Definitions and Approval

Major, Sequence, Concentration, and Minor

Major/Plan

A cohesive combination of courses, including introductory, intermediate, and advanced course work, that designates a student's primary areas of specialization. Majors are designated on university transcripts. The offering of a new major requires approval by the Board of Trustees and the Board of Higher Education.

Sequence/Sub-Plan

A subdivision of a major in which there are specific requirements. Sequences of the same major generally share a common core within a major. Sequences are designated on university transcripts. The offering of a new sequence needs approval beyond the University Curriculum Committee.

Concentration

A subdivision of a degree without specific requirements that is provided for advisement only. Concentrations are not designated on University transcripts. All informal curricular recommendations made by departments/schools (such as emphases, tracks, areas of study, specializations, etc.) should use the term "concentration".

Minor (for undergraduate programs only)

A combination of courses designed to provide a cohesive introduction to an area of study beyond the major. Minors are designated on university transcripts. The offering of a new minor needs approval beyond the University Curriculum Committee (Academic Senate and the Provost). A minor, including all required prerequisite hours, may include 18 to 36 hours. In no case may the minor include more than 25 hours from the department offering the minor (policy 2.1.9).

Accelerated Master's Degree Programs

A program that allows students to complete an undergraduate and graduate degree in the same disciplinary area within a timeframe that may be less than the traditional bachelor's and master's programs. Students will take both graduate and undergraduate classes when they have junior or senior status and seamlessly transition into their master's degree program. The undergraduate and graduate degrees will be conferred separately. After approval by the College Curriculum Committee, the proposals proceed simultaneously through the University Curriculum Committee (undergraduate).

Integrated Bachelor's/Master's Degree Programs

An Integrated degree program (BA/MA or BS/MS) allows students to complete an undergraduate and graduate degree, in the same disciplinary area, within a time frame that may be less than the traditional bachelor's and master's program. Students take undergraduate and graduate level courses simultaneously beginning as early as the second semester of their junior year. An integrated degree is normally a five to six year program for currently enrolled Illinois State University students. Students who wish to complete an integrated program will receive both degrees simultaneously upon completion of all program requirements for both degrees. New integrated degree programs need approval beyond the University Curriculum Committee (Graduate Curriculum Committee, Academic Senate, Provost, Board of Trustees and the Board of Higher Education).

Graduate Certificate Programs

Graduate certificates are graduate courses of study approved by an academic unit designed to provide professional development and career advancement opportunities, broaden career options, or enhance an individual's skills or education as part of the process of life-long learning. These certificates are not part of degree programs, although courses completed as part of a certificate curriculum could be used in meeting degree requirements, where appropriate.

Course Formats/Types

Contract

Contract educational services, programs and courses are delivered through mutual contract to a business site for a specific cohort or business entity.

Credit/No Credit

CR- Credit: Assigned to students who do satisfactory work in a course which is offered only on a Credit/No Credit basis. Certain courses in the University are offered only on a Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) basis.
NC- No Credit: Assigned to students who do not do satisfactory work in a course which is offered only on a Credit/No Credit basis. Certain courses in the University are offered only on a Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) basis.

For new and revised courses indicate "yes", the course will be offered only as Credit/No Credit on the course proposal.

Cross-Listed Courses

Cross-Listing and "Also offered as . . ." mean that the courses being specified are essentially the same. The statement implies that the curricular committees have determined that the specified courses overlap to a degree that students cannot count both toward graduation. Such courses should be considered to be interchangeable in meeting all requirements. A cross-listed course will be considered as one course regardless of the department or school through which the student registered for the course. This is a general rule that applies to all cross-listed courses taken for any purpose.
If a new course is to be cross-listed with another department or school, the department/school proposing the course is responsible for submitting the course proposal. The department or school in which the course is to be cross-listed must be noted on the proposal form. The proposal will then be routed for approval to all department chairs or school directors, college curriculum committee chairs, and college deans where approval is required. In every case, all involved departments/schools must be represented on the proposal form for the proposed cross listing of a course. Departments or schools wishing to separate cross-listed courses should follow the same procedure.

