what does the number after a college course mean

Most college courses in America have, in addition to a title, a course number, which conveys some information about the course and helps in organizing course catalogs and the like.

Full Answer

What do the college course numbers mean?

These numbers are the main way colleges organize their course catalog. No two courses at a college will share the exact same course number. The most useful thing for students to understand about these numbers is how to distinguish between upper-level credit and lower-level credit. Remedial courses do not count for college credit.

What does it mean when a course number starts with 0?

A course number beginning with a "0" indicates that it does not carry credit hours applicable to a degree. Credit Hours - Courses taken in college are measured in terms of credit hours.

What do the numbers on a college application mean?

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. These basic or survey classes will have titles like general biology, world history or writing fundamentals.

What do the second and third digits in a course number mean?

The second and third digits in a course number are used in a variety of ways by different schools. 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 do the numbers after courses 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 does 102 mean in college?

101 is the most basic course in the first year, 102 would be in the first year but for someone who's already taken the subject in high school, etc. 107 wouldn't be that advanced as it's still a first-level course.

What does 201 mean in college?

The first number indicates year (101 = Freshman level class) 101/Freshman, 201/Sophomore, 301/Junior, 401/Senior. Anything above these numbers is usually a graduate level course. The last two numbers indicate subject level relative to other classes offered in that department (ENG101 = Basic English course).

What is course number?

The first number refers to the department or area of the course; the second number refers to the specific course. For example, in the course designated 600:111 the "600" refers to the Department of Art and the "111" refers to the course. Courses numbered 0-99 are primarily designed for freshman and sophomore students.

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 is a 400 level course?

300-Level and 400-Level Courses Such courses are at an advanced-undergraduate level of difficulty, and are generally taken by majors, minors, and other students with a well-defined interest and demonstrated ability in a particular subject area.

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 does 101 mean in college courses?

first or introductory courseHistory. The slang sense of the number "101" originates from its frequent use in US college course numbering systems to indicate the first or introductory course in some topic of study, such as "Calculus 101" or "French 101".

What is a course code?

COURSE CODE: These identifiers are fairly general but provide enough specificity to identify the course's topic and to distinguish it from other courses in that Course Subject Area. Course Subject Area – the intended major subject category of the course. Each Course Subject Area is represented by a two-digit code.

Is class number and course number the same?

The word "class" is used to identify the days/times that a specific course meets (i.e. BIOL 1408 8001). These specific class meetings are called class sections. The word "course" is used to identify a common topic or subject area. These courses will share a common course number (i.e. BIOL 1408).

What does college course level 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.

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 the first digit of a credit?

The first digit is the number of credit hours. The SECOND digit tells you the level: 0 or 1 is introductory, 2 - 7 are higher level, and 8 - 9 are graduate level. The third digit is arbitrary, and sometimes courses also have a letter appended to the course number to indicate sequence.

What is a 400 level class?

In almost every department 400-level classes are for mainly juniors and seniors and 500-level for seniors and grad.

What does "campus" mean in a course?

Campus: indicates whether the course is held on the St. George or satellite campuses (UTM and UTSC). All FAS courses are held on the St. George campus, indicated by the number 1. e.g., HIS107Y1: Approaches to East Asian History is sponsored by the Department of History, it is 100-level, its weight is 1.0 credit, and it is taught on the St. George Campus.

What is a course designator?

Course Designator: a combination of 3 letters that makes reference to the sponsoring college or department

What is the baseline weight of a course?

Course Weight: indicates the number of credits attributed to the course. The baseline weight is 1.0 (referred to as a full course equivalent or FCE). This is indicated with the letter Y. Generally, Y courses span two terms. The alternative weighting is 0.5, indicated by the letter H and H-courses generally span one term (either September-December or January-April).

What is the CRN number for a course?

The next number is the CRN number: 10933. This number is unique to every course, time, and professor. No two courses will ever have the same CRN number, ever. If you needed one number to identify a course, it’s this one.

How many semesters should I take for composition?

In this case it’s “Composition I,” the first in a series of courses followed by “Composition II.” You’ll probably want to take these courses over two semesters.

What is the abbreviation for ENGL?

The next set of letters is the overall major or department, ENGL, or English. If English is your major, you’re probably familiar with this abbreviation.

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.

How many digits are in a college course code?

The second part of a college course code is a series of numbers. These are often three digits long, but many colleges use four digits (or even five).

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.

Why do we use course prefixes?

Course prefixes will help you understand if the two courses you're trying to compare are part of the same academic department.

How do college course codes work?

How College Course Codes Work. 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.

Why do colleges use course codes?

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).

What is the key to enrolling in a course?

The key is to start with the end in mind and develop a foolproof plan before enrolling in any courses.

What is the only rule that a course has a certain number?

The only real rule is that if a course has a certain number, no other course will have that number.

What do the remaining two digits in a class number mean?

The remaining two digits indicate the relative level of the class: lower division (freshman/sophomore), upper division (junior/senior), or graduate. For example: The first class taken as part of a bachelor's degree in physics is PHY 301 (Mechanics), which is also open to other majors.

What is 101 in college?

This is just a linguistic shorthand; introductory courses are labeled 101 at relatively few colleges and universities. The actual numbers depend on the university, and the systems vary wildly, and can even vary somewhat between different departments at the same colleges.

