated by reason of service in the uniformed services, the validity of the student’s official education plan will remain in effect if the cumulative length of the service-related absence and of all previous service-related absences from that institution does not exceed five years. Catalog rights do not apply to the certification of general education for transfer. Courses used for certification must have been on the approved list at the time they were taken.
Classification of Students
Students are classified as follows:
- Freshman: A student who has completed fewer than 30 units.
- Sophomore: A student who has completed 30 or more units.
- Part-time Student: A student enrolled in fewer than 12 units.
- Full-time Student: A student enrolled in 12 or more units.
Student Status
- New Student: No previous enrollment record at Coastline College.
- Continuing Student: Enrolled continuously at Coastline College from one primary term to the next primary term.
- Returning Student: Previously enrolled at Coastline College, however missed at least two primary terms of attendance.
General Education Philosophy
General Education Degree-Level Student Learning Outcomes
The term “general education” refers to a broad-based and comprehensive program that introduces students to the major areas of higher education: the humanities, fine arts, social sciences, and natural sciences. The general education program is the basis for all degree programs at Coastline College and is designed to help students develop the knowledge and skills that will contribute to their intellectual, personal, and professional growth.
Upon completion of a degree-level program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding and appreciation for the visual and performing arts
- Demonstrate ethical civic, environmental, and social responsibility
- Demonstrate ability to apply critical thinking and analysis
- Demonstrate innovative thinking, adaptability, and creative problem-solving skills
- Demonstrate understanding and respect for cultural and global diversity
- Demonstrate information competency
- Use effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Use scientific and quantitative reasoning
Multiple Majors
A student completing the requirements for more than one major may earn more than one Associate degree. When completing concurrent majors, the student simultaneously completes all academic requirements for his/her majors and graduates with two (or more) degrees in the same semester. Students must list all desired degrees on the Graduation Petition form.
Additional Associate Degrees
Students who already possess an Associate degree from Coastline College may be awarded an additional degree upon completion of the following:
- All requirements of a major or area of emphasis in a different field of study. Coursework from the previous major may be applied toward the new major.
- General Education units earned from a previous Associate degree may be applied toward subsequent Associate degrees. If there has been a break in enrollment from when the last Associate degree was awarded, the student must complete the General Education requirements in effect at the time the student re-enrolls.
Duplicate Degrees
Students are not permitted to acquire duplicate associate degrees or ADT degrees in the same major, within the Coast Community College District.
Petition for Graduation
An Associate Degree, Associate Degree for Transfer, Certificate of Achievement, Certificate of Accomplishment, and/or Certificate of Specialization are not automatically awarded. To receive their degree, a student must file a petition for graduation during their final semester prior to the application deadline as noted on the Coastline Graduation Webpage.
Petitions are available in the Admissions Office and online in the Students - General folder. Military and corporate program students may obtain a graduation petition online at the Coastline Military Programs and Services website.
All official transcripts from other educational institutions must be on file at the time students submit the graduation petition. If final courses are being completed at another school, this must be indicated on your Petition to Graduate form and official transcripts must be sent to Coastline once final grades are received. It is the responsibility of the student to have transcripts sent to Coastline College.
Students may petition for graduation during the Spring, Summer, or Fall terms. Degrees are granted based on when the student applies and not by when they completed the requirements. Visit the Coastline Graduation webpage to review petition filing period dates.
Note: If a break in enrollment occurs (resulting in the loss of Catalog Rights) students must comply with the competency, general education and major course requirements in effect at the time the student resumes attendance in order to meet Graduation requirements.
Career Education Programs
Career Education programs can be found on the Coastline College Career Education webpage.
