how to set up a course syllabus

1. Start a new document in your word processing software. Word processing software like Microsoft Word is usually the best place to create a syllabus.
2. Put your identification information at the top. The first step in creating your syllabus is to put your identification information at the top of the document.
3. Write a course description. Your course description will describe your course in a way that gives students (and parents) an idea about the general content of your course.
4. Outline the course objectives. Course objectives will give students a sense of what they will accomplish while in the class.
List any prerequisites to the course. Prerequisites are courses, content, or other qualifications a student must have to take the course for credit.
List required materials. You also need to include a list of all of the materials needed for your course.
Include a brief statement about the format and organization of the course. ...

Full Answer

How do I write a syllabus for a course?

To do this, a syllabus should include the following: Basic course information (course by number, section, title, semester, meeting times, days, place, format) Instructor information (name, title, rank, office location, office phone number, e-mail) Description of the course content

How can I Make my syllabus more accessible?

Sep 12, 2018 · Put the essential facts of your class at the top of your syllabus. If you’re teaching a blended or online class, you should include a description of …

When will my students have access to the syllabus?

This is the number of credits that will be earned toward your program. Below you will find an example of what this section may appear like in your course syllabus. Course Information. Course: ACCT 430. Location: Sawyer Room 508. Meeting Day/Time: Mon/Wed 10:50 a.m. – …

What makes an effective syllabus?

Nov 12, 2021 · Josh helps us get familiar with the process of setting up a course's Syllabus.Follow us!https://twitter.com/populihttps://www.facebook.com/populicohttps://ww...

What should be included in a course syllabus?

Your syllabus should include the name of the course or section and the course or section number as well as the particular semester and year (e.g., Fall 2008). Include the meeting times and days of the class as well as the building name and room number where you will meet.

How do you organize a syllabus?

OrganizationBuy a planner and write in all of your classes and assignments (including reading assignments).Make a weekly list of reading assignments and keep it somewhere you will see it.Buy a separate notebook for each class. ... Write the dates and reading assignments on the inside cover of your textbooks.More items...

How long is a syllabus?

Your syllabus will probably be five to eight pages long. Longer than that is probably overkill; shorter than that, you may miss something important. However, the standards for syllabi vary by discipline, so you may want to see what your colleagues have developed.

Should you print out syllabus?

The takeaway here is to make sure you print off each syllabus and slowly and carefully read each and every line. Make sure you understand everything it contains. Most importantly, you will be making a plan out of each syllabus.

What should be included in a syllabus?

To do this, a syllabus should include the following: Important dates (e.g., assignment due dates, exam dates, and holidays)

What is a syllabus?

The syllabus as a permanent record. A syllabus should serve accountability and documentation functions. It should document what was covered in a course, at what level, and for what kind of credit. Such a syllabus contains information useful for evaluation of instructors, courses, and programs, and can thus be useful in course equivalency transfer ...

What is the quality of a syllabus?

The quality of the syllabus is a fairly reliable indicator of the quality of teaching and learning that will take place in a course (Woolcock, 2003). Therefore, it behooves instructors to make the effort to construct a high-quality syllabus. The results of that effort can benefit the instructor as well as his or her students.

What is a syllabus in college?

A syllabus lets students know what the course is about, why the course is taught, where it is going, and what will be required for them to be successful in the course (Altman & Cashin, 2003). By clearly communicating expectations, instructors can circumvent a whole host of student grievances and misunderstandings during the semester.

Why is a syllabus important?

The syllabus as a learning tool. A syllabus should help students become more effective learners in the course. While many of these items are not required for syllabi at Illinois, adding them can greatly improve students' ability to learn the material. To do this, a syllabus should include the following:

What is the syllabus of a course?

The course syllabus is, in most cases, the first contact that students will have with both us and the course. As the cliché goes, we don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. The syllabus sets the tone for the course.

What should students see on a syllabus?

