a course is what

by Dr. Freeda Cole 8 min read

In higher education in various countries, such as Canada, Nigeria and the United States, a course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term, is led by one or more instructors ( teachers or professors ), and has a fixed roster of students. A course usually covers an individual subject. Courses generally have a fixed program of sessions every week during the term, called lessons or classes.

a : a number of lectures or other matter dealing with a subject took a course in zoology also : a series of such courses constituting a curriculum a premed course. b : a series of doses or medications administered over a designated period. 5a : a part of a meal served at one time the main course.

Full Answer

What is a course of study?

(kɔːs əv ˈstʌdɪ ) noun. an extended period of organized study, often leading to a qualification.

Is a course a class?

A course is a series of classes. These classes are all in one area of study. Therefore, when choosing a major, you will take courses geared towards that major.

Is course the same as subject?

A course is a class that you sign up for. It covers a specific topic and lasts for a specific period of time (one semester, for example) — "Art of the High Renaissance," or "Introduction to Photography". A subject is a general field of study — art history, chemistry, European history, etc.

What is the meaning of course in school?

In higher education a course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term, is led by one or more instructors (teachers or professors), and has a fixed roster of students. A course usually covers an individual subject.

Is a course a degree?

An undergraduate course (known as a bachelor's degree) is usually the first degree you apply for and normally takes three years to complete if studying full-time. You will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Sciences (BSc) or Engineering (BEng), depending on your choice of subject.

Is a course a major?

The term "course of study" is often used with the same meaning as "major" in the US. This usage, however, is usually reserved for legal documents such as student visa applications and other immigration forms.

What is another word for course?

OTHER WORDS FOR course 1 way, road, track, passage. 13a bearing. 6 method, mode. 7 process, career.

What is a subject called in university?

courseYour subject could also be referred to as your course or programme. In the United States, you do not choose your course before you begin studying but select it as you go. This is called selecting your “major”.

What is subject degree?

countable noun. The subject of something such as a conversation, letter, or book is the thing that is being discussed or written about.

What is course in higher education?

What is a course in higher education? A course in higher education often explores policies and practices important to universities and other… Read more. A course, which is either a single class or a program of study needed to complete a degree, can be started right out of high school.

What does "course" mean in medical terms?

a period of time; duration in the course of the next hour. the usual order of and time required for a sequence of events; regular procedure the illness ran its course. a mode of conduct or action if you follow that course, you will certainly fail. a connected series of events, actions, etc.

What is a course of instruction?

a mode of conduct; behavior. a systematized or prescribed series: a course of lectures; a course of medical treatments. a program of instruction, as in a college or university: a course in economics. a prescribed number of instruction periods or classes in a particular field of study.

What does "due course" mean?

in due course, in the proper or natural order of events; eventually: They will get their comeuppance in due course.

What is economics course?

a program of instruction, as in a college or university: a course in economics.

What does "one runner fell halfway around the course" mean?

One runner fell halfway around the course. a particular manner of proceeding: a course of action. a customary manner of procedure; regular or natural order of events: as a matter of course; the course of a disease. a mode of conduct; behavior.

What does "advanced" mean?

advance or progression in a particular direction; forward or onward movement. the continuous passage or progress through time or a succession of stages: in the course of a year; in the course of the battle. the track, ground, water, etc., on which a race is run, sailed, etc.: One runner fell halfway around the course.

What does "masonry" mean?

Masonry. to lay (bricks, stones, etc.) in courses.

What is a course?

A course is a series of lessons or lectures on a particular subject. It usually includes reading and written work that a student has to do. You say that someone takes a course or does a course in a subject.

What does "course" mean in sports?

4. (General Sporting Terms) an area or stretch of land or water on which a sport is played or a race is run: a golf course. 5. a period of time; duration: in the course of the next hour. 6. the usual order of and time required for a sequence of events; regular procedure: the illness ran its course.

What is the person who is taking a course called?

Don't say that someone takes a course 'of' a subject. In British English, the people who are taking a course are referred to as the people on the course. There were about 200 people on the course. In American English, they are also referred to as the people in the course .

What does "in due course" mean?

