The University reserves the right to change courses in this section without notice. There is no assurance that a given course will be offered in complete accordance with the catalog listing. Since the frequency of course offerings is determined by the department in accordance with program needs, students should consult the online class schedule (available on RAMweb) for courses and sections to be offered in a given term.

Key to Courses of Instruction

CO1 1502  College Composition (GT-CO2)3  Credits: 3 (3-0-0)4

Course Description: Understanding and writing for rhetorical situations; critical reading and response; writing source-based argument for academic and public audiences.5
Prerequisite: CO 130.6
Registration Information: Must have taken CO 130 or Composition Challenge Exam (score of 3, 4, or 5) or have a SAT Verbal/Critical reading score of minimum 570 or SAT Evidence Based Reading/Writing score of minimum 620 or ACT Composite score of minimum 26 or Directed Self-Placement Survey score of 15. Sections may be offered: Online.7
Terms Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.8
Grade Mode: Traditional.9
Special Course Fee: No.10
Additional Information: Intermediate Writing 1A,11 Intermediate Writing (GT-CO2).

Refer to the sections below for an explanation of each numbered item.

1. Course Subject Codes

Courses offered by colleges, departments, or units are indicated by course subject codes, using 2, 3, or 4 letters.

2. Course Numbering

Course numbering is based on the content level of material presented in a course.

100-299 Courses primarily for freshman and sophomore students.
300-499 Courses primarily for junior and senior students. Acceptable for graduate credit for students holding bachelor's degrees when approved by the student's graduate committee.
500-599 Courses primarily for students enrolled in master's level degree programs or equivalents. Qualified junior and senior students may enroll.
600-699 Courses primarily for students enrolled in master's level programs or equivalents. Undergraduate students may not enroll to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements.
700-799 Courses primarily for students enrolled in Ph.D. level programs or equivalents and professional veterinary medicine. Undergraduate students may not enroll.
8000-8999 Not for academic credit, English Language Program Courses.

3. State Guaranteed Transfer (GT-subcode)

By legislation, lower-division CSU courses in categories 1-3 of the All-University Core Curriculum (AUCC) must be submitted to and approved by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) as general education courses guaranteed to transfer among all public higher education institutions within Colorado. The subcode refers to the specific statewide general education category the course fulfills. For a complete listing of the courses approved statewide, visit the CCHE site. 

4. Credits and Clock Hour Distribution

The distribution of credit for lecture‑laboratory‑discussion or recitation class periods per semester is as follows: in the example 04(2‑2‑1), the number outside the parentheses indicates the number of credits of this course. Inside the parentheses, the first number indicates the number of clock hours spent in lectures each week, the second number indicates the number of clock hours spent in laboratory/studio each week, and the third number indicates the number of clock hours spent in discussion, recitation, seminar, or other each week.

Variable Credit Courses

VAR indicates variable credit with no specific minimum credit or no maximum credit indicated. May vary from 1-18 credits. Prior to registering, students should consult department for the number of credits to register for.

Var[3‑9] indicates variable credits with minimum and maximum numbers of credits per term. Prior to registering students should consult the department for the specific number of credits to register for.

The course listing may indicate other credit limitations.

5. Course Description

A description of the content of the course.

6. Prerequisites

Students must meet all course prerequisites prior to registration for a specific course, or acquire the instructor’s permission. Students should inquire about overrides with the instructor assigned to teach the class or the department offering the class.

All prerequisites may be considered to have been met if a student presents evidence of credit earned in equivalent courses or if knowledge equivalent to the prerequisites listed is demonstrated.

A department may limit the enrollment in a course; courses may be limited to a specific number of students, to students in specified majors, or to students of specified class levels.

In the listing in this catalog, only the most recent version of a course number is shown as a prerequisite.

7. Registration Information

Additional course information students need prior to registering for a course. Courses are offered Face-to-Face unless otherwise noted. Courses approved for online are identified.  Check the class schedule or department for availability. Additional information (e.g., Required Field trips, partial semester courses, etc.) will be listed here. Courses may be offered through CSU Online.

8. Terms Offered

Fall Scheduled fall semester
Spring Scheduled spring semester
Summer Scheduled summer session

The term or terms listed are those in which the course could be scheduled and offered. Since the frequency of course offerings is determined by the department in accordance with program needs, students should consult the official, applicable online class schedule (available on RAMweb) for courses and sections to be offered in a given term.

The following types of courses do not always list a term; they will be offered when there is sufficient demand: -84, -85, Supervised College Teaching; ‑86, Practicum; ‑87, Internship; -88, Field Placement; -89, Cooperative; ‑90, ‑91, Workshop; ‑92, ‑93, Seminar; ‑94, ‑95, Independent Study; ‑96, ‑97, Group Study; ‑98, Research; and ‑99, Thesis or Dissertation.

9. Grade Mode 

Refer to the Glossary for grade mode defintions.

  • Traditional letter grades;
  • Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading only;
  • Student Option - Traditional or S/U;
  • Instructor Option - Traditional or S/U

10. Special Course Fees 

Certain courses carry a special fee which is assessed at the time a student registers for the course. For a list of current course fees, refer to the Office of the Provost.

Certain courses carry a variable fee which is assessed each student enrolled in the course based on expenses that fluctuate (e.g., expendable materials).

11. Additional Information

This notation identifies which, if any, of the  categories (i.e., AUCC 1A) the course fulfills in the All-University Core Curriculum (AUCC).

Students are strongly advised to see if their major and concentration has specific courses or course recommendations to meet AUCC requirements.