What are C-ID Course Descriptors?
C-ID course descriptors are the foundational document and work product of C-ID. Descriptors are developed by teams of intersegmental faculty to define the common minimum elements of key discipline courses. The primary purpose of descriptors is to facilitate student transfer among all segments of higher education in California by establishing a type of intersegmental course articulation that supplements existing articulation processes among colleges and universities.
View Final Descriptors
The C-ID Descriptor Documents have been posted for general use after a statewide review by the discipline faculty who teach these courses in California’s public post-secondary institutions. The descriptors are offered to encourage wider articulation and to expand the lower division curricular offerings and thereby increase the variety—and ensure the rigor—of our many Community College courses.
Remember that the content, objectives, and pre and co-requisites of all C-ID descriptors reflect the minimum standards expected in a college’s Course Outline of Record (COR). While the COR must meet all of these standards as included in the C-ID descriptor, colleges may certainly go beyond the descriptor and include additional content or higher requirements. Likewise, the specific course title on the C-ID descriptor is advisory, and courses may be approved as meeting the descriptor if they have different but relevant titles. In addition, although colleges may require more units than is required by a descriptor, unit restrictions based on SB 1440 will still apply if the course is included in a TMC-aligned degree.