Once you graduate from the eight grade and begin registering for your high school classes, it is important for you to understand which courses are considered core courses and which are not. DI, DII and DIII schools have different requirements that must be met by incoming students to be deemed a Qualifier to participate in college athletics. NCAA schools require college-bound student-athletes to build a foundation of high school courses to prepare them for the academic expectations in college. These requirements apply to all athletes and determine whether you can play or cannot in your freshman year. To learn more or speak with our academic advisor go to www.643recruit.com and set up an appointment today!
For a high school class to be an NCAA-approved core course, it MUST meet these conditions:
Be an academic, four-year college preparatory course in these subject areas:
• English.
• Math (Algebra I or higher).
• Natural/physical science.
• Social science.
• Foreign language.
• Comparative religion or philosophy.
Be taught at or above your high school’s regular academic level.
Receive credit towards high school graduation and appear on an official transcript with course title, grade, and credit awarded.
What is Not a Core Course
Not all high school classes are NCAA-approved core courses. Some examples of courses that are not NCAA- approved core courses include:
• Courses in non-core areas, fine arts or vocations such
as driver education, typing, art, music, physical education or welding.
• Courses that prepare students for the world of work or life, or for a two-year college or technical school, such as personal finance, consumer education or tech prep.
• Courses taught below grade level, at a slower pace or with less rigor or depth, such as basic, essential, fundamental or foundational courses.
• Courses that are not academic in nature such as film appreciation, video editing or greenhouse management.
• Credit-by-exam courses are not considered NCAA- approved core courses.
Find your high school’s list of NCAA-approved courses at eligibilitycenter.org/courselist. Make sure you are taking the courses on the approved list and ask your counselor if you need help.
Core-Course Credits
You can earn credit for a core course only once. If you take a course that repeats the content of another core course, you earn credit for only one of these courses and the higher grade counts toward your core-course GPA.
Generally, you receive the same number of credits from the NCAA for a core course that you receive from your high school for the class. A one-year class taken over a longer period of time is considered one core course and is not awarded more than one credit.
Courses Taken Before High School
If you take a high school class such as Algebra I or Spanish I in eighth grade, the class may count toward your 16 core courses if it appears on your high school’s list of NCAA- approved courses and is shown on your high school transcript with grade and credit.
Courses Taken After High School
Division I - Only courses completed in your first eight semesters will qualify as core courses. If you graduate from high school on time (in eight semesters) with your incoming ninth- grade class, you may use one core course completed in the year after graduation (summer or academic year) before full- time collegiate enrollment. You may complete the core course at a location other than the high school from which you gradu- ated and may initially enroll full time at a collegiate institution at any time after completion of the core course. A college course taken after high school graduation can be used toward your initial eligibility and will be awarded 0.5 units unless awarded one full unit by your home high school, and it must appear on your home high school transcript with grade and credit.
An additional core-course unit taken after on-time high school graduation cannot replace a course used to meet the core-course progression (10/7) requirement, but an additional core course after on-time graduation may re- place one of the remaining six core-course units necessary to meet core-course requirements.
Division II - You may use an unlimited number of core courses completed after graduation (summer or academic year) before full-time collegiate enrollment. You may com- plete the core course(s) at a location other than the high school from which you graduated. A college course taken after high school graduation can be used toward your initial eligibility and will be awarded 0.5 units unless awarded one full unit by your home high school, and it must appear on your home high school transcript with grade and credit.