Combination Courses

Course format that combines lecture and laboratory components in each class meeting.

Decimalized/Topics Courses

Topics courses, seminars and other courses follow the procedures for new courses and are approved by the University Curriculum Committee Executive Secretary. A base 'topics' course is developed with a general description, this base course is not offered and should include this statement in the description: "Various topic areas of this course are available for enrollment, 222aXX." The approval of new topics, decimalizations of the base course having similar objectives and student outcomes, are approved following the procedures for new courses. The decimalized topics courses must have the same course prerequisites and multiple enrollments are not allowed, so if a student repeats a decimalized course, the repeat policy applies and the subsequent grade will replace the first grade. If a new topic area is needed, a new decimalized topics course should be proposed using the New Course Proposal Form.

Repeatable Courses

Repeatable courses are not the same as Decimalized/Topics Courses. The topic of a repeatable course remains the same and students are able to repeat the course for credit. The University's Course Repeat policy does not apply to courses that are approved as repeatable for credit. Examples of repeatable courses are university band and ensembles.

Directed Research

Course format used for independent study, thesis, and dissertation courses.

Distance Education

A formal education process in which the majority of the instruction occurs when student and instructor are not in the same location at the same time. Field-based courses such as professional practice courses (198, 298, or 398) are not considered distance education.Instruction may be synchronous or asynchronous. When preparing a course proposal where the delivery format of the course is being revised from regular to distance education format (or vice-versa), check the appropriate box on the proposal web site. If the only revision to the course is in delivery format, the only approvals needed are those of the Department Chair/School Director and College Dean.

General Courses

Courses with a common course description and identified with a university-wide common number may be offered in each academic department/school. Examples include courses ending in x89 temporary courses, 287/400 Independent Study, 393 Workshop, 398/498 Professional Practice, 499 Master's Thesis, and 599 Doctoral Dissertation.

Instruction Modality

Face-to-face (F2F)/In person: 75% or more in person
Blended (hybrid): 26-74% in person
Online blended (hybrid): 1-25% in person
Online (synchronous or asynchronous): 0% in person

Independent Study

Intensive study in a special area of the student's interest under the direction of a qualified member of the faculty. Each individual investigation is to culminate in a comprehensive written report and/or examination and/or artistic project. Independent Study is designated by the number "287" or "400" and is offered for one to six credit hours. A maximum of six semester hours of independent study may be applied toward graduation.

Interdisciplinary (IDS) Courses

Interdisciplinary courses are designated as IDS (rather than listing departments/schools in cross-listed courses). Interdisciplinary courses offer faculty and students a unique opportunity to synthesize knowledge that spans two or more academic disciplines. Interdisciplinary courses proceed through the regular curriculum process with the Council on General Education approving in lieu of the College Curriculum Committee and the administrator in charge of General Education, approving in lieu of the College Dean, after which the proposal is routed as new course proposal.

Professional Practice

Professional Practice consists of one or more credit-generating, academic/career related, salaried or non-salaried work experiences. Professional Practice is a supervised work related experience in local, state, national, and international businesses, agencies, institutions, and organizations. The experience is planned, administered, and supervised at the department or school level and coordinated through the Office of Professional Practice. A written learning contract/training agreement should be signed by the student, the worksite/agency supervisor, and the department/school Professional Practice supervisor.Professional Practice courses are designated by the numbers 198, 298, 398, 498, and 598. In a graduate degree program, Professional Practice 498 cannot constitute more than 20 percent of the hours applied for graduation. Undergraduate students may count a maximum of 16 hours of Professional Practice toward graduation requirements. Experiences are divided into two types:

Internship: Frequently unsalaried and usually occurring only once during a student's enrollment at the University.
Cooperative Education: Salaried, multiple periods of academic/career-related work experience. (See Professional Practice.)
Professional Practice: 198, 298, 398, 498, 598

Excluded from this definition are programs designed for students pursuing Teacher Education and school administrative programs that follow certification guidelines. Some programs are coordinated by the Office of Clinical Experiences in the Cecilia J. Lauby Teacher Education Center and are governed by state licensure requirements.

