Course Substitution
A course substitution is a course that takes the place of a required course in the student’s program of study.
Federal guidelines do not allow the College to waive a required course, but on occasion it may be necessary to substitute a course of equal value and classification to facilitate the completion of a student’s program of study. Students must still meet the total credit requirements for the academic program. Students who seek a required course substitution should contact their academic advisor, program leadership, or academic dean.
A course substitution allows a student to use an alternate course to meet program requirements. Only one (1) course may be substituted in a certificate or diploma, and a maximum of three (3) courses may be substituted per degree program. Students who are granted a substitution must still meet the required total credit hours for their program of study, and minimum course grades must be met.
Any course requests that exceed three (3) require approval by department, dean and Vice President Academic Affairs.
Circumstances in which a substitution could be made include, but are not limited to, the following:
- A required course is cancelled.
- A program of study is changed.
- A comparable course is taken at another institution.
- A comparable course has been previously completed at the institution.
Workforce Continuing Education courses may be articulated for curriculum courses in specific programs. Courses eligible for substitution must be taught by a credentialed faculty; meeting the same requirements, contact hours, and applicable credentialing exams.
Guidelines for a Course Substitution include:
General education courses may be substituted at the discretion of program leadership and dean, with approval from the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The alternative general education course must be allowable per the curriculum standard and general education matrix and must be at the same level or higher (i.e., 110-189 level courses for alternative 110-189, 210-289, etc. level courses).
General education course requirements are not substituted (for example, a Humanities requirement cannot be met with a Social Science course).
Core curriculum courses for any program of study should be maintained with integrity and followed completely. The proposed substituted course must have comparable learning outcomes and contact hours as the required course and must be within the same discipline as the original course or fulfill similar course distribution requirements as defined by the curriculum standard. Substitutions to the core curriculum should only be used in extenuating circumstances and may require approval by the North Carolina Community College System Office staff.
A student must earn a “C” or better in the course that is being substituted.
If the substituted course is from another college or university, it must be an accredited institution.
Course Substitution Procedure
Course substitution requests are submitted by the student’s advisor via the Credit Verification Form in Etrieve Central and must be approved by the applicable department chair/program director, dean, and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
In cases where institutional error or oversight is believed to have occurred or exceptional circumstances need to be considered, requests for variation in graduation requirements can be made in writing to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The request should include a rationale and justification for variation in requirements. The decision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs will be based upon consultation with faculty and staff and will be final. Copies of the request, documentation of the review process, and the decision shall become part of the student’s permanent record.