The Assessment Center will only process waiver request to get into the following classes--all other requests WILL NOT BE PROCESSED through us*:
- English, ESL, and Math
- Anatomy 1
- Biology 21
- Chemistry 11
Waivers for Other Chemistry, Physics & Biological Science--ASSESSMENT CENTER WILL NOT PROCESS:
Chemistry 12, 21, 22, 24 and Physics 7, 9, 22, 23, 24 course prerequisite waivers can only be granted by the Physical Sciences Department - Science Room 285 (a course syllabus may be required). Biology 22, 23, Microbiology 1, Physiology 3, course prerequisite waivers can only be granted by the Life Sciences Department - Science Room 285 (a course syllabus may be required). Please submit your request along with your transcript, and descriptions and syllabi for the prerequisite courses you completed elsewhere.
You may contact Ingrid Cardwell, Sciences Dept administrative assistant via e-mail at CARDWELL_INGRID@smc.edu or by calling her extension at 310-434-4788, to submit a request via e-mail or make an appointment with either Dr. Jennifer Merlic, Physical Sciences Chair or Dr. Garen Baghdasarian, Life Sciences Chair.
Waivers for Any Other Class with a Prerequisite:
Waivers for courses not listed above are not required at the time of enrollment (e.g., Chemistry 10, accounting). However, your instructor may require that you provide proof of prerequisite fulfillment on the first day of class. You should bring a copy of your transcript on that day.
Processing Waivers Time:
Due to high volume of waivers submitted to the Assessment Center, it is very likely that your request will take up to 7 business days to be processed. If you are in a rush, you may go to the Transfer/Counseling Center to request waivers based on previous coursework or advanced placement only--except as noted above for Chemistry, Biological Science, and Physics.
General Instructions to Obtain a Prerequisite Waiver
Placement and prerequisite waivers may be granted under the specific circumstances noted below. Please read the appropriate section to determine if your request will qualify. Be sure to follow the procedure outlined; failure to do so will likely result in denial of the waiver. Note you will not be notified if you provide incomplete information.
SELECT ONE OPTION: I am seeking a waiver based on:
In-Person
Requests
for English,
ESL, Math,
Chemistry 11,
Anatomy 1,
Biology 21: |
- Go to the Transfer/Counseling Center or to the Welcome Center.
- Bring copy of your college transcript, course descriptions (a syllabus may be required). All prerequisite courses must have been completed with a "C" or better. If based on AP, bring your AP Test Score Report. See information relevant to AP requests below for applicability of AP to prerequisites.
- Counselor will evaluate your request and issue a prerequisite waiver if appropriate.
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In-Person
Requests
for Biology 22, Biology 23, Microbiology 1, Physiology 3: |
- Go to the Life Sciences Department and request to see Dr. Garen Baghdasarian, Department Chairperson (SCI-285).
- Bring copy of your college transcript, course descriptions (a syllabus may be required). All prerequisite courses must have been completed with a "C" or better.
- Dr. Baghdasarian will evaluate your request and issue a prerequisite waiver if appropriate. Note that it is unlikely that you will receive an immediate response. Plan accordingly.
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In-Person
Requests
for Chemistry 12, 21, 22, 24; Physics 7, 9, 22, 23, 24: |
- Go to the Physical Sciences Department and request to see Dr. Jennifer Merlic, Department Chairperson (SCI-285).
- Bring copy of your college transcript, course descriptions (a syllabus may be required). All prerequisite courses must have been completed with a "C" or better.
- Dr. Merlic will evaluate your request and issue a prerequisite waiver if appropriate. Note that it is unlikely that you will receive an immediate response. Plan accordingly.
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Requests
By Fax: |
- Complete, print, and fax the appropriate prerequisite waiver form: English/ESL/Math OR Chemistry & Life Sciences.
- Be sure to include ALL information requested. Only completed forms will be considered. All others will be disregarded.
- Include a copy of your college transcript and the applicable course descriptions. A syllabus may be required. If based on AP, attach your AP Test Score Report.
- You will be contacted via your SMC email account with our decision. Waivers will be issued electronically and placed into your enrollment record. You may also review this by checking Corsair Connect (Enroll --> Student Records --> Placement History).
- FYI: If you have completed coursework at another college or university, it is very important that you get the coursework evaluated by a counselor for applicability in such areas as transfer and degree requirements as soon as possible.
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Waivers Based on Assessment/Placement Results
| Request by Fax or Drop Off Only |
Santa Monica College may accept test results from other institutions under limited circumstances. We will consider requests as long as you have taken the tests noted below. We will use the raw scores only--not your actual placement recommendation. We will only accept OFFICIAL results coming directly from the college/university testing center. Results must be faxed directly to us or sent via US mail. We will not accept student handled results.
| For English: |
ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension AND Sentence Skills |
| For ESL: |
ACCUPLACER Reading Skills, Sentence Meaning, Language Use |
| For Math: |
COMPASS Math |
| For Chemistry 11: |
California Chemistry Diagnostic Test |
- Contact the Testing Center at your institution. Ask them to fax your test results to:
Assessment Center--Santa Monica College
fax: 310-434-8019
- Or complete the following form and provide it to your Testing Center:
Fax sheet for Request for Placement Prerequisite Waivers Based on Assessment Result
Disclaimer:
- Please note that not every college will want to honor your request for faxing. SMC is not responsible should this occur.
- Test results will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis and input into our enrollment system only when they can be matched to a student record.
- Please instruct the college where you completed the test to include your social security number or Santa Monica College identification number on your test results.
- Faxed results must include the contact information for that college testing center—just in case we have any questions.
- Once results are processed, you may go to the Assessment Center in person and find out your placement recommendation or by reviewing your Placement History report through Corsair Connect. Given the high volume for these requests, counselors may not be able to contact you personally to let you know for which course you qualified.
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College Board Advanced Placement test results may be used to determine your eligibility for English, math, and chemistry courses. You must bring your original AP test results to the Assessment Center, the Counseling Department, or the Welcome Center. Alternatively, you may fax your request for a waiver based on AP scores by completing the appropriate prerequisite waiver form: English/ESL/Math OR Chemistry & Life Sciences. form:
Placement/prerequisite waivers will be issued according to the following:
If you have Advanced Placement scores, it is very important that you get these evaluated by a Santa Monica College counselor. The evaluation will determine if the scores are transferable, but more importantly, it will be determined if they satisfy a requirement relevant to you. Sometimes, you may receive an immediate decision from a counselor, but sometimes the evaluation process can require 5-10 days for a decision. To avoid taking classes you don’t need, get this evaluation process started immediately with a counselor.”