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Developmental Course Information

A GRCC course is considered developmental if it meets either of the two following conditions:

  1. It is a course required for high school graduation under Michigan's High School Content Expectations law.
  2. It is a course designed with the express intent to prepare students for college-level course work.

College-level courses are those classes that require the level of skill attainment, knowledge, and reasoning ability required by courses that lead to an Associate, Baccalaureate, or post-secondary job-training credential.

General Requirements

No courses below 100 level will be used toward graduation requirements. The following GRCC courses are developmental:

Computer Information Systems

  • CO 003

English

  • IRW 097
  • IRW 098
  • A-Comp (IRW 099 + EN 101)

Math

Placement ScorePathway to CalculusPathway to College AlgebraPathway to Math for Elem EducationPathway to StatisticsPathway to Math for Liberal ArtsPathway for Intermediate Algebra Ready, eg Nursing
0 to 6MA 94 + 97MA 94 + 97MA 94 + 97MA 94 + 97MA 94 + 97MA 94 + 97
7 to 13MA 17 + 107MA 17 + 107MA 17 + 107MA 15 + 115MA 24 + 124MA 70
14 to 21MA 17 + 107MA 17 + 107MA 17 + 107MA 15 + 115MA 24 + 124MA 70
22 to 29MA 17 + 107MA 17 + 107MA 17 + 107MA 115MA 24 + 124MA 70
30 to 45MA 107 or 10 + 110MA 10 + 110MA 107MA 115MA 124Depends on transfer institution
46 to 60MA 108MA 110MA 226 or 240MA 215MA 124Depends on transfer institution
61 to 75MA 131MA 110MA 226 or 240MA 215MA 124Depends on transfer institution
76+MA 133MA 110MA 226 or 240MA 215MA 124Depends on transfer institution

Psychology

  • PY 100-this course can count toward graduation

Admissions Requirements

Admission to Grand Rapids Community College is open to all high school graduates, or those who have satisfactorily completed the General Education Development (GED) test or individuals 18 years or older. Grand Rapids Community College requests degree-seeking students to submit high school transcripts as well as American College Test (ACT) Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores.. These scores will be used to determine developmental course placement so long as they were taken within the acceptable time periods. ACT scores prior to 2018 are no longer valid. SAT scores prior to 2016 are no longer valid.

Students with a General Education Development (GED) Certificate, students with a Community Education Development or Certificate of Completion, or students with no ACT scores, SAT scores or scores that are no longer valid, are required to complete a placement test.

Degree seeking students transferring in from another College need to provide a transcript showing at least 12 completed credits with a 2.0 GPA or higher; those Students transferring in who do not have 12 completed credits with a 2.0 GPA or higher need to meet the same admissions requirements as high school graduates or GED recipients.

Applicants seeking degrees/certificates or planning to transfer to another college must:

  1. Submit an application online or request a paper copy from RJF Student Services.
  2. A student must be in a degree/certificate program to receive financial aid.

Applicants wishing to take classes for personal interest (non-degree) must:

  1. Submit an application online or request a paper copy from RJF Student Services.

Application Deadlines

  1. Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible prior to the beginning of the semester.
  2. Applications are processed as they are received, with the upcoming semester given priority.
  3. Deadlines will be posted each semester for degree/certificate-seeking applicants.

Assessments

Students who enter Grand Rapids Community College intending to earn a degree or certificate will be required to take a placement test unless ACT or SAT scores are submitted and were taken within the accepted date ranges. Call the Enrollment Center for more information about the placement test, (616) 234-3300.

The requirement to take the placement test may be waived for students who have successfully completed Elementary Algebra (MA 098) and English Composition (EN 101) or Business and Technical English (BA 101), or the equivalent of these courses.

The College requires students to take the specific courses they test into. Students who place into pre-college English, reading, or mathematics will take Academic Foundations Program (AFP) courses in the corresponding area(s) to prepare for college-level course work. Students will be required to meet with a counselor to schedule their classes if they test into three or more AFP classes. AFP classes are identified by a 0-level designation code (e.g., MA 095, EN 097, etc.). AFP classes will not receive credit toward degree requirements.

English Placement

Student placement in English will be determined by English scores on the ACT or SAT tests that were submitted or English placement test score on GRCC's English placement test. If the assessment test score in English is not satisfactory, the student will be assigned to Integrated Reading and Writing (IRW 097/098/IRW99+EN101). If the assessment test score in English is acceptable, the student will be assigned to English Composition (EN 101). 

Mathematics Placement

Corequisites

Student placement in mathematics courses will be determined by ALEKS PPL Math placement test scores. All students wishing to enroll in a math class are required to complete the ALEKS placement test regardless of ACT or SAT scores, unless the student has completed a college level math class within the last three years, and has been awarded credit for the class at our college.

Students who obtain ALEKS PPL scores from 7-29 are placed into two mathematics courses, that is, a 100 level mathematics course and a corequisite course which integrates students learning supports to help students to acquire knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the 100-level coursework.  To reduce the number of semesters needed for the completion of math requirements, corequisites provided additional academic support assisting students in completion of the corresponding 100-level course. 

Students are encouraged to review basic algebra and arithmetic skills prior to taking the ALEKS PPL placement test. There are review materials at the Mathematics Department.

View ALEKS PPL test scores

Transfer