Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Students are eligible to receive bachelor's degrees from CCA when they have completed all major and other curricular requirements, completed the appropriate number of semester units for the degree they are seeking (126 units for the BA and the BFA, 165 units for the BArch), and met the GPA and residency requirements.

All majors require the completion of 51 units of Humanities and Sciences course work (only 45 units for the BA degree programs, 39 for the BArch degree program), 12 units of course work from the First-Year Core division, and one Diversity Studies studio course. Sixty additional units of studio course work are required for the BA and BFA degree and 126 additional units of studio course work for the BArch degree.

Degrees are posted on the student's transcript once all the final semester grades are received and the Student Records Office has conducted a final graduation check. Students who do not pass this final check will be notified by mail of any outstanding requirements.

Students are responsible for keeping track of their progress toward graduation, including units completed and fulfillment of major requirements. In order to graduate, students must satisfy the degree requirements in effect at the time of their matriculation at CCA.

Degree Audits

Students can access the Degree Audit by logging in to WebAdvisor. This allows students to track their progress toward graduation by listing all applicable course requirements according to the categories of the curriculum (first-year Core, major, Humanities and Science, and elective). It also indicates whether each requirement is completed, in progress, or outstanding.

The Degree Audit reflects all units the student has earned at CCA or transferred from a different institution. The audits are updated after the grades are posted each term.

Because each major has different curricular requirements, Degree Audits may be altered significantly whenever students select or change their major. Students are advised to have a copy of their Degree Audit with them whenever they meet with their advisor.

Grade-Point Average Requirement

Undergraduates must have a cumulative CCA grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above to be eligible to graduate. Degrees are posted on the student's transcript once all grades have been received and the Student Records Office has conducted a final graduation check.

Students who do not pass this final check will be notified by mail of any outstanding requirements.

Residency Requirement

According to CCA's residency requirement, students must take their last 30 units of course work toward a BA or BFA and their last 48 units of course work toward a BArch at the college. In addition, students are required to attend CCA for the semester in which they will be completing their final degree requirements. No exceptions will be made to this policy.

C Grade Requirement

The following courses must be completed with a grade of C or better to be counted toward undergraduate degree requirements:

• All first-year Core studios
• All studio courses required by the major program
• Specific Humanities and Sciences courses (listed below)

A student who receives a grade of C- or lower in a studio course required for the major may choose to count the course as a studio elective. In order to receive credit toward the major requirement, the student must repeat the course with a grade of C or better. Whether the course is repeated for a higher grade, the original grade remains on the student's transcript and will factor into that student’s term and cumulative GPAs.

Students who receive less than a C in a repeated major requirement will need the permission of their program chair to continue in the major.

The following Humanities and Sciences courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher to be counted as a Humanities and Sciences requirement or elective:

• English 1 and 2
• Introduction to the Arts: Antiquity to Early Modern
• Introduction to the Modern Arts
• Foundations in Critical Studies
• History of Interiors 1 and 2 (for Interior Design majors only)
• Architecture History 1 and 2 (for Architecture majors only)
• Math/Physics (for Architecture majors only)
• Advanced Geometry (for Architecture majors only)

English Placement Exam

The English Placement Exam is a timed, two-part assessment (multiple-choice reading comprehension and essay) designed to place students at the appropriate level in their beginning English courses at CCA. All students are required to take the English Placement Exam prior to their first semester at the college unless the student has provided official documentation that they have met one of the following criteria:

• Competed the equivalent to English 1 or 2 (transfer students only)

• Passed the Advanced Placement Exam in either English Language or English Literature with a grade of 3 or higher

• Received SAT scores of 400 or lower on either the verbal or writing sections of the SAT1: These students may be registered directly into the Writing Skills Workshop (WSW)

• Received ACT scores of 16 or lower on either the reading or English sections of the ACT; these students may be registered directly into the Writing Skills Workshop (WSW)

• Received SAT scores of 400 or higher on both the verbal and writing sections of the SAT1; these students may be registered directly into English 1

• Received ACT scores between 17 and 26 on both reading and English sections of the ACT; these students may be registered directly into English 1

• Received SAT scores of 620 or higher on both the verbal and the writing sections of the SAT1; these students may be registered directly into English 2. Students placing into English 2 in this manner will not receive academic credit for waiving English 1; they will take an additional 3 units of Humanities and Science Electives to earn the 3 units required for an English 1 waiver.

• Received ACT scores of 27 or higher on both the reading and the English sections of the ACT; these students may be registered directly into English 2. Students placing into English 2 in this manner will not receive academic credit for waiving English 1; they will take an additional 3 units of Humanities and Science Electives to earn the 3 units required for an English 1 waiver.

