Bucks County Community College offers over 140 courses with Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) sections. What does this mean for students? You get free access to course materials like textbooks and workbooks.
How it works
Many instructors teaching ZTC courses use Open Educational Resources (OER) for their classes.
What are OER?
Open Educational Resources (OER) are free resources for teaching, learning, and research. Materials are copyright-free or licensed for reuse, revision, remixing, redistribution, and can be kept.
Are there specific programs at Bucks that offer ZTC?
Yes! We currently have three degree programs and four certificate programs that include courses with ZTC. By reviewing course syllabi materials section and selecting ZTC courses and sections in your advising and course registration process, you can complete these programs without ever having to purchase a textbook:
Degree Programs
Business
Fine Arts (both tracks)
General Studies
Guided Studies
History
Liberal Arts
Certificate Programs
Creative Arts & Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Furniture & Cabinet Making
General Education
General Education - Business
Health Coach
Holocaust & Genocide Studies
Management
Social Media & Digital Marketing
Is there a list of ZTC courses?
Fall 2026 Courses
A list of courses is shared each semester. Please note that not all sections are ZTC for some courses. Check the course description in Self-Service to confirm there is no cost for textbooks.
CISC 119 - Programming for Engineers and Scientists
CISC 135 - Programming for Mobile Devices
CISC 206 - Intro to Cybersecurity
CISC 213 - Computer Science III (JAVA)
COLL 101 - Orientation to College
COLL 105 - Strategic Learning Seminar
COLL 115 - Academic Success Seminar
COMM 105 - Interpersonal Communication
COMM 110 - Effective Speaking
COMP 107 - Introduction to Academic Writing
COMP 110 - English Composition I
COMP 110H - English Composition I - Honors
COMP 111 - English Composition II
COMP 114 - Technical Writing
COMT 106 - Introduction to Improvisation
CRIJ 115 - Outlaw Gangs and Organized Crime
CULN 130 - Baking and Decorating
CULN 151 - Bread Fabrication - Basic
CULN 158 - Cookies
CULN 281 - Culinary Internship I
CULN 282 - Culinary Internship II
DANC 110 - Dance Repertoire
ECON 111 - Principles of Economics: Macro
ECON 112 - Principles of Economics: Micro
EDUC 105 - Foundations for Early Learning: PreK-4
EDUC 120 - Early Learning and Dev I: Ages Birth - 5
EDUC 130 - Early Learning and Deve II: Ages 6 - 11
EDUC 150 - Sci and Math Exp for Young Children
EDUC 205 - Fieldwork: I (Education/Autism Emphasis)
EDUC 206 - Fieldwork II, Pre K-4
EDUC 220 - Practicum in Education
GEOG 110 - World Geography
GUID 101 - Intro to Guided Studies
GUID 250 - Guided Studies Seminar
HIST 111 - History of Western Civilization I
HIST 112 - History of Western Civilization II
HIST 113 - Global History: Ancient and Medieval
HIST 151 - U.S. History: Young America - Honors
HIST 151 - U.S. History: Young America
HIST 152 - U.S. History: Modern America
HLTH 120N - Nutrition (Reg’ Dietitian)
HLTH 250 - Introduction to Health Coaching
HOSP 111 - Conference & Meeting Planning
HOSP 210 - Hospitality Internship
KINS 116 - Competitive Activities
KINS 129 - Tai Chi Chuan
KINS 150 - Beginning Aquatics
LITR 277 - Intro to Short Fiction
MGMT 100 - Intro to Business
MGMT 110 - Small Business Management
MGMT 120 - Business Mathematics
MGMT 130 - Business Law
MGMT 135 - Business Communication
MGMT 155 - Intro to Entrepreneurship
MGMT 160 - Insurance and Risk Management
MGMT 230 - Principles of Management
MGMT 280 - Management Internship
MKTG 215 - Principles of Marketing
MKTG 220 - Digital Marketing
MKTG 230 - Social Media Marketing
MKTG 280 - Marketing Internship
MUSC 117 - Musicianship I
MUSC 118 - Musicianship II
MUSC 124 - Music Technology
MUSC 201 - Musical Styles and Lite: Before 1750
MUSE 101 - Concert Choir
MUSE 115 - Cover Band
MUSE 140 - Percussion Ensemble
MUSE 201 - Madrigal Singers
MUSL 100 - Preparatory Lessons
MUSL 101 - Secondary Lessons, Level 1
MUSL 110 - Performance Class
MUSL 111 - Principal Lesson I
MUSL 112 - Principal Lesson II
MUSL 211 - Principal Lesson III
MUSL 212 - Principal Lesson IV
PHIL 111 - Ethics
POLI 120 - American State and Local Government
PSYC 105 - Intro Group Dynamics
PSYC 110 - Intro to Psychology
PSYC 190 - Educational Psychology
PSYC 280 - Psychology of Abnormal Behavior
PUBS 206 - Business Continuity Management
READ 110 - College Read and Study Strategies
REAL 101 - Real Estate Fundamentals
REAL 102 - Real Estate Practice and Liability
SCIE 102 - Astronomy
SCIE 103 - Physical Geology
SCIE 104 - Weather and Climate
SCIE 105 - Intro to Environmental Science
SOCI 110 - Intro to Sociology
SOCI 120 - Intro to Cultural Anthropology
SOCI 140 - Peoples of America
SPMT 280 - Cooperative Education: Sport Mgmt.
VACV 130 - Media Scriptwriting
VACV 137 - Sound Design for Film and Video
VACV 140 - Digital Video Editing
VACV 141 - The Art of Independent Cinema
VACV 145 - Videography
VAFA 100 - Drawing I
VAFA 101 - 2-D Design Fundamentals
VAFA 102 - 3-D Design Fundamentals
VAFA 103 - Drawing II
VAFA 104 - 2-D Design Color
VAFA 105 - 3-D Design Materials/Modeling
VAFA 160 - Intro to Printmaking
VAFA 171 - Intro to Painting
VAFA 193 - History of Modern Art
VAFA 202 - Figure Drawing
VAFA 246 - Sculpture Foundry
VAFA 250 - Fine Arts & Design Portfolio Studio
VAFA 282 - Ceramics II
VAFW 100 - Fine Woodworking Fundamentals
VAFW 136 - Bending and Veneering
VAFW 140 - Cabinetmaking
VAFW 200 - Special Topics in Woodworking
VAGD 201 - Graphic Design
VAMM 130 - 3-D Modeling Concepts
VAMM 250 - Digital Arts Portfolio Studio
VAPH 110 - Digital Photography Fundamentals
VAPH 151 - Darkroom Photography I
VAPH 157 - Photo II
VAPH 196 - History of Photography
How do I know if a course is ZTC?
In Self-Service, you can filter courses by "No Textbook Purchase Req". Also, within the section details for a course, notes for no cost materials will be displayed for Additional Information.
Select "Show Filters"
Navigate to "Course Types"
Check "No Texbtook Purchase Req"
Filter
Additional Information
The ZTC Initiative at Bucks began in 2016 when funding was received from the College and the College Foundation to allow faculty members to redesign courses to include OER. Since then, more than 30 courses have been redesigned as part of the formal initiative, and many other faculty have adopted OER to make their course sections ZTC. Today sections of nearly 150 courses are ZTC, and the total potential cost savings to students is now in the millions of dollars!
