Winter 2024 > Course Numbering

Course Numbering

West Coast University’s course numbering scheme essentially follows the logic of “Bloom’s Taxonomy” whereby lower order thinking skills required in foundation-laying courses is reflected at the beginning of an academic programs and denoted by course numbers start with “100”. Courses which are built upon the foundational sequence of courses require higher level thinking as expressed by the course learning outcomes and associated higher level numbering system. Such courses require application and analysis skills.

Graduate level programs utilize higher level course numbers reflective of the expectation that students largely engage in evaluative, integrative and synthesis reasoning and thinking skills.

Numbering Definitions

100 - 199: Initial or Introductory Courses

200 - 299: Second-Year courses in a sequence of development in a field of study

300 - 499: Third-Year and Fourth-Year courses in a sequence of courses - Upper Division Bachelor's courses

500 - 999: Graduate-level courses

Please Note: Courses acceptable for general education credit, and core courses in a program are indicated in the program-specific information section.

Course Prefixes         

¹ NURS XXXL, XXXL-A, XXXL-B, XXXL-AB: Clinical courses which must be taken simultaneously with corresponding theory courses, unless the corresponding theory course has been successfully completed.

² OCC XXXA(Theory) & OCC XXXB (Skills Lab): Skills Lab courses must be taken simultaneously with corresponding theory courses, unless the corresponding theory course has been successfully completed.

³ DHYG XXXC: Clinical courses with direct patient care which must be taken concurrently with additional term courses.

⁴ CMHC XXXA, CMHC XXXB, and CMHC XXXC: Fieldwork internship courses which must be taken in succession and after successful completion of listed prerequisite courses.

⁵ PHRM XXXL: Skills lab courses are taken concurrently with corresponding didactic courses.

⁶ PHAR XXXL (Skill Labs) and PHAR XXXA, PHARXXXB, PHARXXXC (Introductory Pharmacy Practice Education and Interprofessional Education): Skills lab courses are taken concurrently with the corresponding didactic courses. Introductory Pharmacy Practice Education Practicum and Interprofessional Education hands on experiences (PHAR XXXA) are taken concurrently with the corresponding didactic courses (PHAR XXXB or PHAR XXXC).

⁷ NURS XXXT: Designates course specific to Texas.  

⁸ BSNR, MSNA, MSNC, MSNE, MSNF, MSNG, MSNL, MSNP XXXC: Clinical courses

West Coast University offers the following types of course delivery modalities.  Please see an Admissions Representative or Registrar for a current listing of courses and delivery methods.  

⁹ NURS XXXA, XXXB: Indicates first or second portion of coursework in a two-course series.