Course Descriptions

NOTE: Some courses may have an additional fee - more information can be found on the Special Course Fees webpage.

College-Wide Course Numbering

Some course numbers are standardized throughout the College, indicating a particular type of course. Each standard course number is defined below:

___P: PLUS MODEL COURSEs (NUMBER OF CREDITS VARIES)

CWI offers "plus" courses in English, Mathematics, and Biology. Plus courses require a corequisite course that provides additional support for students who do not meet the prerequisite(s) for the required course. For example, a student that needs to take MATH 143 Precalculus I: Algebra  to fulfill a program requirement but did not place directly into MATH 143 can register for MATH 143P Precalculus I: Algebra and MATH 142 Precalculus I: Algebra Plus  instead. MATH 142 is a 2-credit support course that is a corequisite of MATH 143P, both of which have lower placement requirements than MATH 143. When a student successfully passes the "plus" version of a course (i.e., MATH 143P), their requirement to take MATH 143 is considered met. NOTE: All "P" versions of regular courses are considered equivalent to the non-P version of the same course with regard to program requirements and prerequisites in other courses.

199: Special Topics (1–5 credits)

This course number is designed to permit the offering of special topics appropriate to a program within a department. Regular or frequently recurring topics are not offered under this title. The course may be repeated as new topics are presented. Special topics courses are not typically articulated with four-year institutions; these credits often transfer as elective credits.

293: Internship (number of credits varies)

Internship credits are earned in supervised fieldwork specifically related to a student's major. To enroll in courses numbered 293, students will work with the Work Based Learning Center to coordinate placement and approvals. 

296: Independent Study (number of credits varies)

With department approval, students may earn credits in independent study, usually through directed reading or by completing a special project. Before enrolling for independent study, a student must obtain the approval of the department chair and dean, acting on the recommendation of the instructor who will be supervising the independent study. An independent study cannot be substituted for a course regularly offered at CWI nor can independent study credits be used to improve a grade in a course the student has already taken. Students are required to complete an Independent Study Registration Form, which must be submitted in person at a One Stop Student Services location, emailed to the Registrar's Office through the student's myCWI email, or sent via fax or mail (legible, valid photo ID must be included for all faxed or mailed forms).

How to Read CWI Course Descriptions

Every course has a description that consists of the following seven elements:

1. Course Prefix/Subject

The prefix indicates the department or academic unit offering the course. Refer to the Course Subjects tab for a complete list of course subjects.

2. Course Number

The following numbering system is used for all credit courses offered by the College of Western Idaho (CWI):

• Zero Level (000–099): Course content is considered below the college-freshman level. These courses may be referred to as developmental or remedial courses and are not applicable for graduation.
• One Hundred Level (100–199): Course content taught at the college-freshman level.
• Two Hundred Level (200–299): Course content taught at the college-sophomore level.

3. Course Title

This indicates the official title of the course.

4. Credits

For each credit hour granted, students must have successfully met the academic requirements with an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that reasonably approximates not less than:

• 12.5 clock hours of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of 25 clock hours of out-of-class student work; or
• At least an equivalent amount of combined in-class and out-of-class clock hours for other academic activities as established by CWI including laboratory work, clinicals, internships, practicum, and other academic work leading to the award of the appropriate number of credits.

CWI courses align with credit hours in the following manner:

Credits

Course Type	Credit Hours	Instructional Contact Hours	Out of Class Hours	Total Hours
Lecture	1	12.5	25	37.5
Lab A	1	37.5	0	37.5
Lab B	1	25	12.5	37.5

5. Semester(s) Offered

The semester code indicates the semester(s) during which the course is typically offered:

• Fall: Usually offered in the fall semester
• Spring: Usually offered in the spring semester
• Fall/Spring: Usually offered in the fall and spring semesters
• Fall/Summer: Usually offered in the fall and summer semesters
• Spring/Summer: Usually offered in the spring and summer semesters
• Fall/Spring/Summer: Usually offered in the fall, spring, and summer semesters
• Varies: Not offered consistently (contact the department offering the course for more information)

6. Requisites

The list of requisites specifies any prerequisites and/or corequisites using the following abbreviations:

• PREREQ: Prerequisite (must be completed prior to gaining access to another course).
• COREQ: Corequisite (must be completed concurrently with another requirement or course).
• PRE/COREQ: Pre/Corequisite (must be either completed prior to the course or taken concurrently with the course).
• PERM/INST: Permission of the instructor is required to enroll.
• PERM/CHAIR: Permission of the department chair is required to enroll.
• PERM/DEAN: Permission of the dean required is to enroll.

7. Weekly Contact Hours 

Each course description is followed by a sequence of three numbers that indicate the number of lecture hours per week that the course meets, the number of lab hours per week that the course meets, and the total number of credits a student earns by completing the course. Please note that variable credit course descriptions display weekly contact hours based on the lowest amount of credits for which the course can be offered.

IMPORTANT: Regardless of how long an individual section of a course runs, the weekly contact hours displayed in the course description are based on a 15-week semester; the 16th week of a semester is for final examinations and is excluded from contact hour calculations.