Placement
Coastline's placement process has changed to meet our diverse student community. Visit our AB 705 page for more information on the legislation.
Students' initial placement for English, ESL, or Math is based on multiple measures, beginning with the high school information a student reports on the Coastline application. Students may view their initial placement by logging into their MyCoast account, and selecting the Degree Works menu option on the left.
Students who did not attend high school in the U.S., or are unsatisfied with their initial placements, can complete Coastline's Guided Self-Placement Tool. Students may also meet with a Counselor to schedule an appointment and review their placement results.
Enrolling in English, ESL, and Math Courses
All Coastline students are eligible to register for transfer-level English composition and Math courses, regardless of educational background. Coastline provides support for these courses in the form of corequisite support courses, Writing Center support, and resources provided through our Student Success Resource Center.
The English Department welcomes all incoming Coastline students into English C100 Freshman Composition (4 units). It is strongly recommended that students complete this course during their first semester whenever possible as you learn foundational skills that support your learning throughout your academic journey.
The English Department recommends all Freshman Composition students enroll in the Coastline Writing Center, which is a free support course that is open to all Coastline students. At the Writing Center, students will receive one-to-one, live writing support tailored to meet your writing needs. This course is especially helpful if you haven't been in school for a while, struggled with writing in the past, or feel as if you feel as if writing isn't for you. The Writing Center Instructors will help you develop your writing skills and build your confidence.
If English is not your first language, the English Department recommends that you enroll in the ESL co-requisite support course, ESL C095. In ESL C095, your instructor will provide additional learning support for the assignments in your English C100 Freshman Composition class.
For non-native English speakers who wish to improve their skills in speaking, comprehending, reading, or writing the English language, please contact the Counseling Office at (714) 241-6162, to schedule an appointment with a Counselor for assistance in determining the appropriate placement into an ESL course.
All incoming Coastline students can take transfer-level Mathematics courses without completing a prerequisite. Counseling strongly recommends students complete at least one required Math course during their first or second semester whenever possible.
Based on a student's self-reported high school information, Coastline makes the following Math course recommendations to assist in course selection.
Students are strongly encouraged to meet with a Counselor to ensure they are taking the correct Math course(s) to meet their educational goals.
| High School Performance | Recommended support for SLAM students |
|---|---|
|
High School GPA of 3.0 or higher |
No additional academic or concurrent support required |
|
High School GPA 2.3 - 2.9 |
Additional academic or concurrent support recommended where available Example: Math C115+C091, Math C160+C096 |
|
High School GPA below 2.3 |
Additional academic or concurrent support required where available Example: Math C115+C091, Math C160+C096 |
| High School Performance - through 11th grade transcripts available | High School Performance – through 12th grade transcripts available | Coastline Math Course |
|---|---|---|
|
High School GPA ≥ 3.2 AND Passed Pre-Calculus (C or better) |
High School GPA ≥ 3.1 AND attempted Calculus (any grade) |
Calculus 1 Math C180 |
|
High School GPA ≥ 3.4 AND Passed Algebra II (C or higher) OR HS 11 GPA ≥ 2.6 AND attempted Calculus (any grade) |
High School GPA ≥ 3.3 AND Passed Algebra II (C or better) OR High School GPA ≥ 3.0 AND attempted Calculus C (or better) |
Pre-Calculus Math C170 |
|
High School GPA ≥ 3.4 AND Passed Algebra II (C or better) OR High School GPA ≥ 3.0 AND Passed Pre-Calculus (C+ or better) OR High School GPA > ≥ 3.0 AND Passed Algebra II (B or better) |
High School GPA ≥ 3.3 AND Passed Algebra II (C or better) OR HS 12 GPA ≥ 2.8 AND Passed Pre-Calculus (C or better) |
Trigonometry Math C120 |
|
High School GPA ≥ 3.4 AND Passed Pre-Calculus (C or better) OR High School GPA ≥ 2.6 AND attempted Calculus (any grade) |
High School GPA ≥ 3.3 AND Passed Pre-Calculus (C or better) OR High School GPA ≥ 3.0 AND Passed Calculus (C or better) |
Business Calculus Math C140 |
Remember, these are recommendations, a student can choose to register for any Math course numbered C100 to C170 regardless of their high school transcript information.
Math Course Sequence 2023-2024
California law (AB 705 and AB 1705) eliminated placement testing for Math, English, and English as a Second Language (ESL) has been eliminated. Now, all students may enroll directly into transfer, college-level math. A student’s initial placement is now based primarily on their high school grades.
Students who have been out of high school for more than 10 years, studied outside the U.S., or fall into other circumstances where high school grades do not apply should contact Counseling, visit our Assessment webpage for more information, or can use Coastline’s Guided Self-Placement Tool.
We also have an accessible version of this Math Course Sequence Chart available.