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An SEP (Student Educational Plan) is a semester by semester plan of courses based on your educational goal. You must meet with a counselor to complete your SEP prior to your second semester of attendance. If you do not meet with a counselor after your first semester of school to complete an SEP, you will have a hold on your record that will prevent you from registering for the next term.
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It depends on your unique situation. Students who are employed full-time (40 or more hours per week) should limit themselves to no more than 6 units. If you are employed no more than 20 hours per week, you may sign up for 12 or more units provided that you don't have additional time commitments (e.g. child, spouse, outside activities). If you are not employed, fulltime coursework (12-19 units) may be appropriate. However, if you have never attended college, are a returning student, or the subject is challenging for you then you should ease your way into the school routine by taking 6-9 units per semester.
The following chart is a valuable tool for students to estimate the amount of time needed to support a quality learning experience:
Work (Hr/Wk) |
Recommended Units
per Semester |
Estimated Study Time |
Total Hours per Week |
40 |
6 |
12-18 |
58-64 |
30 |
9 |
18-27 |
57-66 |
20 |
12 |
24-36 |
56-68 |
10 |
15 |
30-45 |
55-70 |
0 |
18 |
36-54 |
54-72 |
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- Talk to your instructor (remember, instructors have time set aside to meet with students outside of the classroom during their office hours).
- Utilize the Tutoring Center in the Library.
- See a counselor to discuss other options available to you (setting up a study group, developing an educational plan, etc.)
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A major is a group or series of courses designed to provide intensive education or training in a specialized area.
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Not right away. Taking a variety of courses gives you an opportunity to explore your interests before choosing a major. By your second semester, you should have narrowed down a major that interests you.
If you plan to transfer to a UC you should declare a major no later than the end of your freshman year.
For students ready to explore major/career opportunities, the following resources are available: COUN100 - Career Decision Making course and Career Center located in Student Services - Room 106, seek assistance of a counselor and/or instructor.
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No. What the campuses are looking for is the completion of the transferable general education requirements along with major preparation courses. A student needs 60 transferable units to transfer. The transferable units are courses numbered 1-99 for the UC and 1-199 for the CSU. Use the IGETC pattern for the UC campuses and the CSU GE Pattern for the CSU campuses. However, by completing the CSU GE or IGETC course requirements along with any additional transfer requirements, a student can earn an Associate Degree in Transfer Studies from College of the Sequoias. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with a counselor to review transfer requirements.
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If your assessment scores suggest you need to improve your basic skills in reading, writing and math, we recommend that you concentrate on improving your college-level reading and writing skills first. If possible, taking an English course your first semester is a good idea regardless of where you assessed. For example, if you are a math or science major it is essential that you begin the math sequence as soon as possible. Taking an elective course that you enjoy (guitar, acting, dance, choir, band, or computers) is a good idea because it makes your college experience more rewarding.
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If all seats are taken on the waitlist, you may attend the first class meeting and ask the instructor if you can add the class. If there is room in the course, the instructor will issue you an add code. You will need to add the class online via Banner Web using the course CRN number and add code. However, crashing courses does not usually result in a full schedule.
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Make an appointment with a counselor. He or she can help you prepare a long range plan so that you may achieve your goals in accordance with your available time. Some students will take longer than others depending on individual situations.
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Number of Units |
Enrollment Status |
12-19 |
Full time |
9-11 |
3/4 time |
6-8* |
Half-time |
5 or less |
Part-time |
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The only way to transfer units from another college is to request an OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT from a previously attended college or university be sent to the Admissions and Records office. The transcript is scanned into our Records System and evaluated for credit. Transfer units become a part of a student’s cumulative total of units attempted and completed.
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- Have official transcripts sent to College of the Sequoias, Admissions Office, 915 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA 93277.
- Students are advised to double check that the transfer college/university has mailed your transcript to COS.
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A unit is a measurement of college work which reflects the amount of credit given to a course. You can generally count on one hour of class time weekly for each unit a course is assigned.
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An Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Science (AS) Degree is awarded by a community college upon completion of an organized sixty unit program of study.
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A Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) are degrees awarded by a four-year college or university after the completion of an organized program of studies consisting of approximately 120 semester units. The freshman and sophomore years at a community college are equivalent to the freshman and sophomore years at a four-year college.
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A certificate program is an occupational program that offers specialized career training.
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General Education refers to a broad range of courses taken to increase a student's knowledge of a variety of subjects. They are courses outside your major and are required of all students receiving an AA/AS or BA/BS degree. These courses are listed in the College of the Sequoias catalog.
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A prerequisite is a requirement that must be met prior to enrolling in a particular course - usually an entrance test or completion of a preparatory course.
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A semester is a 17-week session - half of the academic year.
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Lower-division refers to students and courses at the freshman and sophomore level of college study. Community colleges offer only lower-division courses.
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Upper-division refers to students or courses at the junior or senior level of college study.
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A transferable course is a course at College of the Sequoias that is accepted by a four-year college or university. The transferability of courses are listed in the course description section of the College of the Sequoias Catalog and schedule of courses.
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The CSU System stands for the California State University System. It includes twenty-three campuses which accept the top 1/3 of high school graduates. Three examples are Cal State Fresno, SDSU and CSU Cal Poly. The CSU system is the largest, the most diverse, and one of the most affordable university systems in the country.
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The UC System stands for the University of California System. The UC System includes nine campuses and accepts the top 12.5 percent of high school graduates. Research is a major focus at all UC campuses. Three examples are UCLA, UC Berkley, and UC Davis. Each campus offers a balanced program covering all basic areas of undergraduate study. Each campus also has unique academic programs and features that set it apart.
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Matriculation is the process that allows the college and you to form a partnership which helps you attain that goal. We ask you to commit yourself to an educational objective and we will commit ourselves in assisting you to succeed. Matriculation includes the following:
Admission
Orientation
Assessment
Counseling
Student Educational Plan (SEP)
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This is the general education pattern which students use for transferring to the California State University system.
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This is the general education pattern which students use for transferring to the UC system. It can also be used by students who are not sure if they would like to transfer to the UC or CSU system.
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A student is placed on Academic Probation when he or she has attempted a minimum of 12 units and does not achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.0 ("C"). Students may be required to repeat coursework. These students may be required to meet with a counselor in order to enroll for the upcoming semesters until their cumulative GPA is a 2.0. Students placed on probation are limited to taking 13 units.
Students are placed on progress probation when they have not completed 51% of their cumulative units attempted. These students may be required to meet with a counselor in order to enroll for the upcoming semesters until their cumulative completion of units has reached 51%.
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If a student does not earn a 2.0 GPA or does not complete 51% of their units for three consecutive semesters, they are disqualified. The student must complete a Readmission Form at the Admissions office to determine if they can return to COS for the upcoming semester. In some cases, students are not readmitted for one semester.
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