Course Numbering Policy
All courses carry four credits unless otherwise indicated. Prerequisites, if there are any, are listed at the end of each course description.
100/200-level courses are introductory and intermediate courses usually taken during the freshman and sophomore years.
300/400-level courses are upper division courses, usually taken by juniors and seniors.
500 and 600-level courses are graduate courses but are open to senior undergraduates with permission of the appropriate academic program chair or school dean.
College-Wide Numbering Policy
All courses ending in the two digits “90” will be rotating special topics courses (that may be repeated by students for credit as topics vary).
All courses ending in the two digits “98” will be independent studies.
All courses ending in the two digits “99” will be experimental courses.
The registrar shall be authorized to adjust the numbering of extant catalog courses to bring them into compliance with the standardized numbering system. Before making these adjustments, the registrar shall also consult with chairs regarding any changes to their program’s course numbers. The College ISP numbering requirement: “Numbers for ISP and non-ISP courses cannot have the same number (e.g., HIST 161 and IHHIST 161)”, shall not apply to any of the above types of courses since they are conceptual types of courses rather than indicating course content.
Experimental Course Policy
Experimental courses are numbered as 199 (introductory), 399 (advanced), and 599 (graduate). They may be offered as variable credit (1-4 credits) with permission of the program’s faculty and the appropriate school dean. Any experimental course topic may be offered no more than twice. This policy includes offering an experimental course more than twice with an alteration to the course title or offering the same course topic at a different course level. If a topic is to be regularly offered, then it needs to proceed through the curriculum process and become a course listed in the catalog. Department Chairs and the relevant Dean’s Office shall enforce this policy.
Since courses with the prefix of KSC serve the entire college, the Office of the Provost acts as both the chair and dean in terms of curricular oversight and supervision. The Provost or their designee shall enforce all the above policies regarding KSC experimental courses. All new KSC courses are sponsored by the Office of the Provost and are reviewed by all school curriculum committees, the Senate Curriculum Committee, and by the College Senate.
NOTE: Since there was no previously clearly articulated administrative oversight of the KSC courses, academic year 2019-20 will the first year in which the Provost’s office will begin to record KSC experimental course topics in order to enforce the above policy. Thus, any experimental course topic (regardless of whether it might have been previously offered before the Provost’s office began its oversight in AY 19-20) may be offered twice (but not more than twice). This policy will allow necessary KSC courses to be offered in 2019-2020 and give course instructors and the Provost’s office time to prepare formal course proposals for the new KSC curriculum process in which they must be submitted to the school curriculum committees, the Senate Curriculum Committee, and College Senate for approval.
Temporary Policy Suspension: For academic year 2023-24 only, experimental courses may be offered more than twice before going through curricular process and becoming a course listed in the catalog.