Global and Multicultural Studies Requirement*
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Complete at least 2.5 units of the following: | ||
| AGNG C240 | Aging in a Multicultural Society | 3 |
| ANTH C100 | Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH C150 | World Cultures | 3 |
| ANTH C175 | Global Perspectives of Food and Culture | 3 |
| ARAB C180 | Elementary Arabic 1 | 5 |
| ARAB C180A | Elementary Arabic 1A | 2.5 |
| ARAB C180B | Elementary Arabic 1B | 2.5 |
| ARAB C182 | Conversational Arabic | 3 |
| ARAB C185 | Elementary Arabic 2 | 5 |
| ARAB C185A | Elementary Arabic 2A | 2.5 |
| ARAB C185B | Elementary Arabic 2B | 2.5 |
| ARAB C280A | Intermediate Arabic 1A | 2 |
| ARAB C280B | Intermediate Arabic 1B | 2 |
| ARAB C285A | Intermediate Arabic 2A | 2 |
| ARAB C285B | Intermediate Arabic 2B | 2 |
| ART C100 | Survey of Art: Prehistory through Late Gothic | 3 |
| ART C101 | Survey of Art: Renaissance to Contemporary | 3 |
| ART C103 | History of Asian Art | 3 |
| ART C104 | The History of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Art | 3 |
| ART C105 | Introduction to Art | 3 |
| ART C109 | The History and Appreciation of Italian Renaissance Art | 3 |
| ART C135 | Survey of Chinese Brush Painting | 2 |
| ART C137 | History and Appreciation of Chinese Art and Culture | 2 |
| ART C176 | Survey of East Asian Brush Painting | 3 |
| CHIN C180 | Elementary Chinese 1 | 5 |
| CHIN C185 | Elementary Chinese 2 | 5 |
| CJ C148 | Multicultural Studies in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CMST C150 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| ENGL C144 | The International Short Story | 3 |
| ENGL C145 | American Literature: The Short Story | 3 |
| ENGL C150 | American Literature through the Civil War | 3 |
| ENGL C155 | American Literature 1865 to Present | 3 |
| ETHS C100 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| ETHS C123 | History of Ethnic Minorities in the United States | 3 |
| ETHS C233 | Racial and Ethnic Relations in America | 3 |
| FN C177 | Global Perspectives of Food and Culture | 3 |
| FREN C180 | Elementary French 1 | 5 |
| FREN C185 | Elementary French 2 | 5 |
| FREN C280 | Intermediate French 1 | 4 |
| FREN C285 | Intermediate French 2 | 4 |
| GEOG C185 | Cultural Geography | 3 |
| HIST C115 | Latin American History and Culture | 3 |
| HIST C123 | History of Ethnic Minorities in the United States | 3 |
| HIST C122 | Chicano History | 3 |
| HIST C161 | World History 1 | 3 |
| HIST C162 | World History 2 | 3 |
| HIST C180 | Western Civilization 1 | 3 |
| HIST C185 | Western Civilization 2 | 3 |
| HSVC C100 | Introduction to Human Services | 3 |
| HUM C100 | Introduction to the Humanities | 3 |
| HUM C110 | Humanities through the Arts | 3 |
| HUM C135 | History and Appreciation of the Cinema | 3 |
| ITAL C180 | Elementary Italian 1 | 5 |
| ITAL C185 | Elementary Italian 2 | 5 |
| JAPN C180 | Elementary Japanese 1 | 5 |
| JAPN C185 | Elementary Japanese 2 | 5 |
| MUS C103 | World Music | 3 |
| PHIL C100 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL C113 | Environmental Ethics: Philosophical Approaches to Sustainability | 3 |
| PSCI C183 | Introduction to International Relations | 3 |
| PSCI C185 | Comparative Government and Politics | 3 |
| SOC C100 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOC C130 | Globalization and Social Change | 3 |
| SOC C233 | Racial and Ethnic Relations in America | 3 |
| SPAN C160 | Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1 | 5 |
| SPAN C165 | Spanish for Spanish Speakers 2 | 5 |
| SPAN C180 | Elementary Spanish 1 | 5 |
| SPAN C180A | Elementary Spanish 1A | 2.5 |
| SPAN C180B | Elementary Spanish 1B | 2.5 |
| SPAN C185 | Elementary Spanish 2 | 5 |
| SPAN C185A | Elementary Spanish 2A | 2.5 |
| SPAN C185B | Elementary Spanish 2B | 2.5 |
| SPAN C280 | Intermediate Spanish 1 | 4 |
| SPAN C285 | Intermediate Spanish 2 | 4 |
| VIET C160 | Vietnamese For Vietnamese Speakers | 5 |
| VIET C180 | Elementary Vietnamese 1 | 5 |
| VIET C185 | Elementary Vietnamese 2 | 5 |
| VIET C280 | Intermediate Vietnamese 1 | 4 |
| VIET C285 | Intermediate Vietnamese 2 | 4 |
*This requirement is waived for students completing an Associate Degree for Transfer (see Transfer Information for Associate Degree for Transfer).