Course Information

​Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) offers three types of associate degrees, and the type of degree determines the minimum number of credits required in general education. The Associate in Applied Science degree requires a minimum of 16 credits in general education; the Associate in Science degree requires a minimum of 20 credits in general education; and the Associate in Arts degree requires a minimum of 33 credits in general education. These requirements are distributed across the disciplines of humanities, mathematics, science, and the social sciences. Actual distribution requirements will vary according to the demands of each program.

General Education Student Learning Outcomes

General education at QCC provides students with the skills, knowledge, and perspectives that enable them to achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals. The following general education student learning outcomes are integrated into the general education and program courses that are required for each associate degree program.

• Communication Skills: Students will be able to write and speak effectively.
• Information Literacy: Students will engage in a reflective process of information discovery, articulate the value of information and its cycle of development, and participate responsibly in communities of learning.
• Quantitative Reasoning: Students will apply the concepts and methods of mathematics to solve problems.
• Scientific Reasoning: Students will relate scientific methods of inquiry to the acquisition of knowledge.
• Technical Literacy: Students will utilize computer and emerging technologies effectively.
• Aesthetics: Students will appreciate the variety of human experiences as expressed through the arts.
• Multiple Perspectives: Students will demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of diverse cultures.
• Ethics: Students will develop an awareness of personal obligations and responsibilities in one’s community of influence.
• Impact of Technology: Students will reflect on the impact of scientific and technological advances on the individual, society, and the environment.
• Civic Literacy: Students will demonstrate awareness of the responsibilities of local, national, and international citizenship.

Information on Course Selection

Types of Courses

The following types of courses are offered at QCC:

College level courses: College level courses are defined as all credit courses offered by the College except the developmental (pre-college level) courses.

Developmental Courses: Developmental courses are courses offered by the College to improve academic skills of students, enabling them to succeed in college level courses. The following developmental courses cannot be used to satisfy degree or certificate requirements.

• CHM 090
• ENG 090
• ENG 091
• ENG 092
• ENG 093
• ENG 095
• ENG 096
• ENG 097
• MAT 090
• MAT 095
• MAT 098
• MAT 099

Interdisciplinary Courses: Interdisciplinary courses are those courses which combine subject matter from more than one academic discipline. The interdisciplinary courses can also be used to satisfy a Liberal Arts Elective if they have an IDS designation in the course numbers.

Types of Course Modalities

The following types of course modalities are offered at QCC:

Face-To-Face: A face-to-face course is one in which instruction is delivered fully on-site with face-to-face interaction between the instructor and student. A face-to-face course may make use of computers, the internet, or other electronic media in the classroom. Students may be directed to online materials provided by publishers or to other internet accessible sources as part of their coursework.

Blended: A blended (also known as hybrid) course has fewer in-person course meetings than a face-to-face course. A portion of the course is delivered online and a portion is delivered on-site face-to-face. Blended courses use the institution's chosen Learning Management System for the online portion of the course.

Online: An online course is a course that is provided entirely through the institution's Learning Management System. No on-site class meetings are required. Although it is preferred that all assessments occur within an online course, a proctored in-person exam may be required.

7-week: 7-week courses run in a compressed time and either meets more often to ensure adequate contact time or utilizes other proven accelerated learning methods to replicate the required contact hours. Specialized accelerated learning cognitive methods may also be used. A 7-week course may be offered face-to-face, online, or in a blended modality.

Types of Electives

The following types of electives are offered at QCC:

Electives: Any college level course qualifies as an Elective; a student may enroll in any college level course for which he or she meets the prerequisite(s).

Behavioral Science Electives: Behavioral sciences involve seeking to discover general truths about human social behavior. Courses with the following designations are considered Behavioral Science Electives:

• Anthropology (ANT)
• Psychology (PSY)
• Sociology (SOC)

Business Electives: Courses with the following designations are considered Business Electives:

• Accounting (ACC)
• Bookkeeping (BKK)
• Business (BUS)
• Business Law (BSL)
• Business Office Support Specialist (BSS)
• Computer Information Systems (CIS)
• Economics (ECO)
• Finance (FIN)
• Hospitality & Recreation Management (HRM)
• Logistics (LOG)
• Management (MGT)
• Manufacturing Technology (MNT)
• Marketing (MRK)

Creative Arts Electives: Courses with the following designations are considered Creative Arts Electives:

• Art (ART)
• Music (MUS)
• Theater (THA)

The following specific courses are also considered Creative Arts Electives:

• ENG 202
• ENG 203
• ENG 204
• ENG 209

Foreign Language Electives: Courses with the following designations are considered Foreign Language Electives. (Note: These course designations are also considered Multiple Perspectives Electives or Humanities Electives):

• American Sign Language (ASL)
• French (FRC)
• German (GER)
• Spanish (SPN)

Healthcare Electives: Courses with the following designations are considered Healthcare Electives:

• Allied Health (ALH)
• Complementary Health (CHC)*
• Dental Assisting (DAS)
• Dental Hygiene (DHY)
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
• Medical Support Specialist (MSS)
• Nurse Education (NUR)
• Occupational Therapy (OTA)
• Paramedicine (MED)
• Practical Nursing Program (PNP)
• Public Health (PHA)
• Radiologic Technology (RDT)
• Respiratory Care (RCP)
• Surgical Technology (SUR)

The following specific courses are also considered Healthcare Electives:

