If you have completed the requirements for an AA degree or Certificate of Achievement or are enrolled in your last few required courses, you may file a petition for graduation at the Admissions, Records, and Services office. While it is not required that you see a counselor to file, you may schedule a counseling appointment to discuss your petition. Check the "Important Dates" page of the Class Schedule for the last day to petition for an AA degree or Certificate. Also look for the last day to petition and to have you name appear in the Commencement Program. Students who file for spring or summer graduation after this deadline and before the last day to petition for an AA or Certificate of Achievement for spring may still participate in commencement but their name will not appear in the program.

Although participating in the commencement ceremony is optional, you are strongly encouraged to celebrate your achievement with family, friends, fellow graduates and college faculty. The ceremony is held annually in May. For more information, click on the Student Activities office link. If you plan to graduate in summer term, you may participate in the ceremony; however you must file your graduation petition by the May Commencement deadline published on the "Important Dates" page of the spring class schedule.

This is a important question that can have a very complicated answer. Because counselors may need to ask several questions and may require information or transcripts that we do not have at hand, we prefer that you schedule an appointment to discuss your progress toward a degree. In this way, we can confirm that you have fulfilled all requirements or that you are clear on what remaining requirements you might need to fulfill to meet your educational goals.

You may change your major online by logging on to the Admissions, Records, and Services website or you may go to their office and submit a completed Change of Data form.

The requirements for your major are listed in the online general college catalog and you can also find them on the School Relations office'sProgram of Study website.

English and math AP exams may be used in place of assessment testing when scores of 3 or better are earned. Even though you may have submitted your AP scores to the Admissions, Records, and Services office for credit toward an AA degree, you must also complete a Requisite Clearance Request form for each AP exam score you would like to use as a prerequisite. If you need assistance, you may see a counselor during our walk-in hours.

Trigonometry, Math 140, has TWO prerequisites--Math 80 or 80B, Intermediate Algebra, AND Math 70, Geometry. Both must be completed with a "C" grade or better. There is another way to clear the geometry prerequisite. If you successfully completed two semesters of geometry in high school, you may request a prerequisite clearance for Math 70.

You will find information on the prerequisite clearance requirements and as well as a downloadable clearance form by clicking on the followingCounseling Department link. If you prefer you may pick up the clearance form and submit it and your transcript to the Admissions, Records, and Services office or you may fax your materials to them at 562.467.5068. Keep it mind that it may take up to 10 working days to process the clearance. Since prerequisites are strictly enforced, you are advised to file at least 10 working days before your appointment to enroll.

Once your official transcript is submitted to a counselor, the transcript is then forwarded to the Admissions, Records, and Services office for evaluation. The evaluation process can take up to 6 months.

Once your transcript has been evaluated, the name of the transferring institution and the general education course equivalents will be listed on your Cerritos College transcript. If the courses you have taken are not general education courses, you may only see the units earned.

You will need to file an admission application either in-person at the Admissions, Records and Services office or online. Once your application is processed, you will be issued an appointment to enroll which you will be able to view on MyCerritos.

Designated activity and lab classes can be taken for a maximum of four times. Check in the course description for repeatability in the general catalog or Schedule Plus website. Unless otherwise specified, courses can be taken for a maximum of two times. For an exception, you will need to request approval for an additional enrollment by filing an Academic Records and Standards Committee Repetition Petition. You must include an explanation of why you did not complete the class with a "C" or better in your previous attempts and what you will do differently in order to successfully complete the class, if approved to take it again. Attach available documentation and submit your materials at the Admissions, Records, and Services office.

The petition should be filed in the semester prior to the first day of enrollment for the term you want to repeat the class. The earlier the better!

In order to clear a prerequisite completed at another college you need to submit a transcript from that institution with a completed Requisite Clearance Request form. You may either submit an official or unofficial transcript for a prerequisite clearance.

You will find information on the prerequisite clearance requirements and as well as a downloadable clearance form by clicking on the Counseling Department website. If you prefer you may pick up the clearance form and submit it and your transcript to the Admissions, Records, and Services office or you may fax your materials to them at 562.467.5068. Keep it mind that it may take up to 10 working days to process the clearance. Since prerequisites are strictly enforced, you are advised to file at least 10 working days before your appointment to enroll.

It may be possible to use placement results from another college. In order to determine if yours can be used, you will need to submit the results and a completed Requisite Clearance Request form to the Admissions, Records, and Services office.

You will find information on the prerequisite clearance requirements and as well as a downloadable clearance form by clicking on Counseling Department link: If you prefer you may pick up the clearance form and submit it and your transcript to the Admissions, Records, and Services office or you may fax your materials to them at 562.467.5068. Keep it mind that it may take up to 10 working days to process the clearance. Since prerequisites are strictly enforced, you are advised to file at least 10 working days before your appointment to enroll.

