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Summer classes at Pierce

Want to take a class at Pierce during your summer break? Students at four-year colleges can get electives or pre-requisites out of the way, while spending less for tuition.

How to get started

Many of the procedures for attending summer classes at Pierce are the same as for other quarters, but you may notice some differences depending on how many courses you plan to take.

Admissions: if you register during the open registration period, you do not need to apply.

Registration: you may only take up to 18 credits without administrative approval. (22 is the maximum for all other quarters.) You may not register through Student Online Services unless you are already an admitted student; a printable (PDF) version of the registration form is available on our forms page.

Advising: if you plan to take more than five credits or if your class(es) have a prerequisite, you will need an advisor's signature. You can make an appointment with an advisor by contacting the advising center where you intend to take classes.

Assessment testing: some courses may require assessment testing.

Tuition: tuition for Summer quarter is the same as for all other quarters. If you have been attending a school in another state, but still claim a Washington address as your legal residence (for driver's license, income tax, etc.) you are still considered an in-state student for tuition!

Financial aid: the 2005-2006 financial aid year begins with Summer 2005. When you filed your FAFSA, you should have indicated Pierce College as one of your schools. Contact the financial aid office (see below) if you have questions or need assistance.

Courses offered

The complete Summer 2006 bulletin is at http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/schedule/0607/summer/. Courses are offered in either a full eight-week session (mid-June through mid-August) or in one of two four-week sessions (June-July or July-August). See the Academic Calendar for specific starting and ending dates.

You may want to consult the bulletin from last summer (ask in Advising) to see what we offered then, but we can't tell you if a specific course will be offered until the bulletin is released.

Will our course transfer to your school?

Only your four-year school determines whether any individual course transfers for credit or counts as an equivalent to a course at that school. A university academic advisor or admissions counselor can help you identify courses which have course equivalencies. Here's some tips for figuring out if a course will transfer:

  • Many four-year colleges and universities in Washington state have lists of equivalencies between their courses and ours.
    • Check the university website under "Admissions" or "Transfer Equivalencies."
    • Some universities do not have this information online. You may find this information in your school's advising center, or you will need to contact an academic advisor or admissions counselor.
  • If you are attending a school outside of Washington state, you may need to bring the description listed in the college catalog to your advisor. You can find descriptions of most of our courses in the Course Listing on this Web site.

We recommend that you meet with an academic advisor at your four-year school before registering for summer courses at Pierce College to ensure that the credits will transfer to your bachelor's degree!

Contact information

Admissions
  • Fort Steilacoom (253) 964-6501
  • Admissions Office, 9401 Farwest Drive SW, Lakewood WA 98498-1999
  • Puyallup (253) 840-8400
  • Registration Office, 1601 39th Avenue SE, Puyallup WA 98374-2222
Advising Assessment testing Financial aid Registration