1. College Success

• COLLG 110 College Success (3 credits)

• Course purpose: A foundational course to explore and affirm a career choice and build upon the skills, knowledge, and resources that will support you at Pierce College and beyond.

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• Note: 

  • Successfully completing either COLLG 110 or COLLG 115 will fulfill the College Success requirement. 
  • A COLLG 110 course grade can only be replaced with a grade from another COLLG 110 course and a COLLG 115 course grade can only be replaced with a grade from another COLLG 115 course. 

2. Research Essentials

• INFO 101 Research Essentials (2 credits)

• Course purpose: This course introduces you to college-level research strategies and foundations of information science such as search behavior, information organization, and information ownership. You should take it early to establish your interest in the subject and profession.

3. English Composition I

• ENGL& 101 English Composition I (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Communicating effectively in writing with a variety of audiences is an essential skill for information professionals, who often need to write reports and letters and create brochures and other forms of written communication.

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• Note: Your advisor will assist you in reviewing your Guided Self Placement and selecting either the 5-credit or the 7-credit co-requisite ENGL& 101 + ENGLC 101 course. 

Action Item: Meet with Advisor

Use your Success Network! In your first quarter, meet with your advisor to revisit your career and transfer path, make adjustments to your goals as needed, and plan for your next steps.

Make an appointment with a faculty librarian to discuss possible career directions that are compatible with your interests. Expand your knowledge of career options by researching librarianship in the Occupational Outlook Handbook exploring the UW School website, and reviewing the Informatics entry in the WOIS career database.

4. Math Course Recommendation

The math course you select will depend on the transfer institution you plan to attend and your math placement.  Your advisor will assist you in selecting the appropriate course(s).

Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning (Math) Course Distribution List   

5. Natural Science Course Recommendation

Choose one

• BIOL& 100 Survey of Biology (5 credits)
• ANTH& 205 Biological Anthropology (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Information professionals need to have broad background knowledge about science. Furthermore, either of these two courses will help you think in terms of categorization, which is a habit of thinking that information professionals engage in. Research projects in these courses may provide opportunities for you to learn how information in the sciences or social sciences is created, evaluated, and stored and retrieved.

6. History Course Recommendation

Choose one

• HIST& 156 History of US I (5 credits)
• HIST& 157 History of US II (5 credits)
• HIST& 158 History of US III (5 credits)
• HIST& 159 History of US IV (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Information professionals, particularly public and academic librarians, benefit from having broad background knowledge of US history. In addition, information issues such as information ownership, freedom of speech, information privacy, and information access have roots in US history. Research projects in these courses might provide opportunities for you to use primary sources, which will be an especially useful skill for those going into academic librarianship.

7. World Language (1)

• ASL& 121 American Sign Language I (5 credits)
• FRCH& 121 French I (5 credits)
• GERM& 121 German I (5 credits)
• JAPN& 121 Japanese I (5 credits)
• KREA& 121 Korean I (5 credits)
• RUSS& 121 Russian I (5 credits)
• SPAN& 121 Spanish I (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Information professionals benefit from having a medium level of proficiency in a world language because you will be working with a patrons, clients, and colleagues from diverse language backgrounds. This is particularly important in public service jobs like public librarianship; Spanish and ASL are strong choices for public service positions.

Action Item: GPA Check

GPA check at the completion of 30 credits. Schedule an appointment with a faculty librarian to discuss and refine your interests within the field and discuss career options. Begin to identify transfer options with your advisor.

8. English Composition Course Recommendation

Choose one

• ENGL& 102 Composition II: Argumentation and Research (5 credits)
• ENGL 107 Research and Argumentation about Literature (5 credits)
• ENGL& 235 Technical Writing (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Information professionals need to be able to construct and identify cogent arguments, as well as conduct research, ENGL& 102 is the preferred choice for those going into most career fields.

9. World Language (2)

• ASL& 122 American Sign Language II (5 credits)
• FRCH& 122 French II (5 credits)
• GERM& 122 German II (5 credits)
• KREA& 122 Korean II (5 credits)
• RUSS& 122 Russian II (5 credits)
• SPAN& 122 Spanish II (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Information professionals benefit from having a medium level of proficiency in a world language because you will be working with a patrons, clients, and colleagues from diverse language backgrounds. This is particularly important in public service jobs like public librarianship; Spanish and ASL are strong choices for public service positions.

Action Item: Apply for Graduation

Way to go! It is time to apply for graduation. Visit the Pierce College Graduation website for details.

