Course Description Guidelines

• Convey content. Titles appear on transcripts and should be informative rather than clever.
• If a course covers a particular time period, include that period in the title or first phrase of the description.

The descriptive body for most courses is limited to 50 words. Use phrases, not complete sentences. Focus on what the course will cover, rather than what it might include.

• Avoid repeating title words.
• Avoid unnecessary words, such as “emphasis on,” “survey of,” etc. Be brief and specific; do not say “This course will cover . . . ,” “we will discuss . . . ,” and such.
• Use the Oxford comma: “w, x, y, and z.”
• Keep lists to a modest number. Arrange in alphabetical or chronological order.
• For courses in language departments, state clearly if the course is taught in English: “Taught in English.”
• Reserve syllabus details for the syllabus. Statements such as “three papers required” or “essay-based final exam” are not appropriate in a course description.

Credit hours are bracketed, e.g. [3]. Variable credit hours are rendered as a range, e.g. [1-3].

Student Option Basis 

Most undergraduate courses in Arts and Science may be taken on either a graded or pass/fail basis. For these, no particular grading statement is needed. (Graduate coursework is assumed to be offered on a graded basis, and so no grading statement is needed.)

Graded Only Basis

An undergraduate course to be offered as graded only (no pass/fail allowed) must have at least one of these characteristics specified in its proposal:

• Group projects or assignments in which efforts of one student may affect the grade of another student.
• Specialized, designated resources, such as lab equipment, art studio space, etc.
• Other activities, such as individual student presentations or service work, which make an individual student’s effort an essential part of the collective pedagogy of the course.

Example:

AADS 3611: Jazz Acting. Actor training with an emphasis on Afrocentric methods such as improvisation and ensemble performance. Offered on a graded basis only. Prerequisite: THTR 1611. [3] (HCA)      

Pass/Fail Basis

The basic types of requisite statements used in Arts and Science courses are:

• Criteria to enroll: To limit enrollment in a course to a specific category of students such as majors, minors, or those having a certain class standing, use the following language: “Open only to history majors and minors.” “Open only to juniors and seniors.” “Open only to junior and senior history majors and minors.”
• Prerequisite: Courses that a student must complete before beginning the proposed course.
• Co-requisite: Courses that a student must either complete before OR take concurrently with the proposed course.

List requisite courses offered in the same subject as the proposed course first, followed by requisites from other departments or programs alphabetically.  

Example:

NSC 3270: Computational Neuroscience. Theoretical, mathematical, and simulation models of neurons, neural networks, or brain systems. Computational approaches to analyzing and understanding data from behavior, neurophysiology, electrophysiology, or brain imaging. Simulation methods for neural models. Course taught using Python. Recommended: NSC 2201. Prerequisite: either DS 1100/CS 1100, 1101, 1103, or 1104 (or a more advanced programming course); and either MATH 1200 or 1300 (or a more advanced calculus course). No credit for students who have earned credit for NSC 6270 or PSY 6270. [3] (MNS)

Note: Take care when stating complex or nested requisites. The use of both “and” and “or” in a complex requisite statement can result in ambiguity. For example: “Prerequisite: 1001 and 1002 or 1003” could be interpreted in either of two ways: 

(1001 and 1002) or 1003: A student must have completed both 1001 and 1002, or the student make take just 1003.
1001 and (1002 or 1003): A student must have completed 1001, and also either 1002 or 1003.
“Both/and,” “either/or,” and punctuation can make the intent clear:
“Both 1001 and 1002, or 1003” if the first interpretation is intended.
“1001, and either 1002 or 1003” if the second interpretation is intended.

Although a course may require a sequence of prerequisites, only the last is listed. Prior prerequisites are assumed. 

Example:

ECON 3150: Topics in the Economic History of the U.S. Analysis of major issues and debates in American economic history. Prerequisite: 3010. [3] (US)

Note: ECON 1010 and 1020 (and a semester of calculus) are prerequisites for 3010 but are not listed as prerequisites for 3150. Any student who has earned credit for ECON 3010 has also earned credit for the earlier (implied) prerequisites.

The phrase “Continuation of” or “Normally accompanied by” in a course description does not mean that the course referenced in the statement is a prerequisite or a co-requisite for the current course.

The phrase "consent of instructor" should be used in a description only if an instructor’s consent is actually required for a student’s enrollment in the course. Any instructor may waive any and all course requisites for a student who has not met them.