It depends on the type of hold that you have. If it is an educational plan hold you may need to meet with a counselor to remove it. There are also holds that are placed by other departments and you would have to check with them to see what is needed to remove it.

To check for holds, you can log in to your MyCerritos account and look at the "Holds and To Do's" box. Click on the "Hold" to determine which office placed it and where to go to inquire about how to remove it. If it is an "Ed Plan" hold, it was placed because of your academic or progress probationary status and the Counseling Department will be able to answer your questions about it. Please note that while the "Ed Plan" hold is in effect, neither you nor an instructor will be able to enroll you into a class. However, you or an instructor may drop classes while there is an "Ed Plan" hold on your MyCerritos account.

If you are currently enrolled or have applied for the upcoming term, you will be issued an appointment to enroll. If you have skipped attending a fall or spring semester and wish to return, you will need to file for readmission in order to be reactivated and issued an enrollment appointment.

For the steps to find your enrollment appointment, navigate to theAdmissions, Records, and Services website.

There are some courses where a "C" grade or better is required. These include prerequisites for a higher level course; English 100, Read 54, and Math 80 or 80B for Plan A General Education; Areas A1,A2, and A3 and B3 on Plan B; all courses completed for Plan C; and starting 2009-10, all courses for the AA degree major. There are other courses, majors and programs, and transfer requirements that require "C's" or better, please check with a Counselor if you have questions.

If you elect to repeat a class in which you received a "D" or "F," the "new" grade will appear on your permanent record, provided it is an improved grade. While the substandard grade will be removed from your GPA it remains on your transcript. Nonetheless, repeating a class really helps improve your grade point average and is one reason why you may want to re-take these classes.

The Cerritos College Nursing major has specific prerequisite courses for each option. The list of Options and specific program and application information is listed on the Health Occupation website.

In order to withdraw from a class, you must drop through MyCerritos. If for some reason you encounter an error and cannot drop through MyCerritos, see the Office of Admissions, Records, & Services.

Please refer to drop deadlines in the current Class Schedule or online.

A "W" will appear on your permanent record (transcript). It will not be used in calculating your grade point average, but excessive "W's" will be used as factors for progress probation and dismissal procedures and may impact transfer.

It is difficult to answer this question because so much depends on how much time you have to devote to attending school. Determine how many classes you need to meet your goal and calculate how many classes you can take per semester. Remember, some classes are offered during the summer. Taking summer classes can help you achieve your goal more quickly.

The college policy for the maximum number of units per semester is 18 (7 units per summer session). If you wish to take more than the maximum units in one semester you must have an established Cerritos College grade point average of 3.0 or above, and seek the approval of a Counselor.

Taking 12 units or more in one semester is considered a full-time load. To be eligible for athletics and certain student activities, you must be a full-time student.

Credit for college classes is measured in "units." A unit relates to the amount of time spent in class.

For example, a three unit class will meet for three hours per week. Classes with labs will meet for additional hours and very often the class is worth additional units. At Cerritos most classes are worth three units. Some classes are worth as little as one unit, some as much as five units.

GPA stands for grade point average. Letter grades are given the following point values:

A - 4.0

B - 3.0

C - 2.0

D - 1.0

F - 0.0

Each class has a specific unit value. Multiplying the letter grade value by the unit value equals the grade points. The next step is to divide the unit total into the grade points to determine the GPA.

Example:  
Units                  Point Value
  3 Units of A  =  3 x 4  =  12
  3 Units of B  =  3 x 3  =   9
  3 Units of C  =  3 x 2  =   6
  3 Units of D  =  3 x 1  =   3
  3 Units of F  =  3 x 0  =   0
------                           --

  15                                30


To figure your grade point average divide your total number of grade points
by your total number of units.

  30/15= 2.0

For further information contact the Cerritos College Counseling Department at (562) 860-2451 x 2231.

At the time of enrollment, if a class that you want to sign up for is closed you have two options:

You may petition the class by attending it the first time it meets. If there is space available in the class, the instructor may be able to add you to the roster. If the instructor adds you into his/her class, your next step is to pay for the class.

You may also seek the advice of a counselor who may suggest an alternate class and inform you of other options available to you.

It is not necessary to declare a major the first semester you enter. However, you are expected to spend time exploring educational options. We recommend you take advantage of the Career Center and its counselors. We also suggest you consider enrolling in a Career Planning class. It is listed as COUN 10 in the class schedule under Counseling and Guidance. Under the new Matriculation Plan, our partnership for student success, it is essential that you declare an educational goal.

If you would like to change your major, please use the online major change form.