1. in due course, in the proper or natural order of events; eventually.

What is a continuous layer of building material?

A continuous layer of building material, such as brick or tile, on a wall or roof of a building. 8. a. A complete body of prescribed studies constituting a curriculum: a four-year course in engineering.

What is a marathon?

a. A designated route or area on which a race is held: the course of a marathon.

What does "progress" mean?

a. Development in a particular way; progress : the course of events.

What is a course in a university?

Courses are made up of individual sessions, typically on a fixed weekly schedule. There are different formats of course in universities: the tutorial course, where one or a small number of students work on a topic and meet with the instructor weekly for discussion and guidance.

What is a course in education?

In higher education in various countries, such as Canada, Israel, Nigeria and the United States, a course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term, is led by one or more instructors ( teachers or professors ), and has a fixed roster of students. A course usually covers an individual subject.

What is an elective course?

An elective course is one chosen by a student from a number of optional subjects or courses in a curriculum, as opposed to a required course which the student must take. While required courses (sometimes called "core courses" or "general education courses") are deemed essential for an academic degree, elective courses tend to be more specialized. Elective courses usually have fewer students than the required courses.

What is a course in India?

Courses generally have a fixed program of sessions every week during the term, called lessons or classes. Students may receive a grade and academic credit after completion of the course. In India, the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore, as well as parts of Canada, a course is the entire programme of studies required to complete ...

What is an unsourced course?

In higher education in various countries, such as Canada, Israel, Nigeria and the United States, a course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term, is led by one or more instructors ( teachers or professors ), and has a fixed roster of students.

How long is a course in the Philippines?

Courses are time-limited in most universities worldwide, lasting anywhere between several weeks to several semesters.

How many digits are in a course number?

In the United States, most universities implement a course numbering system where each course is identified by the name of the major (or an abbreviation thereof) followed by a 3- or 4-digit number − for example, CS 123. This common numbering system was designed to make transfer between colleges easier. In theory, any numbered course in one academic institution should bring a student to the same standard as a similarly numbered course at other institutions.

What is course design?

It defines learning aims and outcomes, includes validation and accreditation and could also include an analysis of financial and organisational viability. From this perspective we can think of a course as a coherent academic engagement with a defined set of learning outcomes.

What are differences in course structures and lexicons?

In a sector of autonomous higher education providers, differences in course structures and lexicons can be thought of as a natural part of the landscape and something that reflects the diversity and independence of the sector. However, providers interact with a number of different sector-level data systems and specifications that work at different stages of the higher education lifecycle. These specifications often include something that looks like a course and might even be called course. The diagram below sets out some of the main sector-level data systems and specifications and shows their position in the broader higher education lifecycle.

What is higher education?

Higher Education is a diverse sector made up of autonomous providers; there is a broad range of approaches to the definition of academic regulations and the words used to describe course structures and concepts. There are also differences in terminology across the range of commercially-available student records systems and the mismatch between the lexicon of the academic regulations and the lexicon of the student records system can be a problem. Some providers have very precisely defined (and published) lexicons while others find that different terms and phrases are used in different parts of the organisation to describe the same concepts. One provider mentioned the difficulty that the implementation of a new student records system caused, simply because a system that used to deal with Courses and Modules was replaced with a system that dealt with Programmes and Courses.

Is there a course lexicon?

There is no standard course lexicon across the sector and course structures can vary enormously between higher education providers; academic regulations at each provider will define words like course and programme for that provider and comparisons between course offerings at different providers can be difficult,

Can higher education providers adopt different definitions of course for different stages of the lifecycle?

Higher education providers can adopt different definitions of course for different stages of the lifecycle. The most obvious case would be where a number of different application courses take the students to a single course structure for their study which in turn might lead to a number of different potential qualification outcomes.

Is the description a syllabus?

The description is NOT a syllabus. We typically do not run an exhaustive list of materials used in the course, though we are willing to run short representative lists of authors or sources.

Is a description a technical manual?

On the other hand, the description is NOT a technical manual. While we do not expect that the average student should understand everything in a long list of field-specific terminology, the non-specialist should be able to identify the general area under consideration.

