how to tell what course level is

by Retha Hill 7 min read

Most colleges and universities designate courses as upper or lower level, usually by a course-numbering system described on the transcript key or back of the transcript. If this information is not included, check your registrar's website or a course catalog.

Full Answer

What does the number of a course mean?

Per faculty legislation, the number of a course implies its level. The course number indicates the level of the course, with the exception of the first-year seminars, all of which are open only to first-year students and considered to be at the 100 level.

How do you identify a college course number?

Most college courses are identified by three to four numbers. For example, the first digit may indicate the class year, the middle two digits may identify the subject and the last digit may indicate the number of credit hours. Most colleges identify introductory classes at the 100-level.

What should I read about a course?

The last thing you'll read about a course is its description. A course description is a general explanation of its topics and teaching methodology. This will give you added information about the course and the way it’s taught.

How is my academic level determined?

How is my Academic Level determined? Your Academic Level is based on credit totals. See below for credit table:

How do I know my course level?

You can generally tell the level of the course by looking at the first digit of the 4 digit catalogue number. For example ARTS 1007 is a level I course and ARTS 2009 is a level II course.

What is the course level?

Course level means the degree of difficulty or complexity of the content of a course in a specific subject area, such as an honors level course.

What does 1000 level courses mean?

Course Numbering System 1000 level. non–degree applicable. 1100 level. introductory course, open to all qualified students. 2000 level.

What are college-level courses?

The HSS defined college-level coursework for high school students as an advanced curriculum that provides students with postsecondary learning experiences while they are still in high school, allowing students to earn college credit in some instances.

What is a Level 1 course?

A level 1 qualification is an excellent starting point if you're keen to develop your knowledge of a particular subject area. They are the perfect option for those with no formal qualification wanting to improve their education, start a new career or learn a new skill.

What are Level 3 courses?

Level 3 qualifications are:A level.access to higher education diploma.advanced apprenticeship.applied general.AS level.international Baccalaureate diploma.level 3 award.level 3 certificate.More items...

What does a 300-level course mean?

300-level course designation Courses of advanced college-level difficulty taken by majors and upper division students; these are often considered to be courses in the Major, offered for students clearly interested and qualified in a subject.

What does a 600 level course mean?

500-600 level course designation Master-level graduate courses numbered 500-600 require a bachelor's degree and admission to a graduate program. 500 level course are more rigorous than undergraduate courses.

What does a 2000 level class mean?

2000- level courses are graduate courses offered in conjunction with 100-level courses, for which graduate students are expected to fulfill substantially enhanced requirements. No student, however may enroll in a 2000-level course if he/she received undergraduate credit for the equivalent undergraduate course.

What are the 4 types of degrees?

At a glanceAcademic degree levels in order are associate degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctoral degree. ... In general terms, a Bachelor of Arts is a four-year degree that focuses on holistic learning and typically focuses on communication, writing and critical-thinking skills.More items...•

What do college course numbers mean?

There are standard formats that many colleges use to signify dates, levels and titles. Most college courses are identified by three to four numbers. For example, the first digit may indicate the class year, the middle two digits may identify the subject and the last digit may indicate the number of credit hours.

What is under graduate course?

undergraduate (adjective): Used in the context of colleges and university programs (undergraduate programs) where students are pursuing a degree (generally referred to as an undergraduate degree) that is not an advanced degree. Also sometimes shortened to undergrad.

How to check student understanding in a lesson?

Check student understanding in a lesson by asking them to take out a sheet of paper and take one minute to, for example, write down an explanation of a concept, solve an equation, or draw a main point from a reading.

What are the characteristics of a classroom assessment?

Angelo & Cross (1993, Classroom Assessment Techniques) highlight characteristics 
of 
classroom
 assessment: 1 Learner‐Centered
 – 
its
 focus 
is 
on 
observing 
and 
improving 
learning, 
rather
 than 
on observing 
and 
improving 
teaching 2 Teacher‐Directed
 – 
the 
individual 
teacher 
decides 
what 
to 
assess, 
how 
to 
assess, 
and how 
to 
respond 
to 
the 
information 
gained 
through 
the 
assessment 3 Mutually
 Beneficial
 – 
students 
reinforce 
course 
content 
and 
strengthen 
their 
self‐assessment 
skills; 
faculty 
sharpen 
their 
teaching 
focus 
by 
asking 
3
 questions: 
“What 
are
 the 
essential 
skills 
and 
knowledge 
I
 am
 trying 
to 
teach?”, 
“How 
can 
I 
find 
out 
whether
 students 
are 
learning 
them?”, 
and 
“How 
can 
I
 help 
students 
learn 
better?” 4 Formative
 – 
its 
purpose 
is 
to 
improve 
the 
quality 
of 
student 
learning, 
not 
to 
provide
 evidence 
for 
evaluating 
or 
grading 
students; 
it 
provides 
information 
on what, 
how
 much, 
and
 how 
well 
students 
are 
learning 5 Context‐Specific
 – 
the 
assessment 
technique 
is 
chosen 
to 
fit 
the 
subject 
matter 
and 
the
 needs 
of 
the 
particular 
class 6 Ongoing 
– 
it 
is 
an 
ongoing 
process, 
i.e. 
the 
creation 
and 
maintenance 
of 
a 
classroom
 “feedback 
loop”; 
as 
this 
approach 
becomes 
integrated 
into 
everyday classroom
 activities, 
the 
communications 
loop 
between 
faculty 
 (teaching) 
and 
students 
 (learning)
 becomes 
more 
efficient 
and 
effective; 
it 
provides 
early feedback
–
before 
students 
are
 evaluated 
for 
grades
–
so 
that 
necessary 
adjustments 
can 
be 
made

What is formative evaluation?

