UPM #4 – Standard Course and Section Numbering Systems
Purpose
This memorandum is intended to clarify the standard course numbering system and to point out some variations and limitations.
General Provisions
All courses authorized for degree credit must be numbered according to guidelines established by the University. The numbering schemes may vary by academic unit and may change over time.
Standard Course Numbering System
1. For all courses in the Dentistry, Law, Pharmacy, and Medicine academic careers, and for courses in the Undergraduate and Graduate academic careers prior to Fall 2006, the numbers assigned to courses are normally categorized as follows:
- 001-049 – Courses primarily for first and second year undergraduates
- 050-099 – Courses primarily for third and fourth year undergraduates
- 100-199 – Courses for advanced undergraduates and graduate students
- 200-299 – Courses for graduate students only
- 300-399 – Seminar and Research courses for graduate students
- 400-499 – Numbers reserved for special categories of registration
- 600-699 ** – Interdisciplinary courses for undergrad and graduate students
- 700-799 ** – Interdisciplinary courses for graduate students only
** Interdisciplinary numbers are assigned in sequence. Departments in the Dentistry, Law, Pharmacy, & Medicine academic careers should contact the University Registrar for the next valid number when establishing these courses. The Course must involve two or more campus schools/academic units to qualify for interdisciplinary numbering.
2. For courses in the Undergraduate and Graduate academic careers starting in Fall 2006, the numbers assigned to courses are normally categorized as follows:
- 000-009 Reserved for University Registrar
- 050-089 First-Year Seminars
- 009-399 Undergraduate Level Courses (Graduate students may enroll but will not earn academic credit)
- 100-189 Introductory Undergraduate Courses **
- 190, 290, 390 Undergraduate Special Topics Courses
- 193, 293, 393 Undergraduate Internships and Practica
- 195, 295, 395 Undergraduate Research Courses
- 196, 296, 396 Undergraduate Independent Study/Reading Courses
- 400-699 Courses for advanced undergraduates and graduate students
- 490, 590, 690 Undergraduate/Graduate Special Topics Courses
- 493, 593, 693 Undergraduate/Graduate Internships and Practica
- 495, 595, 695 Undergraduate/Graduate Research Courses
- 496, 596, 696 Undergraduate/Graduate Independent Study/Reading Courses
- 691H, 692H, 693H, 694H Senior (Undergraduate) Honors Thesis
- 697, 698 Capstone Courses (Undergraduate)
- 700-899 Graduate level courses (Undergraduates may enroll with permission from department)
- 900-999 Graduate level courses for graduate students only
- 799 Graduate Experimental Offering
- 890-899 Graduate Special Topic
- 900-991 Graduate Research
- 992, 993 Master’s Thesis
- 994 Doctoral Dissertation
- 995-999 Reserved for University Registrar
** Foreign Language Courses should be numbered in this manner:
- Beginning level – 101,102 and 401, 402
- Intermediate level – 203, 204 and 403, 404
- Graduate foreign language requirement – 601, 602 and 603, 604
Available Suffixes
For courses in the Undergraduate and Graduate academic careers starting in Fall 2006 (with the exception of subject = MBA **), the following suffixes may be used:
- H – Honors course or course for advanced students
- L – Credit-bearing laboratory course
- I – Interdisciplinary course
** MBA courses may use any other suffix not listed above, but should not use the suffixes H, L or I unless they are used for the specific course content as designated for each suffix.
Limitations on Numbering and Suffixes
Alphabetic suffixes are limited to one. More than one suffix and hyphenated course numbers are incompatible with the system now in use. A course number should not be re-assigned to another course having a different content until at least five years after the previous course was taught. This is to prevent the same course number from appearing twice on a student’s record representing two different courses.
Standard Section Numbering System
- 001 – 299 On-Campus Lecture Sections
- 300 – 399 Lecture Sections: Summer Bridge, SPCL
- 400 – 599 Laboratory Sections
- 600 – 850 Recitation Sections
- 01M – 09M Maymester Sections
- 01S – 09S Faculty-led Study Abroad courses (See Registrar’s Policy Memorandum 14)
Inter-Institutional
- 900 – 950 Inter-Institutional Courses (Registrar Only)
- 951 – 955 Part-time Classroom Studies (Evening Sections, Friday Center)
Distance Education
- 851 – 860 Self-paced Correspondence Courses through Digital and Lifelong Learning
- 956 – 974 Departmental Distance Learning (For courses not set up through Digital and Lifelong Learning), includes internships, clerkships, fieldwork (956 – 960)
- 975 – 994 Digital and Lifelong Learning Courses
Reserved
- 995 – 999 Reserved for future use by Registrar
- 997 Formerly used for Summer Study Abroad Sections
- 998 Formerly used for “By Exam” Credit
- 999 Formerly used for “Placement” Credit
- 01F – 99F First Year Launch Courses
- 01G – 09G Global Study Abroad Courses