Counseling Frequently Asked Questions

There are two publicly available tools to view the list of all degrees and certificates along with the requirements to earn them. 

1. OC College Catalog
2. Degree Planner

No. 
Many students who complete transfer requirements end up earning an associate degree along the way. This is because many transfer requirements are also associate degree requirements. While a regular associate degree is not required for transfer to a university, in some cases, earning an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) can make a student a more competitive applicant and enhance their chances of admission to a university. See a counselor to learn more!

Previously, students who wanted to earn an associate degree and later transfer to a university would find themselves spending much time at the community college fulfilling the requirements for both goals (earning the degree and transfer). California Community Colleges now offer Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), which combines associate degree and transfer requirements together. There are two types of ADTs:
AS-T: Associate of Science for Transfer
AA-T: Associates of Arts for Transfer

Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) is commonly known as a "Degree with a Guarantee." Benefits of earning an ADT in some instances can include:

• Guaranteed Admission to the CSU System
• Priority consideration for admission to impacted CSUs or impacted CSU majors
• GPA Advantage when being considered for admission
• Transfer as a Junior and only be required to complete 60 units at the CSU to earn a bachelor's degree
• Priority registration for the 2nd semester at the CSU

Be sure to confirm these benefits and more with your counselor.

No.
You are not assigned a specific counselor at Oxnard College; however, you are part of a college program like Athletics, CalWORKs, EAC/DSPS, EOPS/CARE, TRIO SSS, Veterans, etc., please meet with your program counselor. 

A Student Education Plan (Ed Plan) created by a counselor allows a student to see what classes are required for the student to reach their academic goal at Oxnard College. It lays out the courses term-by-term being cognisant of prerequisites and the term that a course is most often offered. Students are required to complete a Student Education Plan in order to receive priority registration.

An Abbreviated Education Plan only outlines the next 1-2 terms while a Comprehensive Education Plan outlines all terms from the present to the end, when the student is anticipated to reach their academic goal. 

Studies have found that students who have a Comprehensive Education Plan are more likely to complete their educational goals.

Every student who has a current application on file will be given a registration date and time. Your registration date/time is posted on your MyVCCCD portal at the end of September for Spring courses and Mid-March for Summer/Fall courses. It’s important to remember, you can enroll for BOTH your summer and fall classes on the same registration date.

When your registration date is assigned, make sure to write it down and set a reminder for yourself. While you wait for your registration date, review the Ed Plan the counselor created for you in DegreeWorks and place the classes you wish to take in your  “Shopping Cart” in the registration planner. By putting the classes in your shopping cart before your registration date, the only thing left to do on your actual registration date is to click the “Register” button and save your spot in all of your Summer 2023 and Fall 2023 classes. Be sure to enroll in your classes on the very first day of your enrollment date. You may find that your desired classes are full if you try to register after your registration date. If you would like to learn how to enroll in courses, please watch this video. Our Welcome Center is available to help students with most “how do I…” questions and much more! If you need help enrolling in your classes or need help navigating the website, please contact the Welcome Center via Zoom or by calling (805) 678-5907.

Having "priority registration" means you get to enroll in courses before the regular population. Students who have priority registration get to enroll early on and secure their seat in the class of their choice (with the professor they want, at the time/day of the week they want, modality they want [online/in-person], etc.)

To ensure you are eligible for priority registration, be sure to complete the Online Orientation (on the MY SUCCESS tab) and meet with a counselor to create an education plan. 

If you have not attended Oxnard College (or a college within VCCCD) for more than two semesters in a row, you will need to complete a new OC Admission Application!

Please visit the External Coursework Evaluation Webpage to learn more. 

Prerequisite: A requirement (typically another course) that must be successfully completed prior to enrollment. Prerequisites are listed in the course descriptions in the College Catalog and in the Class Listings of the Schedule of Classes. For example, ENGL R101 is a prerequisite for ENGL R102. This means that a student cannot complete ENGL R102 unless they have first successfully completed ENGL R101. 

