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Course Types |
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Course Types
What type of course will I be teaching?
Courses are often classified with specific vocabulary terms. Sometimes a single course can fit more than one course classification. Click on each link below to learn the definition of each term.
- Survey course
- Service course
- Introductory course
- Capstone course
- General Education course
- Principles course
- Majors vs. Non-majors course
- Seminar course
Can you recognize the type of course by its name alone?
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Departments often have a wide variety of course offerings in every category. To test your ability to recognize different types of courses, select one of the answers to each question: |
What if I want to change the title or pre-requisites, or create a brand new course?
Many departments have a curriculum committee that has oversight of changes in new and existing courses. Sometimes the chairperson or a single appointed individual performs this task, although approval may require a departmental vote. Extensive course changes usually eventually require approval of a college / university committee or even the entire Academic Senate or higher because several departments may be impacted by the changes in the course. Find out the process in your college and how long it takes for approved changes to take place (often up to a year or more in order to update the university catalog and collect input from affected departments). If the proposed course changes affect general education requirements or students in other departments, it is wise to plan informational meetings early in the process and keep communication open to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts that may arise once the changes are approved and implemented.