Students may request to challenge a course offered by the college if they have prior knowledge or experience in the subject area. To be eligible to challenge a course, a student must:
- Currently be registered and in good standing;
- Currently be enrolled in at least one course other than the course being challenged;
- NOT be enrolled in the course being challenged;
- Not have completed nor enrolled in a more advanced course;
- Have obtained approval of the challenge request from both the course professor and division dean;
- Not have challenged more than 15 units; and
- Complete at least one course other than the course being challenged.
A course in which a student enrolls and receives a grade of “D,” “F,” “NC,” “NP,” or “I,” may not be challenged at a later date, nor may a course be challenged again to improve the grade. Units received through the challenge process do not count toward the 12 units in residence required for the associate degree or the full-time enrollment necessary for academic honors determination. Note: Some private institutions will not accept course credit earned through the challenge process.
To request a challenge, a student must file a Credit by Examination petition within the first four weeks of the semester or the first week of the summer session. Regulations are stated on the Credit by Examination petition. It is important to note that many courses are not available for the challenge process.
Appropriate challenge fees must be paid when the petition is submitted. For California residents, this is equivalent to the enrollment fee. Nonresident and international students must also pay the appropriate nonresident student tuition. California College Promise Grant fee waivers do not cover challenge fees. Fees paid are non-refundable.
Reference: Sierra College Administrative Procedure 4235.
