All course prerequisites are set by the Academic Division Faculty and are enforced by the college. To be eligible to register for a course that has a prerequisite, students must complete the prerequisite course at Saddleback College or submit an accepted piece of evidence for clearance. In the Class Schedule, course prerequisites are indicated with a padlock symbol below the unit count.

 

Notice

Our team is processing prerequisites during this peak registration period. We are completing requests in the order received. If you submitted your request online, you will receive an email once it is processed. If you need help submitting your request, please call Counseling Services (949)-582-4572 and a member of our team will be happy to help you.

Procedures and Requirements for Clearing Prerequisites

Students are responsible for satisfying and/or clearing all prerequisites for any course in which they plan to enroll in prior to their registration date. A prerequisite evaluation can take up to 5 business days to process, so plan ahead. Be sure to submit your evaluation request at least 2 weeks prior to your registration date to avoid registration delays. All prerequisite evaluation requests are completed in the order received.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Students who have submitted official transcripts to Saddleback College Admissions & Records must submit a Prerequisite Evaluation Request. Prerequisite clearance is not automatic.

Step 1

Acquire and prepare your documents (i.e. transcript or other evidence).

NOTE: If you are currently in progress in the prerequisite course at another college or university, see Temporary Clearance Request below.

Step 2

Make sure your name and the school's name (or logo) are visible on the transcript(s) you are submitting for evaluation. Only transcripts from regionally accredited U.S. colleges/universities and U.S. high schools are accepted. For further detail, click on the links below.


NOTE: For Summer enrollment, guidelines allow for the use of in-progress high school coursework to satisfy a prerequisite. For example, if you seek to take SPAN 2 this Summer, your high school transcript may include 1.5 years of Spanish completed with the current Spring semester of Spanish 2 in progress. (See 'All Other Prerequisites' for details.)

Step 3

Submit the Saddleback College Prerequisite Evaluation Request Form.


New Students: If you applied for admission within the last 24 hours, you might not have login credentials. If you would rather not wait, access this alternate e-form and select "Create New Account."

Are you currently enrolled in the prerequisite course at another college or university but pending the final grade? Do you have a passing grade going into the final exam?

If your Saddleback College Registration Date has arrived, you may submit a Temporary Clearance Request Form. This is Step 1 of a 2-step process. Your temporary clearance will be valid for enrollment and will expire one week before the start of your target course. (Step 2 is submitting proof of successful completion of the prerequisite by the deadline.)

  • Instructions: Download a PDF of your unofficial college or university transcript that displays current enrollment in the prerequisite course. The course must be listed as "in progress" on your transcript.
    • Make sure your name and the school's name (logo or URL) are visible on the unofficial transcript you are submitting. 
    • Only transcripts from regionally accredited U.S. colleges or universities are accepted. 
  • STEP 1: Submit the Saddleback College Temporary Clearance Request Form.
  • STEP 2: Once you have earned a final grade in the prerequisite course, you must submit your transcript with the Prerequisite Evaluation Request Form (linked above). A passing grade of C or higher is required for permanent clearance.

Students can check their prerequisite clearances by adding the course(s) they wish to register for into their Saddleback College Shopping Cart. This action prompts a Pre-registration check for the desired target course. 

  • If the prerequisite has not yet been satisfied or your clearance request was denied, a prerequisite error message alert will display.
  • If the prerequisite has been satisfied or your clearance request was approved, no error message will display. 
  • Prerequisite clearance is valid for current and future registration periods at Saddleback College. No need to resubmit a clearance request once approved.

NOTE: If you added a course to the Shopping Cart before you submitted a Prerequisite Evaluation Request Form, the course ticket number must be removed and re-added for a current Pre-registration check.

For questions regarding prerequisites, please contact us via email at scmatric@saddleback.edu.