Is a description an argument?

The description is NOT an argument whether for the course or for a point of view presented in the course. That is the work of a syllabus. A student perusing the Bulletin should be able to tell from the description whether the course is relevant to his or her course of study. The description is NOT a marketing piece.

What is course 4?

Course Four – Appetizer: In many parts of Europe, this course is referred to as the "entree" because it introduces the main courses in the meal. It is usually served on serving trays or small appetizer plates and features small cuts of meat, seasonal vegetables, starches, and sauces.

What is a meal course?

A meal course is a single food item or a set of food items served at once, such as a sandwich, soup and crackers, or steak and mashed potatoes. An average meal consists of one or more meal courses.

What is course 5 salad?

Course Five - Salad: This course is usually an assortment of raw vegetables with a flavorful dressing. In some parts of Europe, salad is served after the main course, but it is also common to serve salad before.

What is course eleven?

Course Eleven - Dessert: Usually accompanied by a glass of dessert wine, coffee, or tea, this is a sweet and decadent course.

What is a full course dinner?

A full course dinner is a meal featuring multiple courses. The basic full course meal consists of three or four courses. They normally begin with precursors to a main dish, such as an amuse-bouche, followed by the main course (s), and they are finished off with sweets, coffee, and tea.

What is a 3 course meal?

3 course meal: A 3 course dinner menu includes an appetizer, main course, and dessert.

How many courses are in a meal?

The most basic full course meal is made up of 2 or 3 of the following courses: an appetizer, a main dish, and a dessert. However, meals can feature up to 12 or more courses.

What is course design?

The course design process involves intentional and deliberate planning in order to create a course that best supports students. This process works equally well for on-campus courses, fully online courses and hybrid courses that have elements of both. All of the practices described in these guides are supported by significant research in the field of online learning.

What are the best course activities?

The best course activities incorporate active learning. Students will be more engaged in learning when they collaborate with others, answer real-world questions and make their own choices. Face-to-face sessions should take advantage of technologies to include all students in conversations about the materials.

How to make a course conducive to learning?

You can make your course conducive to learning by defining respectful conversations. Thoughtful interactions with students and the support of peer-to-peer learning increases students’ satisfaction with the course, its instructor and the materials. Courses that lack a physical space need to prioritize this in their design.

Why is clear communication important in a course?

Students should be able to navigate the course materials, find assignment instructions and understand the path of the course from the first day. A syllabus that details the course schedule and has defined expectations of students allows you to concentrate on the teaching and not organization during the semester.

How long does it take to get a course design planner?

For additional support, our Course Design Planner will take you through the three guides over the course of four weeks.

Should courses be online?

All courses should therefore be designed to be online, even if it may be possible to interact with students in person from time to time. The course design process involves intentional and deliberate planning in order to create a course that best supports students.

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Overview

In higher education a course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term, is led by one or more instructors (teachers or professors), and has a fixed roster of students. A course usually covers an individual subject. Courses generally have a fixed program of sessions every week during the term, called lessons or classes. Students may receive a grade and academic credit after completion of the course. Courses can either be compulsory material or "elective". An elect…

Types of courses

Courses are made up of individual sessions, typically on a fixed weekly schedule.
There are different formats of course in universities:
• the lecture course, where the instructor gives lectures with minimal interaction;
• the seminar, where students prepare and present their original written work for discussion and critique;

Elective and required courses

An elective course is one chosen by a student from a number of optional subjects or courses in a curriculum, as opposed to a required course which the student must take. While required courses (sometimes called "core courses" or "general education courses") are deemed essential for an academic degree, elective courses tend to be more specialized. Elective courses usually have fewer students than the required courses.

US course numbering system

In the United States, most colleges and universities use a course numbering system where each course is identified by the name of the major (or an abbreviation thereof) followed by a 3- or 4-digit number − for example, "French 213" or "CS 123". This common numbering system was began to be used in the 1920s. was designed to make transfer between colleges easier. In theory, any numbered course in one academic institution should bring a student to the same standard as a s…

See also

• Course allocation
• Course credit

External links

• "Elective Courses" . New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
• "Elective Courses" . Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.