• ASL 111
• BIO 221
• BIO 232
• BSS 112
• CIS 111
• CIS 212
• IDS 101
• IDS 215
• PHI 131
• PHY 103
• PSY 273
• SOC 211
• SPN 113

*Courses in this designation no longer offered

Humanities Electives: The humanities courses present knowledge concerned with humanity and world culture: philosophy, literature, and the fine arts. These arts are distinguished from the sciences and are produced or intended primarily for beauty, not utility. Sculpture, painting, drawing, architecture, literature, drama, music, and dance are examples of such expressions. Courses with the following designations are considered Humanities Electives:

• American Sign Language (ASL)
• Art (ART)
• Communication (COM)
• English (ENG)
• French (FRC)
• German (GER)
• Humanities (HUM)
• Music (MUS)
• Philosophy (PHI)
• Spanish (SPN)
• Speech (SPH)
• Theater (THA)

Liberal Arts Electives: The following types of Electives are also considered Liberal Arts Electives:

• Behavioral Science Electives
• Humanities Electives
• Mathematics Electives
• Science Electives or Lab Science Electives
• Social Science Electives

Literature, Philosophy, or Language Electives: Courses with the following designations are considered Literature, Philosophy, or Language Electives:

• American Sign Language (ASL)
• French (FRC)
• German (GER)
• Humanities (HUM)
• Philosophy (PHI)
• Spanish (SPN)

The following specific courses are also considered Literature, Philosophy, or Language Electives:

• ENG 200
• ENG 210
• ENG 212*
• ENG 215*
• ENG 231
• ENG 232
• ENG 241
• ENG 242
• ENG 251
• ENG 252
• ENG 256
• ENG 259*
• ENG 260
• ENG 261
• ENG 262

*Course no longer offered

Mathematics Electives: Any college level mathematics course (MAT 100 or above) qualifies as a Mathematics Elective. Note that some programs may have specific recommendations.

Multiple Perspectives Electives: Courses designated as Multiple Perspectives Electives involve the study of diversity of people with respect to culture (national origin, language, religion, and ethnicity), gender, race, social class, age, sexual orientation, and ability. The study can be focused on diversity in America or global diversity in a non-Western context. The following courses are considered Multiple Perspectives Electives:

• ANT 111 and ANT 221*
• ART 260*
• ASL 111, ASL 112, ASL 113, ASL 114, ASL 200, ASL 211, ASL 212, and ASL 215
• BIO 141*
• CHC 151*, CHC 250*, and CHC 255*
• COM 101 and COM 102
• CRJ 110
• ECE 133*
• ENG 231, ENG 232, ENG 256, ENG 261, and ENG 262
• FRC 111, FRC 112, FRC 211*, and FRC 212*
• GEO 210
• GER 111, GER 112*, GER 211, and GER 212
• GRT 101
• HST 104, HST 105, HST 106, HST 133, HST 152*, HST 157*, HST 203, HST 204, HST 215, HST 216, and HST 241
• HUM 147* and HUM 211
• HUS 221
• IDS 101 and IDS 141*
• MUS 121
• PHA 102
• PHI 121, PHI 123*, and PHI 201
• PSY 142
• SOC 111, SOC 201, SOC 211, SOC 215, and SOC 220
• SPN 111, SPN 112, SPN 211*, and SPN 212*

*Course no longer offered

Science Electives or Lab Science Electives: These courses present systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, and experimentation. Electives that are specifically designated as Science Electives do not require a lab; however, a science course with a lab will also fulfill the requirement. Electives that are specifically designated as Lab Science Electives require a science course that includes a lab (at least four credits). Courses with the following designations are considered Science Electives (three credits) or Lab Science Electives (at least four credits):

• Biology* (BIO)
• Biotechnology (BTT)
• Chemistry (CHM)
• Physics (PHY)
• Science (SCI)

*BIO 140 (no longer offered) is not a Lab Science Elective

Social Science Electives: All the social sciences are concerned with the study of people and their behavior, both individually and as a member of groups, nations, cultures, and societies. Courses with the following designations are considered Social Science Electives.

• Anthropology (ANT)
• Economics (ECO)
• Geography (GEO)
• History (HST)
• Political Science (PSC)
• Psychology (PSY)
• Social Science (SOS)
• Sociology (SOC)

Social Science Foundational Electives: The following courses are considered Social Science Foundational Electives:

• ANT 111
• ANT 221*
• ECO 215
• ECO 216
• GEO 210
• PSC 201
• PSY 101
• SOC 101

*Course no longer offered

U.S. or World History Survey Electives: The following courses are considered U.S. or World History Survey Electives:

• HST 104
• HST 105
• HST 106
• HST 115
• HST 116

Anticipated Course Offerings

The College has attempted to identify the cycle of course offerings. The following notations can be found at the end of course descriptions:

• F: Indicates course is offered during Fall semester
• S: Indicates course is offered during Spring semester
• SU: Indicates course is offered during Summer sessions (Sessions I & II will be determined at time of offering)
• IN: Indicates course is offered during Intersession

Courses that are not offered every year may be designated with an F or S and a specific year. Thus, a course designated F, 2020 means that the course will be offered in Fall semester, 2020. Students are encouraged to work with their Academic Advisors to plan a sequence of courses that takes into consideration when courses will be offered.

The College reserves the right to deviate from the indicated cycles, although such deviations are anticipated to be minimal. The College also reserves the right to cancel courses and sections that are under-enrolled.