If you are undecided, but have a broad goal of either earning an associate's degree and/or transferring to a university in order to complete a bachelor's degree, you can work on foundation courses in English, reading and math, as well as general education courses until you decide on a major. A good general education plan to start with if you are unsure of your educational and career goals is Plan C, but all of our general education plans will allow you to explore different subject areas. Also, don't be afraid to take some courses in subjects of potential interest even if they are not on the general education lists. Oftentimes, these courses will come in handy as elective credit, which many students end up needing in order to meet the unit requirement for their degrees.

It is important that you actively explore possible majors and careers, and not just wait for inspiration to hit! A good approach is to e

Welcome to Cerritos College! To begin, you must submit an application. This may be done online or in person in the Admissions Office. The next step would be to take your assessment tests. You may find the calendar of testing dates online as well. You need to test for English, reading and math; this will help determine which courses you should enroll in. The third step would be to attend a new student orientation. You may sign up at the Counseling website or call (562) 860-2451 ext. 2231.

Cerritos has a 'paid wait list' system. That means that you will need to pay the class fees in order to be placed on a wait list. You may request a refund if do not get into the class. Be sure to attend on the first day of class to see if you can be enrolled.

Beginning with the Spring 2012 semester new students must attend an orientation. Once you have applied for admissions and completed the assessment tests you may attend the orientation. You will meet with counselors who will help select your courses for the upcoming semester.

You may check on 'myCerritos' from the Cerritos College homepage for your appointment date. For the steps to find your enrollment appointment, navigate to the Admissions, Records, and Services website. Enrollment is done online on or after your appointment date.

Once you complete the assessment test you should sign up for a new student orientation. You will meet with a counselor at that time.

All college courses are completed in one semester or less. A semester is usually 18 weeks in length at Cerritos; however, nine week and 15 week classes are also offered.

The hours a class meets per week usually equals the number of units the class is worth. That means most classes will meet three hours per week The hours can be in a three hour block or spread out in a variety of combinations. The most common time arrangement is for a three unit class to meet for one and one half hours two days a week.

You may arrange your time schedule to meet your needs.

Please adhere to the following guidelines.

You may take classes which meet for consecutive hours and still have travel time to arrive at the next class on time. For example, you may take a 9 a.m. class which ends at 10 a.m. and a 10 a.m. class which ends at 11 a.m.

You may not take classes which overlap in time. For example, you may not sign up for a class that begins at 9:30 a.m. if you have another class that is not dismissed until 9:45 a.m. You may take both day and evening classes. You are not restricted to all day or evening classes.

There are twotypes of probation, Academic and Progress probation.

• Academic probation occurs when a student has completed at least 12 semester units and the student's GPA falls below a 2.0 in all units taken at the college.
• Progress Probation occurs when a student has attempted at least 12 units and the percentage of all units attempted reaches or exceeds 50 percent of all grades at Cerritos. Grades used to calculate attempted units include "W", "I", "NP", "NC" and all letter grades.

Ed Plan holds will be removed and probation students will be held to unit limitations for the next term's enrollment.

You can log in to your "MyCerritos" account and look at the "holds and to do's" box. Click on the "hold" to determine what office placed the hold and where to go to remove it. If it is an "Ed Plan" hold, it was placed due to your probation status and the Counseling Department will be able to answer any questions. While the "Ed Plan" hold is in effect, neither you nor an instructor will be allowed to enroll you into a class. However, you or an instructor may drop classes while there is an "Ed Plan" hold on your "MyCerritos" account.

When returning after taking a "break" in your schooling, you are classified as a re-admit student. As a re-admitted student, you will return with the same "academic status" that you had when you left. Many students leave prior to the end of a term and instructors must give them a grade. Students may not know that these grades are reflected on their academic record. Your unofficial transcript will have a notation after the last semester you attended if you are a re-admit student and left while on probation. If your GPA was below a 2.0 when you left Cerritos or the number of units you successfully completed versus the number of units from which you withdrew is 50% or less, you will return on Probation.

This depends on the type of probation status noted on your transcript.

If you are on academic probation, you will need to bring your overall or cumulative grade point average to a 2.0 or better. Students in good academic standing have a "C" (2.0) average or better. You can raise your GPA by earning "A's" and "B's" in your new classes and by repeating the same class where a "D", "FW," or "F" grade was earned. Limiting the number of units you attempt or reducing your work hours can be helpful because it allows you more time to study for classes. You should also consider using campus resources such as tutoring. For more resources and success strategies, log on to iFalcon.

If you are on progress probation, returning to good standing involves successfully completing more classes with grades of A,B,C,D, F, FW, CR or P rather than with accumulating more "W's," "I's," "NC's" and "NP's." Overall, once you have more units completed than units of "W's," "I's," and "NC's," you will clear progress probation. It is a good idea to limit the number of units you attempt and focus on finishing each class with a satisfactory grade. Try to anticipate any changes that may occur to your schedule that might impact your class attendance and plan your classes accordingly. Be aware of the deadlines to drop classes without a "W." Check the front of the Schedule of Classes for important dates and deadlines.