10. Natural Science Course Recommendation

Choose one

• GEOL& 101 Introduction to Physical Geology (5 credits)
• GEOG 210 Physical Geography (5 credits)
• ASTR 105 Life in the Universe (5 credits)
• OCEA& 101 Intro to Oceanography (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Having knowledge of Earth Sciences is necessary to do current-events research, as well as to problem-solve in the modern world. In addition, any of these prepare you to apply the scientific method, which further helps to develop critical and categorical thinking. Research projects in these courses may also introduce you to the ways in which science disciplines create, evaluate, and use information.

Action Item: GPA Check

GPA check at the completion of 45 credits. Schedule an appointment with a faculty librarian to discuss and refine interests and career options. Begin to identify undergraduate major interests. Identify top transfer school choices.

11. World Language (3)

• ASL& 123 American Sign Language III (5 credits)
• FRCH& 123 French III (5 credits)
• GERM& 123 German III (5 credits)
• KREA& 123 Korean III (5 credits)
• RUSS& 123 Russian III (5 credits)
• SPAN& 123 Spanish III (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Information professionals benefit from having a medium level of proficiency in a world language because you will be working with a patrons, clients, and colleagues from diverse language backgrounds. This is particularly important in public service jobs like public librarianship; Spanish and ASL are strong choices for public service positions.

12. Social Science Course Recommendation

Choose one

• ANTH& 206 Cultural Anthropology (5 credits)
• SOC& 101 Introduction to Sociology (5 credits)
• INTS 107 Introduction to International Studies ( 5 credits)
• GEOG 160 Africa, Middle East, and Asia (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Information professionals must have a global perspective on society because you will engage with diverse service populations, clients, and colleagues. Any of these courses will provide information professionals with a foundation for considering our global interconnectedness, and for developing deeper empathy for and understanding of people from other cultural backgrounds or countries.

13. Public Speaking

• CMST& 220 Fundamentals of Public Speaking (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Information professionals of all types need to have strong public speaking skills in order to communicate effectively in meetings and presentations.

Action Item: GPA Check

GPA check at the completion of 60 credits. Schedule an appointment with a faculty librarian to select transfer programs. Begin applications to transfer institutions. Request letters of recommendation from a faculty librarian and two other faculty members (if required in the transfer application process). Check deadlines to submit applications to transfer institutions.

14. Introduction to Statistics

• MATH& 146 Introduction to Stats (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Statistics are a significant part of the information landscape, so information professionals must be able to interpret statistics. Additionally, this course is often recommended or required for graduate programs in Information Science.

15. Social Science Course Recommendation

Choose one

• BUS& 101 Introduction to Business (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This course will be useful to those expecting to enter business settings or library administration.

• PSYC& 100 General Psychology (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This course provides grounding in understanding motivation, emotion, and personality, and behavior, which is useful to all information professionals, as you need to work productively with others.

16. Philosophy Course Recommendation

Choose one

• PHIL& 115 Critical Thinking (5 credits)
• PHIL& 120 Symbolic Logic (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Information professionals need to be able to evaluate arguments and identify fallacies. Either of these courses will help cultivate the habits of forming evidence-based conclusions and identifying patterns of flawed logic.

Action Item: GPA Check

 GPA check at the completion of 75 credits. Ensure you have submitted applications to transfer institutions.

17. Computer Applications Course Recommendation

Choose one

• CIS 121 Introduction to Computer Information Systems (5 credits)
• CS& 141 Computer Science I (5 credits)

• Course purpose: All information professionals should have familiarity with computer applications and basic programming, especially those considering going into informatics or a technology field. Public, academic, and business librarians also often need to use and teach computer applications, and/or create and maintain web pages.

18. Information Studies Course Recommendation

Choose one

• ART 101 Beginning Design (5 credits)
• DDSGN 150 Introduction to UX/UI Design (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Information professionals, particularly public librarians, sometimes need to be your own marketing department or webmasters. These courses will help you develop a sense of design.

• EDUC& 202 Introduction to Education (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This course will be useful to public, academic, business librarians, who often teach or conduct trainings.

19. Humanities Course Recommendation

Choose one

• HUM 105 Black American Thought and Cultures (5 credits)
• HUM 106 Ethnic Thought and Culture (5 credits)
• HUM 107 Latin American Thought and Cultures (5 credits)
• CMST& 240 Intercultural Communication (5 credits)

• Course purpose: The examination of the effects of culture upon the process of communication. Using theory and skill development, students are prepared to communicate effectively both within and across cultures.

Total Credits: 90