T he first thing students should see on a syllabus is information about the class and about you, the instructor. The course title, section, date, time, and location, too, ought to be immediately apparent — which may seem obvious but isn’t always so. Featuring that information prominently is particularly important if you teach at an institution where students “shop” for classes the first week of the term — your syllabus will be what they refer to as they consider whether to enroll or switch classes. It’s also essential to make sure this information is up to date; there’s no worse feeling than getting ready to distribute your syllabus to students on the first day of class, only to notice that you forgot to change the semester and time information from when you taught the course the year before. (That happened once to … uh … a friend.)

What is syllabus in education?

A syllabus is more than just a checklist or collection of policies and procedures. In fact, approaching it as akin to a “contract” — while that’s a popular analogy in higher education — is not the way to create an effective syllabus.

What is the purpose of a syllabus?

Remember, the purpose of a syllabus is to set the tone, map the course for your students, and explain how to be successful in the class. Leaving out essential components is tantamount to showing students that you are absent-minded and unprofessional, or that you don’t care about their success in class.

How to articulate course goals and objectives?

How to articulate course goals and objectives. There are reasons beyond assessment (and those pesky accreditation requirements) to articulate a good set of learning outcomes. If the syllabus maps where you and your students are going, then the course goals are the destination. Well-constructed goals convey the purpose of the journey to students (and can help you clarify it for yourself, on occasion), and they also can provide the starting point for course design. In their influential 1998 book, Understanding by Design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe outlined how to use “backward design” to ensure that all the various elements of your course are in alignment. Backward design suggests that you begin with the end in mind — that is, with your course goals. Then work backward:

What is a course syllabus?

Academic Success Services. A course syllabus is one of the most important documents you will receive from your professor. Believe it or not, your course syllabus will play a vital role in the overall success of your course.

Why is a syllabus important?

If properly utilized, a course syllabus will help you plan your semester efficiently and help limit confusion and stress. In short, a course syllabus will indicate what you as a student will be expected to do in a course, and how your performance throughout the course will be evaluated and graded. Common questions about a course can often be ...

What is Suffolk University's ethical standards?

Students are expected to practice ethical behavior in all learning environments and scenarios, including classrooms and laboratories, internships and practica, and study groups and academic teams. Cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, use of unauthorized electronic devices, self-plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, and other types of academic misconduct are treated as serious offenses that initiate a formal process of inquiry, one that may lead to disciplinary sanctions.

How many hours does Suffolk University take?

For a 3 credit course, you should anticipate a total of 135 hours, and for a 4 credit course, you should anticipate a total of 180 hours.

What is textbook material?

Textbooks can refer to print or digital books and course materials may refer to different items such as calculators, clickers, computer software, etc.

What should be on a syllabus?

First, a syllabus should address the following components of a course or class (items unique to Higher Education are in italics ): Your name (and the way you’d like for students to address you), contact information (email, phone number), office hours. Course name, course number, days + times + location the course meets.

What are the requirements for a syllabus?

The basic requirements of a syllabus are to communicate information clearly and provide students and teachers with a basic contract regarding class content and happenings. This can make for a very dry and impersonal syllabus--but why not leverage this important document into a relationship-building tool?

What is immediate relationship?

An immediate relationship forms when a student reads a syllabus that only that particular educator could have written. These syllabi can be legendary, as David Foster Wallace’s syllabus for his undergraduate nonfiction course has become.

Does Word have accessibility?

Word has a “Check Accessibility” function under the “Tools” bar that can ensure students with a disability won’t have difficulty reading your document. In addition to accommodations for students with disabilities, think of other campus resources to list on your syllabi.

What is a syllabus?

a syllabus may initially introduce the course to student through conveying learning objectives and goals, future content, and needed operational logistics. It can also function as a student contract while at the same time providing the institute a record of a course being taught.

What is positive language?

Positive or Friendly Language – will help the students feel comfortable and welcome, especially when reading the syllabus in advance of your first class. Rationale for Assignments – will help motivate students by clarifying how each assignment relates to your course goals.