170-00 Policies on Courses and Course Curriculum

001-399 – General courses accepted in fulfillment of requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

400-499 – Advanced undergraduate courses open to graduate students and to juniors and seniors (students with fifth- to eighth semester standing) and, with the special permission of the head of the department or the chairperson of the program sponsoring the course, to qualified students in earlier semesters. Courses at the 400 level are generally distinguished from courses at the 001-399 level by an increased depth, by a more mature approach, and by a greater and more independent effort on the part of the student. Where, however, the goals of the course also include breadth, rather than solely depth, the total comprehension that the course demands should set it apart from lower-level courses. (Senate Agenda Appendix D: 5/1/79)

A 400-level course generally includes as a prerequisite another course, a specific number of credits in an area, or some other type of prerequisite. A 400-level course that does not include a prerequisite must explain why the course is not a 001-399-level course.

500-699; 800-899 – Graduate level courses.

Courses in the series 500-699 and 800-899 are restricted to students registered in the Graduate School, senior undergraduate students with an average of at least 3.50, and certain other students with averages of at least 3.00 who have been granted special permission to enroll through the Office of Graduate Student Programs.

The numbers 600 (on campus) and 610 (off-campus) are available for credit in thesis research in all graduate major programs. The numbers 601 and 611 do not denote conventional courses but are used for noncredit special registration for thesis preparation by a Ph.D. candidate. (Note that 596 course numbers may not be used for thesis research work.) Registration under these numbers will maintain status as a full-time (601) or part-time (611) student.

The number 602 is reserved for Supervised Experience in College Teaching.

The number 603 is reserved for Foreign Academic Experience (1-12 credits). Foreign study and/or research approved by the graduate program for students enrolled in a foreign university constituting progress toward the degree.

700-799 – Courses restricted to medical students in the medical curriculum at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. (Senate Record Appendix C: 11/13/79)

900-999 – Courses restricted to law students at the Dickinson School of Law. (Senate Agenda Appendix B: 4/2/98)

Course numbers that have been dropped may not be reused for 6 years in order to avoid confusion on student records.

294,494 Research Topics Courses (1-12 credits)

Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small group basis. A specific title may be used in each instance and will be entered on the student’s transcript. (Agenda Appendix D, 6/2/81)

195,295,395,495 Internship (1-18 credits)

Supervised off-campus, nongroup instruction including field experiences, practicums, or internships. Written and oral critique of activity required. A specific title may be used in each instance and will be entered on the student’s transcript. Prerequisite: prior approval of proposed assignment by instructor. (Agenda Appendix C, 6/3/80)

296, 496 Independent Studies (1-18 credits)

Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses. A specific title may be used in each instance and will be entered on the student’s transcript. Students may not register for these courses without prior written approval of a faculty member in the department in which the courses are listed. (Agenda Appendix I, 11/1/77)

097/098, 197/198, 297/298, 397/398, 497/498 Special Topics (1-9 credits)

Formal courses given infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest. Several different topics may be taught in one year or semester. A specific title may be used in each instance and will be entered on the student’s transcript. (Senate Agenda Appendix H, 3/17/92)

A special topics course may be offered only two times. If the department wishes to continue to offer the course, it should be proposed as a permanent course.

99, 199, 299, 399, 499 Foreign Studies (1-12 credits)

Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction. A specific title may be used in each instance and will be entered on the student’s transcript. (Senate Agenda Appendix D, 6/2/81)

The following is a list of available suffixes for courses with special attributes:

• A-G, I, K – Special topics courses
• H – Honors courses or sections
• J – Individualized instruction courses
• L, P, R – Lecture, practicum (or laboratory), recitation sections
• M – Both an honors and a writing-intensive course
• N – Inter-domain course in General Education
• Q- Both honors and Inter-domain
• S – First-Year Seminar courses
• T – Both an honors and a first-year seminar course
• U – United States cultures and/or international cultures and honors
• W – Writing-intensive courses
• X – First-Year Seminar courses and writing-intensive courses
• Y – United States cultures and/or international cultures and writing course
• Z – Linked courses in General Education

Faculty who seek to offer a special topics/one-semester title course that satisfies either the integrative studies or the writing across the curriculum requirements must submit a proposal to the Senate Office for approval.