Lastly, your probationary status is hopefully temporary, so be patient and persistent. Plan for and practice success strategies. Use your resources (time, energy, effort) and campus resources (tutors, counselors, financial aid, and Academic Support Services) to help you to return to good standing and the completion of your academic goals.

If your grades and completed units do not clear your probationary status, you may either continue on probation or you may face dismissal. If you are on academic probation and your GPA increases as a result of your grades but your overall is still less than 2.0, you will continue your probationary status. If your overall GPA declines you will be dismissed. If you are on progress probation and have more units of "W," "I," or "NP" than you do of completed units, you may face dismissal. If you complete more units of grades other than "W", "I", or "NP" units for the semester, but overall you still have more grades of "W", "I", or "NP" than you do of other grades, you will be continued on progress probation.

Yes, counselors are available for you to discuss your classes at Tune Up Workshops. However, Tune Up Workshops are not required. Unit limits will be placed on all probation students' enrollment.

If your transcript indicates:
'Acad Probation 1, or 'Prog Prob1': Attending a Tune Up Workshop may be informative, but it is not required. While attending this workshop you will meet one on one with a counselor to discuss next semester's classes.

'Acad Prob2' or 'Prog2' or ' Prog3' or any combination not included above: you are not required to see a counselor or attend a Tune Up Workshop. You will have enrollment unit limitations placed for the next term. If you would like to discuss your next semester's classes you may attend a Tune Up Workshop or schedule an optional 30 minute appointment (these may be limited or unavailable during high demand times, such as enrollment).

Tune Up Workshops are offered to all students and are especially recommended for students who are first time probation students. The workshops include information about probation and the opportunity to talk with a counselor.

Sign-ups can be done from the counseling website, click on the 'Tune Up Workshop' link. Be aware of deadline dates each term by which you must sign-up

Students who have been dismissed from Cerritos College should submit a petition for re-admission by Thursday, July 18th.

If you are dismissed due to your academic or progress status and you believe you have extenuating circumstances that led to your dismissal you may complete a petition for reinstatement indicating your circumstances. Attach documentation if applicable. The petition will be available sometime after the term's grades are posted. The petition will be reviewed by the Academic Records & Standards Committee who will then decide whether or not to overturn your dismissal. The petition must be filed prior to thedeadline of Thursday, July 18th, which is indicated on the readmission petition.

If you choose not to petition for reinstatement you must sit out for one fall semester and reapply. You also have the option of attending another community college during this time

You will need to request approval for a third or more enrollment by filing anAcademic Records and Standards Committee Repetition Petition.

You must include an explanation of why you did not complete the class with a "C" or better in your previous attempts and what you will do differently in order to successfully complete the class, if approved for an additional time. Attach documentation if it is available and turn your materials in to the Admissions and Records Office.

The petition should be filed in the semester prior to the first day of enrollment for the term you want to repeat the class. The earlier the better!

If approved, you cannot enroll into the class online. Approved petitions must be brought in person to Admissions & Records to enroll into the course.

Including but not limited to:

• Counseling Services - Counseling assistance is available in a multitude of formats including: online, walk-in, workshops, 30 minute appointments and in counseling classes. www.cerritos.edu/counseling
• Academic Support Center (ASC) - Located in the lower level of the Library building, the ASC is your on-campus resource for tutoring and general information. The tutoring staff are dedicated to assisting students who need help with their math and writing, and many other subjects as well. They also offer Study Skills Workshops, technology training, CBEST preparation, and general assistance regarding a wide range of Cerritos College policies and procedures.www.cerritos.edu/asc
• iFALCON - Learn more about the habits you can use as a student to be success at Cerritos College at www.cerritos.edu/ifalcon. See online videos, view articles on student success and change any negative habits into positive one.
• Career Center - Assist students to choose a major, make career decisions, develop their educational plans to meet their career goals, and prepare for employment. The Career Center contains extensive information about occupations, majors and colleges, available through computer based career information programs, printed resources, video cassettes and Internet access. Career Counselors are also available. www.cerritos.edu/career-services
• English 33 - is a half-unit, credit/no credit, open entry/open exit course that provides students with access to tutors in the Writing Center. It is designed to provide assistance for students for any writing needs! Check the current schedule of classes for section numbers. Students may enroll up until the 17th week of the semester. The assistance students receive from Writing Ce

PTA program requirements, general information, course descriptions, FAQ's, and the application packet can be found on the Health Occupations website.

To find program requirements, description, FAQ's and the Dental Hygiene application, you may check the Health Occupations website.

The SLPA website provides a program overview, requirements, FAQ's and a letter to prospective students. You may access it from the Health Occupations website.