Understanding Course Numbering
- Montes, Sarah E
- Kidd, Denise
General Guidelines on Course Numbering at Tulane:
Course offerings increase in sophistication and specialty with increasing course number, and usually follow the following conventions:
Course number/level | Description |
|---|---|
1000-level | Introductory-level undergraduate courses |
2000-level and 3000-level | Intermediate-level undergraduate courses; may require 1000-level prerequisites. |
4000-level | Advanced-level undergraduate courses; may require multiple level prerequisites. |
5000-level | Undergraduate courses: honors thesis courses, courses taken abroad, or courses transcripted via our School of Record relationship with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). |
6000-level | Introductory-level graduate or advanced-level undergraduate courses; often open to both undergraduate and graduate students; sometimes cross-listed with 3000 or 4000-level courses. |
7000-level | Intermediate-level graduate courses; not open to undergraduates. |
8000-level and 9000-level | Advanced graduate-level courses; often independent graduate study or dissertation research. |
Reference: Academic Policies on Course Sequencing: https://catalog.tulane.edu/newcomb-tulane/#academicpoliciestext
General Course Number Patterns to Observe:
Every effort should be made to maintain consistency in course numbering within a given program/school.
Note: The following university-wide conventions are generally applied across schools:
Transfer Credit & Course Numbering: Use 94 as the second and third digit. Example: ENLS 2940
Service Learning & Course Numbering: Use 89 as the second and third digit. Example: ENLS 3890
Special Topics, Topics & Course Numbering: Use 81 as the second and third digit. Example COMM 2810
Independent Study & Course Numbering: Use 91 & 92 as the second and third digit. Example ENLS 4910 & ENLS 4920; at the undergraduate level, typically independent studies are offered at the 4000-level for undergraduate students.
Internships & Course Numbering: Use 56 & 57 as the second and third digit. Example ENLS 4560 & ENLS 4570; at the undergraduate level, typically internships are offered at the 4000-level.
Study Abroad Coursework & Course Numbering: Use 5380 & 5390 for study abroad coursework.
Research Courses & Course Numbering: Use 9980 for Master’s thesis research and 9990 for Dissertation research.
Related Pages: Reusing Course Numbers