Course Nomenclature Directives

Purpose

The University is committed to ensuring the highest quality of learning for students while maintaining the highest integrity of academic programs. To this end, the University offers an array of courses to meet the academic and professional needs of the local, national and international communities consistent with its mission and mandate. This document defines the nomenclature that is used for courses at the University.

Definitions

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Scope and authority

This Directive applies to all graduate, and undergraduate courses approved through the academic governance process at the University.

The Registrar, or successor thereof, is the Policy Owner and is responsible for overseeing the implementation, administration and interpretation of this Directive.

Directives

General 

1. Regulations for new courses are described using the nomenclature set out in this document.

2. All courses are reviewed by Academic Council or a committee of Academic Council to ensure that they are appropriate to the program content and congruent with current usage in the discipline.

General Course Nomenclature

1. Course: A unit of work in a particular subject normally extending through one academic term, semester, or session, the completion of which carries credit toward the requirements of a degree or diploma.
2. Subject Codes: A code that most accurately and comprehensively represents the subject matter being taught in a particular course or set of courses. Subject codes must consist of three or four alphabetic characters. New subject codes must be verified by the Office of the Registrar to ensure the code has not been used for a different subject meaning.
3. Course Numbers: Course numbers are used according to the practices established by the Course Numbering Convention (see Appendix A below). Course codes must consist of a four-digit numeric code and an alphabetic identifier. Normally, the alphabetic identifier distinguishes the course level, or the source delivery, where U represents undergraduate courses, and G represents graduate courses. Another common identifier is W representing a work term.
4. Course Code: A subject code coupled with a Course Number forms a unique Course Code. Each Course Code should be under the administrative authority of one academic unit.
5. Course Titles: Long form course titles are used in the Academic Calendar while short form course titles are used for MyOntarioTech and student transcripts. Titles should reflect the educational content of the course. Short form course titles are limited to 30 characters.
6. Course Section: A three-digit identifier assigned to a specific course section delivered in a particular academic term, semester, or session. A Course Section used to designate students enrolled from another institution is a one-alpha and two-digit identifier.
7. Course Schedule Type: A code that indicates a course section’s schedule type. For example, a Lecture (LEC), Lab (LAB), Lab Only (LBO),Tutorial (TUT, TU1), Lecture and Lab (L&L), Thesis (THS), Work Placement (WRK), Seminar (SEM), Field Placement (FLD), Independent Study (IND), Other (OTH), and Special Topics Sections (LC1, LC2, LC3, LC4, LC5, and LC6)
8. Course Registration Number (CRN): A unique five-digit identifier assigned to a specific course section. CRNs are used during the registration process to identify the section of a course in which the student wishes to register. The first number identifies the semester or session. For example, 4 represents the fall semester, 7 represents the winter Semester and 1 represents the spring/summer semester.
9. Course Delivery: The specific scheduling information related to a CRN. This includes the scheduled dates and times, room requirements, and the assigned instructor(s).
10. Course Instructional Method: A three-character field used to identify the instructional method of a course. For example, CLS (in-class delivery), CLB (in-class or streaming option), HYB (in-class and online delivery), WB1 (synchronous online delivery), WEB (asynchronous online delivery), IND (independent studies), OFF (offsite), and N/A (not applicable).
11. Course Credit Hour: A measure used to reflect the relative weight of a given course toward the fulfilment of degree requirements. Unless otherwise indicated, a course normally has a credit hour value of three.
12. Course Contact Hours: The duration of scheduled instruction. Course contact hours may consist of a variety of instructional methods.

Types of Courses

1. Challenge Credit: The request for academic credit resulting from experience or knowledge gained elsewhere for which transfer credit cannot be awarded.
2. Continuance Course: A graduate-level course that shows on a graduate student’s transcript. Used to show attendance in the semester as well as for charging graduate fees.
3. Corequisite Course: A course that must be taken concurrently with the course for which it is required.
4. Credit Restriction: Occurs where two or more courses are closely related and credit is limited to one of the courses.
5. Cross-listings: The practice of offering a single course under two different course codes.
6. Elective Course: A course chosen by a student from a number of course options in a curriculum, as opposed to a required course which the student must take.
7. Equivalency Course: A course that possesses equivalent content to another course, such that they are considered to be interchangeable across academic programs. Students may only receive credit for one of the courses.
8. Experiential Learning Course: A course that integrates students’ strategic and active engagement and reflection in workplace and volunteer setting-related learning opportunities. Students are empowered to apply their theoretical knowledge and creativity to real-world challenges. Experiential Learning Courses consist of well-planned, supervised and assessed experiential learning activities that enrich student learning and promote intellectual development, interdisciplinary thinking, social engagement, cultural awareness, teamwork, and other communication and professional skills.
9. Independent Study Course: A course that is approved and offered in an alternate supervisory format, such as a reading course, a directed studies course, a directed studies project course, a thesis project course, or an independent studies course.
10. Prerequisite Course: A course that must be successfully completed prior to commencing a second course for which it is required.
11. Required Course: A course that all students following a particular academic program and catalog are required to take.
12. Special Topics Course: A course that addresses a current or timely topic, that is in a "pilot" phase before being offered on an ongoing basis, or that is known to be a one-time offering. Special Topics Course offerings can vary from semester to semester which allows for the subject of offering to change at the discretion of the instructor. Typically, these courses are approved with a general topic area.
13. Transfer Credit: Academic credit granted for work completed at an institution other than Ontario Tech University.

Administration of Courses

1. Billing Hours: A measure used for charging fees to a course.
2. Campus Code: A three-alpha character code used to identify the campus where the course will be delivered. For example, UON – North Oshawa, UOD – Downtown Oshawa, UOO – Other, UOW – Online.
3. Course Link Identifier: A one-alpha character and one-digit code used to identify a course’s requirement of registering for a concurrent section of the same course. For example, the link identifier ensures a student properly registers for a lecture and an associated tutorial/lab.
4. Grade Mode: Identifies the method of grading applied to the course. For example, N – Normal alpha grades, P – Pass/Fail grade.
5. Learning Management System (LMS) Combining: The practice of combining course section shells in Canvas.
6. Moribund Courses: A course that has not been taught in the previous 48 months at the undergraduate level or 72 months at the graduate level. Moribund courses will be retained in a course archive. A moribund course does not appear in the Academic Calendar.
   1. Moribund Course Code: A course code that is no longer in use but historically has been used at the university. A moribund course code can only be re-activated with the equivalent course content at a later date, using a Request to Reinstate Closed Course proposal. The repurposing of moribund course codes is not feasible due to the negative effects upon historic academic records.

Monitoring and review

This document will be reviewed as necessary and at least every three years. The Registrar, or successor thereof, is responsible to monitor and review these Directives.

Relevant legislation

University of Ontario Institute of Technology Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 8, Sch. 0

Related policies, procedures & documents

Institutional Quality Assurance Policy and related procedures

Academic Council Handbook

Undergraduate Academic Calendar

Graduate Academic Calendar