English Placement Exam results are reviewed by CCA Writing and Literature faculty, and students may place into one of the following four categories:

• Writing Skills Workshop – ESL (for international students)
• Writing Skills Workshop
• English 1
• English 2

Writing Skills Workshop

Students who place into either the Writing Skills Workshop (WSW) or Writing Skills Workshop - ESL (WSW-ESL) will be restricted to a 12-unit course load and will not be allowed to enroll in other Humanities and Science courses until they are ready to advance to English 1. Students who place into either WSW but do not register for the course in their first semester at CCA will have a hold placed on their registration for the following term.

The hold will only be removed when the student enrolls in the correct WSW section or meets one of the following criteria:

• Passes the English Placement Exam (which is held during orientation prior to the start of every semester)

• Provides the recommendation of a WSW instructor who feels the student is ready to advance to English 1 (two additional Writing and Literature faculty members must also review and approve the student's advancement to English 1)

• By seeking tutoring or courses outside of CCA to improve their reading and writing skills in lieu of taking WSW. (These students must get prior approval from the chair of the Writing and Literature department and must pass the English Placement Exam by the end of their second semester at CCA.)

Grading for the WSW is on a pass / not pass basis. A maximum of 3 units from WSW may be applied toward the BA. BFA or BArch degree requirements: These units do not count toward the required units necessary in English, but can be counted as Humanities and Science Elective units.

Students who pass the Writing Skills Workshop may then advance to register for English 1. Students who do not pass must repeat the course in the following semester. Students are given one additional opportunity to pass Writing Skills Workshop. Students who do not pass the Writing Skills Workshop a second time are subject to dismissal from the college.

Students who do not pass the Writing Skills Workshop a second time may appeal directly to the program coordinator for humanities and sciences to be permitted to take WSW for a third time. If approved, the program coordinator for humanities and sciences will notify the Student Records Office of this decision. Under no circumstances will a students be permitted to take Writing Skills Workshop for a fourth time.

Students who place into and register for a Writing Skills Workshop section cannot drop Writing Skills Workshop without the written authorization of the director of International Student Affairs and Programs. This written authorization should be obtained by having the director sign a drop form, which is then submitted to the Student Records Office.

Undergraduate Internships

Internships allow students to earn academic credit for supervised work performed outside the college in environments related to their major fields of study. Through this experience, students are able to identify their own interests and abilities, meet experienced practitioners who can assist in their career development, and develop skills and knowledge they will need to advance professionally.

A college-sponsored internship is required for completion of programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, and Interior Design. Other programs strongly encourage their students to complete an internship, recognizing that the experience enhances students' prospects of successful employment after graduation.

To enroll in a college-sponsored internship, an undergraduate student must:

• Hold upper-division status, be matriculated, and be in good academic standing
• Have completed at least 60 units, including all major prerequisites
• Highly recommended to have at least one semester of study remaining at CCA following the internship

Eligible students may register for 3 units of internship credit each semester. Students in certain departments may also register for a zero-unit internship, which affords them the opportunity to take an additional 3-unit studio elective while satisfying the internship requirement for majors that expect completion of a 3-unit internship. Meeting with your faculty internship advisor is recommended before registering for internship units.

Students must register for internship units as they would any other course if they wish to earn academic credit and/or satisfy degree requirements. This includes registering by the end of the add/drop period and otherwise complying with registration deadlines. In addition to regular course registration forms, students must submit a completed Internship Registration form to the Student Records Office on either campus. Students who wish to earn credit during summer session must register for these units by June 1.

To ensure their internships are conducted legally, international students must consult with the International Student Advisor before starting work. Failure to notify the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services of authorization for practical training prior to employment as an intern jeopardizes an international student's immigration status.

To search for internship possibilities, we suggest using faculty internship advisor recommendations, talking with students who have participated in internships in your department and/or registering with College Central Network through CCA’s Career Services Office. Some departments may have approved internship listings which can be found at those program pages. (Note: Eligible participants must have a password to access the listing.)

Undergraduate Independent Study

Independent study is an unscheduled 3-unit course of study. To qualify for an independent study in studio, a student must be an upper-division, matriculated undergraduate in good academic standing and must have completed a minimum of 45 studio units. To qualify for an independent study in Humanities and Science, the student must be in good academic standing.

Independent study must be approved by an instructor, the student's advisor, and an assistant or associate director of the program sponsoring the independent study. Independent study application forms are available at the Student Records Office on either campus.

Normally, students are limited to 3 units of independent study per semester. Students who wish to take additional units of independent study must submit a petition to the Policy Review Committee. CCA allows students to take up to 12 units of independent study units.