What is a 100-199 course?

A common system works roughly as Najib Idrissi describes: courses numbered 100-199 are first-year courses, which either have no prerequisites or only high school-level prerequisites. Courses numbered 200-299 are second-year courses, which have 100-level prerequisites, and so on.

Is subject 101 a consistent numbering system?

The numbering system isn't nearly that consistent across American universities. "Subject 101" isn't really the introductory course in Subject at most schools.

Is 200 level college fair?

In most cases 200-level and up courses are not going to be designed ( or fair) for cross-school (cross-college) students. In other words, the pre-reqs for 200-level and up courses are "you need to have had at least a year of education in this school in order to know what's going on in class".

Can universities use any system?

A university can use any system they want. Especially older and prestigious universities will have weird systems, since they are less concerned about being accepted as "legitimate" (their legitimacy is already beyond question).

What Is a College Unit?

A "college unit of credit" is a number value assigned to each class offered at a college or university. Units are used to measure the value of a class based on its level, intensity, importance, and the number of hours you spend in it each week.

What factors affect the number of units you need to get into college?

Your school's calendar and the degree program you're enrolled in may play a factor in the minimum number of units required. Similarly, your parents' insurance can affect your requirements as well.

How many hours is a 1 unit class?

Typically, a 1-unit course corresponds to classes that meet for one hour of lecture, discussion, or lab time per week. As follows, a course that meets twice a week for one hour would correspond to a 2-unit course and a class meeting twice for 1.5 hours would be a 3-unit class.

What is a unit in college?

A "unit" or "credit" in college is a way for your school to quantify the amount of academic work required to earn a degree. It is important that you understand how the college or university you're attending assigns units or credits before registering for classes .

How many units are required to be a full time student?

This will vary by school, but on average it is between 12 and 15 units per semester or quarter.

What to do before you register for classes?

Before you register for classes, make sure that you are familiar with and understand the school's unit system. If needed, review it with an academic advisor and be sure to use your unit allowance wisely.

How many hours of study is required for a 3 unit course?

A 3 unit course will, therefore, necessitate about nine hours of your time. To be successful in college, choose the amount of units based on your other engagements, such as work and other responsibilities.

What is the job of a college bookstore?

It will generally stock all the books and other materials required in all the courses offered at the institution as well as providing basic sundries and clothing items. Business Office - The Business Office is responsible for all financial transactions of the institution.

What does "alumni" mean in college?

Alumni - people who have graduated from the institution. ACT and SAT - These letters are acronyms for the American College Test and the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Both tests are designed to measure a student’s level of knowledge in basic areas such as math, science, English, reading and social sciences.

How many credit hours do you need to take to get a credit?

Credit Hours - Courses taken in college are measured in terms of credit hours. To earn one credit hour, a student must attend a class for one classroom hour (usually 50 minutes) per week for the whole semester (usually 16 weeks). Classes are offered in 1 - 5 credit hour increments, and sometimes larger amounts.

How many hours do you need to get an associates degree?

The Associate Degree requires completion of a minimum of 60 credit hours, exclusive of physical education activity courses or military science courses, with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (a "C" average).

What happens if you are placed on academic probation?

Academic Suspension - A student on Academic Probation may be placed on Academic Suspension if he/she fails to maintain or achieve the minimum cumulative GPA required. A student placed on suspension will be dismissed from the college for a specified time period - usually a minimum of one semester.

What does it mean to audit a course?

Audit - A student who does not want to receive credit in a course may, with approval of the instructor, audit the course as a "visitor.". A student who audits a course usually cannot ask or petition the institution at a later date to obtain college credit for the audited course.

What is a bachelor's degree?

Bachelor's Degree - This is the undergraduate degree offered by four-year colleges and universities. The Bachelor of Arts degree requires that a significant portion of the student's studies be dedicated to the arts - literature, language, music, etc.

How long is a semester?

Semester: Type of academic term. A school with this system generally will have a fall semester and a spring semester (each about 15 weeks long), along with a summer term. (See also: “Quarter”) Senior: Fourth-year college student. You are a senior when you graduate from college. Sophomore: Second-year college student.

What is a college major?

Major: Your primary area of study . Your college major is the field you plan to get a job in after you graduate (for example: business, linguistics, anthropology, psychology). Master’s degree: A degree awarded to graduate students.

What is a prerequisite for a part time student?

Part-time students often take only one or two classes at one time. Prerequisite: A class that must be taken before you can take a different class. (For example, Astronomy 100 may be a prerequisite for Astronomy 200.) Private university: A university that is privately-funded.

What is a non-resident student?

Non-resident: A student who isn’t an official resident of the state where a public university is located. Tuition at public universities is less expensive for residents.

What is the highest degree?

Doctorate: Highest academic degree. Awarded after a bachelor’s degree.

What is the grade point average?

Grade point average: The average of all of the course grades you have received, on a four-point scale.

How long is a fall quarter?

Public colleges and universities are less expensive for residents of the state where they are located. Quarter: Type of academic term. A school with this system generally will have a fall quarter, winter quarter and spring quarter (each about 10 weeks long), along with a summer term.

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

300- and 400-Level Course Expectations