Course Descriptions

Rock Valley College’s courses on the following pages were approved by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB).

Course Numbering System

Course descriptions are listed by prefix and include the course number, course title, prerequisites and corequisites, and content description. The Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) Code is listed where appropriate, followed by the number that indicates whether the course is Baccalaureate/Transfer (1.1), Career-Technical (1.2), or Developmental (1.4). Following the description of the course is the number of semester hours of credit, followed by the number of lecture hours and the number of lab hours. Note: not all courses are offered every year. These classifications are according to the master course file of the Illinois Community College Board.

Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) and IAI Majors Codes:

To assist students with identifying qualifying general education core courses (GECC), the following coding system will appear below the course number and title in the IAI field. If the course does not have an assigned IAI number it will appear as: “IAI: None.”

Non-Western Culture Course: The “N” in the IAI code field is for courses designed specifically to examine aspects of human diversity from a non-U.S./non-European perspective.

Other letters that are used at the end of course numbers include:

D - Courses designed specifically to examine aspects of human diversity within the United States.

L - Designates laboratory courses.

R - Designates research paper courses.

IAI Majors Courses: IAI has its own individual course numbering sequence for the Illinois Baccalaureate Majors’ Recommendations. Here is an example of an IAI Majors course – IAI: CHM 911 - General Chemistry I.

In IAI Majors there are only 2 parts of the course numbering system: the abbreviation (i.e., CHM) and the number (i.e., 911) which is a part of the unique numbering system adopted for the IAI process. The abbreviation indicates the field the course exists within. For more information about major fields and their corresponding abbreviations please go to: iTransfer.org.

Prerequisites: Many course descriptions state that a prerequisite is necessary for enrollment in such a course. Students are advised that enrolling in a course without satisfying the prerequisite may result in the student being withdrawn from such course at the request of the instructor. Refer carefully to catalog course descriptions.

If a course meets for a shorter or longer period than a 15-week semester, the lecture and laboratory hours are adjusted so that the total number of hours will be the same as the total for a 15-week semester.

Only degree-level courses numbered from 100 through 299 will meet degree requirements. Credit earned in courses numbered below 100 and above 299, and in select certificate-level courses, will not count toward any Rock Valley College degree.

Listed below is an alphabetized list of instructional disciplines followed by a subject (course) prefix/course abbreviation.

Disclaimer: The information in this catalog is subject to change without prior notice or obligation. Rock Valley College reserves the right to revise course content to reflect changing conditions, trends, and information within the discipline. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the information in this catalog and to keep informed as additions and corrections are announced.

Not all courses for Rock Valley College are listed in the “COURSE DESCRIPTION” section of this catalog.
See an Academic Advisor to fulfill specific graduation requirements.