What Are the Different Types of Undergraduate Prerequisites?

Undergraduate prerequisites include a wide variety of required courses that help schools ensure an acceptable level of competency in students. Some undergraduate prerequisites may apply to all incoming students, while others are specific to certain degree programs. Prerequisites can also be required for admission into upper division or advanced classes in many subjects. In some cases, prerequisites may be waived if a student can pass tests or show proof of competency gained through professional experience.

Some college prerequisites exist to ensure that students have the basic core knowledge necessary to keep up with the increased workload and advanced coursework present in college courses. Undergraduate prerequisites might include proof of completed coursework in mathematics, history, reading and writing, and science. Many public secondary school systems design high school curricula to allow students to meet these basic prerequisites as a part of their high school education; this means that a high school diploma can serve as proof that prerequisites have been met for regional or state universities.

Before a student can declare a major in some subjects, he or she may need to meet additional undergraduate prerequisites. In a nursing program, for instance, students may have to spend their first few semesters taking general health courses or passing examinations before they can declare a major in nursing. Certain degree programs that already require a working knowledge of the subject, such as physics programs, may also set prerequisites to ensure that a student is already well-grounded in science and mathematics before allowing him or her into the program.

In many degree programs, students are not allowed to take upper-level courses until basic undergraduate prerequisites have been met. For example, an English major may not be able to take a class on research topics in Shakespeare's history plays until he or she has completed a general course in the works of Shakespeare. Similarly, a student may not be able to take advanced Japanese language courses until he or she has passed basic Japanese. Using prerequisites within a degree program helps ensure that the classes can proceed at the highest level possible, since students will already be well-versed in the basic concepts.

Undergraduate prerequisites may be subject to waivers in some cases. Subjects in which knowledge can be demonstrated through testing, such as language or mathematics courses, often have an option for students to test into advanced classes without taking prerequisite courses. If students have a history with the subject through professional experience or similar classes at a different school, they may also be able to meet with the professor and receive an waiver to attend the class. While waivers may not always be available, they can provide a good option for qualified students to take classes that match their level of experience.