COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS, SYMBOLS, AND TERMS

EXPLANATION OF COURSE NOTATIONS

Certain notations are uniformly used in the course descriptions in this Bulletin.

• Courses are not repeatable for credit unless a statement, "May be repeated for credit," appears in the course description.
• The figure in parentheses following the course title indicates the number of semester units for the course. Some courses may be offered for varying units and are indicated by specifying the range of units; e.g., (1-3).
• One of the designations (F, S, F/S, or A) after the unit value for the course indicates the frequency of offering. See section on Course Descriptions.
• All course prerequisites are listed in italics at the beginning of the course description.
• The statement "Topic to be specified in Class Schedule" at the beginning of the course description indicates that a more specific topic for each semester will be listed in the Class Schedule.
• Some courses are offered jointly by one or more departments; e.g., Anthropology 614 is also offered as Education 614. This notation appears at the end of the course description. These courses cannot be repeated under a different discipline heading.
• Symbols and notations in brackets at the end of the course descriptions signify General Education courses [GE], U.S. History and Government requirement courses [US], and California State and Local Government courses [CA].

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Course descriptions briefly describe the content or subject matter to be covered and provide additional information on units of credit, the level of instruction (see course numbering system), prerequisites and type of course (lecture, laboratory, seminar, and individually supervised work).

Students may not earn credit in a cross-listed course a second time under an alternate prefix.

Information on specific offerings (times, rooms, instructors) will be found in the Class Schedule which is printed in advance of fall and spring semesters and may be purchased in the Bookstore. Experimental and variable topic courses which are offered each semester can be found in the Class Schedule.

Departments indicate the semester in which they expect to offer the course by the use of F (fall), S (spring), F,S (each semester), and A (alternate years). This key is indicated following the course title in this Bulletin. While the university will make every effort to follow this announced schedule, the semester of offering is subject to change without prior notice when unusual circumstances require it.

COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM

Because of the differences in the organization and content of the various disciplines and professions, there is no uniform, reasonable way of numbering courses that would be equally useful in all fields of knowledge.

In general it may be assumed that advances in division level (lower, upper, graduate) correlate with more difficult and challenging academic work. Sometimes, however, disciplines organize their course numbering partly in terms of criteria other than degree of difficulty. It should be noted, too, that some students find introductory courses to be more demanding than advanced, specialized courses. In such courses, a more comprehensive approach and the first exposure to new ways of thinking may be harder for some individuals than covering a smaller, more familiar, area in much greater detail. Also, please note that the 9000-9999 series is designated for professional level courses which award Continuing Education Units (CEUs). CEUs are nationally recognized units of measurement for participation in education and training programs for which academic credit is not awarded. The following course numbering system is used at this university:

SPECIAL COURSE NUMBERS

For uniformity, certain types of courses have been listed by all departments and colleges with the same numbers: 699 and 899 are used for undergraduate and graduate "special study;" 893 for written creative works; 894 for creative work projects; 895 for field study or research projects; 896 for directed reading; 897 for graduate research; 898 for master's thesis.

EXPERIMENTAL AND TEMPORARY COURSES

All departments are authorized to offer experimental or temporary courses. These are not specifically described in the Bulletin. Descriptions should be obtained from the department when such courses appear in the printed Class Schedule. The numbers 274, 277, 674, 677, 874, and 877 are used by all departments to designate lower division, upper division, and graduate levels, respectively. The standard Bulletin description for these courses is:

274/277  Exploration in (name of discipline): (subtitle specifying content) (1-6)

A course involving exploration of a major problem or theme or an experimental method of instruction, with variable content as specified in the course subtitle in the Class Schedule. May be repeated for credit when different content is involved.

REMEDIAL INSTRUCTION AND NON-CREDIT COURSES

Courses numbered 0-99 are remedial courses. Units and grades earned will not count towards meeting graduation requirements.

INTERNATIONAL STUDY COURSES

San Francisco State University provides the opportunity for students enrolled in the California State University International Programs to receive credit for special study or for subjects taken at universities abroad. For details of the program, consult the Index. The numbers 292, 492, and 792 are used to designate lower division, upper division and graduate levels, respectively. Transcript designation will be IS 292, 492, 792.

292  Projects in Study Abroad (subject to be designated by Overseas Resident Director, International Programs) (1-3)

Prerequisite: consent of major adviser. Open only to students in California State University International Programs. May be repeated for credit when different subjects are involved.

SPECIAL STUDY

Under special study courses, upper division and graduate students can pursue topics or problems of special interest beyond the scope of a regular course under the supervision of a faculty adviser. The work is of a research or creative nature, and normally culminates in a paper, project, comprehensive examination, or performance. Before registering, the student must have the topic approved by the instructor who will be supervising the independent study, as well as by the adviser and the department chair. (Forms are available in department offices.) The course numbers for special study are 699 and 899. In most cases, special study courses may be repeated for credit.

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

The forms and methods of teaching vary widely in specific classes. The more traditional methods of lecturing, discussion, laboratory work, and individually supervised research or projects are being supplemented by such learning resources as group and individual exercises, television, films and records, video­taping, and the use of the computer. Modern specialized facilities and equipment are used in many courses in different fields. These include: laboratories for teaching the sciences, a planetarium, studios for teaching the fine arts; a variety of facilities for teaching communications; a language laboratory for teaching foreign languages and linguistics courses; a speech and hearing clinic; the Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies; the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories; the Sierra Nevada Field Campus.

San Francisco State University encourages experimentation and innovation in teaching and welcomes a diversity of approaches. Increasingly and with growing help from students, efforts are being made on the campus to examine, evaluate, and improve the learning experiences.

CALIFORNIA ARTICULATION NUMBER (CAN) SYSTEM

The California Articulation Number (CAN) identifies some of the transferable, lower division, introductory (preparatory) courses commonly taught within academic disciplines on California college and university campuses.

The system assures students that CAN courses on one participating campus will be accepted "in lieu of" the comparable CAN participating course for the major on another participating campus. For example, a qualified CAN course prefixed as CAN ECON 2 will be accepted for a course prefixed with the same CAN ECON 2 offered on another CAN participating campus.

San Francisco State University participates in the California Articulation Number System. The following SFSU courses have been designated as CAN courses:

What is course articulation? Course articulation is the written agreement between San Francisco State University and another institution; e.g., either a California community college, a University of California, a California State University, or an independent college or university, to accept a specific course(s) completed at a transfer institution to meet a specific major course requirement at SFSU. Faculty in each discipline review courses and approve all agreements. The agreements authorize the acceptance of one course or a sequence of courses "in lieu of" another for transferring students. Articulated courses are not to be construed as "equivalent" but rather as comparable courses; i.e., the content is such that similar outcomes are assured and advancement to the next level of instruction is appropriate.

What is the California Articulation Number (CAN) System? The California Articulation Number (CAN) System is a cross-reference course identification system for many lower division, transferable courses commonly taught on college campuses.

What should I do? Transfer students, wishing "in lieu of" transfer credit for a SFSU CAN designated course listed in the preceding section, should first consult both their transfer campus(es) catalog for the qualified CAN course(s) successfully completed and the list of SFSU qualified CAN courses to determine course to course comparability. Students are advised to consult with the major department for course to course comparability credit, course planning, and general major advisement.

For more details and additional information on the California Articulation Number (CAN) System, go to www.can.csus.edu, contact the SFSU department represented in CAN or the Articulation Officer, Office of Course Articulation, ADM 224, Advising Center, SFSU.