Formative Evaluations are evaluations FOR learning. They are often ungraded and informal. Their aim is to provide both the students and instructor with a gauge of where their level of understanding is at the current moment, and enable the instructor to adjust accordingly to meet the emerging needs of the class.

What do college course numbers mean?

College course numbers may mean different things depending on the individual institution. There are standard formats that many colleges use to signify dates, levels and titles. Most college courses are identified by three to four numbers. For example, the first digit may indicate the class year, the middle two digits may identify ...

What is the difference between 100 and 200 level courses?

These classes will acquaint students with the basic terms, methods, ideas and language of the subject. 200-level courses are actually 100-level courses that focus on particular areas within a discipline. Students must have finished a 100-level writing or English class, so they can recognize concepts, read detailed texts, use quantitative skills and articulate themselves with peers. These classes will require students to progress through academic explorations towards conclusions and experiments. Students who take 200-level classes must be able to keep up at a reasonable pace without encountering comprehension difficulties.

What are the 100 level classes?

These basic or survey classes will have titles like general biology, world history or writing fundamentals. These 100-level courses are usually taken by freshman, although some will be sophomores meeting general education requirements. 200-level classes will be more strenuous and focused on specific topics like Asian history, Western literature and computer programming. Some of these classes may require students to have taken the prerequisite 100-level class. 300- and 400-level classes involve in-depth coursework and require greater knowledge of a certain field. These classes are usually taken during the final two years of college. Some 400-level classes include first-year graduate students who are preparing to take 500- and 600-level classes offered through graduate schools.

What do you need to know to take 100 level writing class?

Students must have finished a 100-level writing or English class, so they can recognize concepts, read detailed texts, use quantitative skills and articulate themselves with peers. These classes will require students to progress through academic explorations towards conclusions and experiments.

What are the requirements for 300 level classes?

Students should have acquired a sufficient knowledge in the major to pursue independent study and research with methodological tools and models. These students must be able to obtain relevant information the proper use of resources and libraries. They must be able to assimilate valid information, combine findings into cohesive statements and ultimately produce term-papers. 400-level courses will likely include tutorials, seminars, guest lectures and honors courses reserved only for upper-division students finishing their major. These students must have completed enough 300-level classes to work independently under the supervision of faculty. Many of these 400-level classes include capstone projects that require students to synthesize all relative information into a final presentation.

What does the first digit of a course number mean?

The one thing to remember about course numbers is that the first digit indicates what level of study your course is . That is likely the only uniform (and truly helpful) piece of information these numbers will provide for you. 3. Course Name. The third element of a course code is obvious: the name of the course.

What is course description?

The last thing you'll read about a course is its description. A course description is a general explanation of its topics and teaching methodology. This will give you added information about the course and the way it’s taught.

What is the purpose of the second and third digits in a course number?

While there isn’t a universal rule for what each number means in relation to each other, the main idea is just to distinguish different courses that are from the same department at the same level.

What is the prefix for a college course?

1. Course Prefix. The first part of a college course code is simple: a series of letters indicating the course's general subject. This is the course prefix, and it’s fairly intuitive. Tip: if you get stuck wondering what a particular set of letters means, compare several courses sharing the same prefix. Or Google it.

How many digits are in a college catalog?

These are often three digits long, but many colleges use four digits (or even five). These numbers are the main way colleges organize their course catalog. No two courses at a college will share the exact same course number.

What is a course code?

Colleges use course codes to describe and organize their courses in a way that can be easily understood by both colleges and students (if said students have translation guides, that is). They consist of four important blocks of information. 1. Course Prefix.

What is the third element of a course code?

The third element of a course code is obvious: the name of the course. A course's name tells you what that course is about, and is actually the most useful way to compare courses.

Creating Learning Objectives for Courses and Modules

While course-level learning objectives specify what students should be able to do upon completion of the course, module-level learning objectives break down the course-level objectives into smaller, incremental parts. They become a useful outline for your online course.

Professor Karen Shaup on Learning Objectives

Let’s hear from Professor Karen Shaup about her experience developing course-level and module-level learning objectives for her online course. A video transcript is available for download.

Writing your course-level learning objectives

It is essential to write measurable learning objectives that clearly convey what students will be able to do and how they will think about the course topics by the end of the course. These objectives facilitate alignment for the rest of your course map.

Module Learning Objectives

As Professor Karen Shaup stated in her video on page 1, once she created her course-level learning objectives, her next step was to think of the module-level learning objectives or to determine what students should learn along the way to achieving the more global, enduring objectives of the course.

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Course Levels 101

  • Most colleges identify introductory classes at the 100-level. These basic or survey classes will have titles like general biology, world history or writing fundamentals. These 100-level courses are usually taken by freshman, although some will be sophomores meeting general education requirements. 200-level classes will be more strenuous and focused...
See more on topdegreesonline.org

100- and 200-Level Course Expectations

  • 100-level courses come with no prerequisites regarding knowledge of a disciplines concepts and terminology. Students who enter these classes must be able to compose formal essays and comprehend college-level textbooks. These classes will acquaint students with the basic terms, methods, ideas and language of the subject. 200-level courses are actually 100-level courses th…
See more on topdegreesonline.org

300- and 400-Level Course Expectations

  • 300-level courses will contain advanced content for upper division students. These classes will most likely be core requirements of the students’ majors. Students should have acquired a sufficient knowledge in the major to pursue independent study and research with methodological tools and models. These students must be able to obtain relevant information the proper use of …
See more on topdegreesonline.org