Corequisite: A course where enrollment is based on a student being concurrently enrolled. A corequisite represents a set of skills or a body of knowledge that a student must acquire through concurrent enrollment. Corequisites are indicated in the Class Listings of the Schedule of Classes and in the College Catalog. For example, MATH R055s has a corequisite of MATH R105. A student cannot enroll in MATH R055s unless they are concurrently enrolled in MATH R105 in that term. 

If you have taken a prerequisite course at Oxnard College, the system should allow you to enroll in the next course.

If you have taken a prerequisite course elsewhere (outside of Oxnard College), you must have the prerequisite cleared by a counselor. You must submit a transcript/ score report that clearly states your name, the institution's name/ agency's info, and the grade/score earned that serves as proof that the prerequisite is successfully completed. For the purpose of a prerequisite clearance, this transcript or score report may be unofficial; however, if a student plans to earn credit for the prerequisite (if eligible) for the purpose of earning a degree/certificate, the official transcript/score report must be sent to the OC Admissions & Records Office.

You can request a prerequisite clearance via a counseling meeting or by completing the online Prerequisite Approval Form.

An official transcript is one that has been received directly from the sending college/university. Oxnard College sends and receives both hard-copy (paper) transcripts and electronic transcripts. Official hard-copy transcripts are printed on official transcript paper and contain the seal of the college/university and the signature of the College/University Registrar. Electronic transcripts are considered official if delivered securely electronically.

Unofficial transcripts are available to students via self-service from the Student Information System. 

It's important to be mindful that dropping courses could affect your financial aid and eligibility for special programs. It is highly recommended you consult with the Financial Aid Office and a counselor if you are contemplating dropping a course.

Deadlines:

The deadlines associated with dropping a course can be found on the Schedule of Classes (by clicking on the corresponding CRN). 

1. Last day to drop with a refund deadline: If a student drops the course by this deadline, the student will receive a refund and the course will not appear on the student's transcript.
2. Last day to drop without a "W" deadline: If a student drops the course by this deadline, the student will not receive a refund, but the course will not appear on the student's transcript either. 
3. Last day to drop with a "W" deadline: If a student drops the course by this deadline, the student will not receive a refund and a grade of "W" will be posted on their transcript for the course. The student may not drop the course after this deadline has passed. They will receive a grade for the course instead.

How to drop/withdraw from a course:

1. Go to the Current Schedule section in Registration Planner
2. Look for the course you wish to drop
3. in the drop-down menu next to the course, select "Withdraw"
4. Confirm you wish to save changes in the pop-up window
5. You will then receive a pop-up window confirming you dropped the course.

“W” means withdrawal. You can avoid this by dropping the course before the drop deadline, as outlined on the Schedule of Classes. Please note that there are two drop deadlines for each class: an earlier one whereby you do not receive a “W” and a later one whereby you do receive a “W”.

No, the "W" will remain on the transcript. Keep in mind that the "W" will not harm your GPA.

Academic Notice/ Probation:
When a student has attempted at least twelve (12) semester units and has earned a grade point average below 2.0. 

Progress Notice/Probation:
When a student has attempted at least twelve (12) semester units and grades of W, I, NC, and NP reach or exceed fifty percent (50%) of their total units attempted.

See the Condor PASS webpage to learn more. 

You have three attempts to pass a course within the Ventura County Community College District. Withdrawals (W) are counted as an attempt. The “D”/”F” grades and “W” will remain visible on your transcript but the most recent grade will be calculated into your GPA. If you do not pass a course after three attempts, you may petition to take it a fourth time (this petition is reviewed by the Vice President of Oxnard College). If the petition is not approved, you must take the course at a community college OUTSIDE of the Ventura County Community College District.

If you pass a course with a grade of “C” or better, you may not retake the course at any of the three community colleges within the Ventura County Community College District (Oxnard, Ventura, Moorpark). There are some exceptions made for students who must repeat a class due to a program's recency requirements and/or to meet legally mandated training. See a counselor to learn more.