Graduate-level Professional Practice: Professional Practice is open only to graduate students who have completed considerable work in a degree program, who are in good standing, and who have demonstrated ability to profit from professional practice experience.
The preferred title for such courses is: "Professional Practice" or Professional Practice followed by a descriptive title, e.g. "Professional Practice: Internship in Accounting." Decimalization of Professional Practices courses is permitted when a department or school has more than one valid fieldwork offering.
One hour of credit implies a minimum of 40 hours of on-the-job, supervised work experience.
Professional Practice proposals must be submitted online, using the "Professional Practice Proposal Form" with the appropriate department chair or school director approval. Proposals are then electronically routed to the Director of Professional Practice and then follows the new course approval process.

Seminar

A regular meeting of students, under faculty guidance, in which each conducts research and exchanges information, problems, and results through informal lectures, reports, and discussion.

Temporary Courses, Workshops, and Institutes

These courses are approved for a time period not to exceed one year. If a unit wants to continue to offer the course after a year they should submit a new course proposal. The approval process for a new temporary course is to submit the online proposal form for Temporary Courses, Workshops, and Institutes and it will be routed to Department Chair/School Director and the UCC Executive Secretary or the Graduate School Director for approval.

Temporary Courses, Workshops, and Institutes may not be required in the curricular or graduation requirements of majors, minors, or sequences. Temporary courses may not be used for Independent Study.
Temporary/Workshop/Institute course proposals are submitted using the Temporary, Workshop, or Institute Proposal Form on the Curriculum Forms System. The proposal requires a syllabus to be uploaded with the proposal.
Temporary courses are experimental courses designed to take advantage of the skills of a faculty member who will be at the University for a limited time period, or courses responding to particular short-term trends and interests of students and faculty. Temporary courses should not be active longer than one year and are designated by the numbers 189, 289, 389, 489 or 589.
Institute courses are federal and state-sponsored (or similar) short-term programs requiring treatment of subject matter of a special nature, often for special groups. Institutes are designated by the number 397.
Workshop courses: Intensive and applied work on special problems in one or more subject areas for one to six credit hours. Workshop opportunities are provided on special problems not covered in any regular University courses. A workshop differs from a regular course in that it offers not only a solid theoretical component but has a practical "hands-on" character and offers intensive work in a given area of knowledge. Courses proposed for workshops should be designed for a specific clientele and intended to provide an updating of skills and knowledge needed by that clientele, and should offer a combination of material and/or approaches not ordinarily found in existing courses at the University. Workshops for credit may be either for degree credit in the department/school offering the workshop or in another department/school (193, 293, 393, 493) or not for graduate degree credit in any department/school (429X).

Course Levels

100-199 Lower-division undergraduate courses, primarily for freshmen and sophomores. As a minimum, in this 100-level course, a student can be expected to:

gain a basic knowledge of this topic
acquire basic skills in the topic
learn fundamental principles and theories of the topic
learn how fundamental principles and theories in the topic are applied
learn the general methods of analysis and problem-solving in the topic
learn how to communicate ideas about the topic clearly and effectively
learn how to develop creative and expressive capacities in the topic
learn how to examine basic values in the topic
develop breadth in the topic

200-299 Upper-division undergraduate courses, primarily for juniors and seniors. A student should normally have completed 45 semester hours before enrolling in a course at this level. As a minimum, in this 200-level course, a student can be expected to:

use basic knowledge and skills in the field of study
gain specialized knowledge in the field of study
acquire specialized skills in the field of study
learn specialized principles and theories in the field of study
learn specialized methods of analysis and problem-solving in the field of study
develop creative and expressive capacities in the field of study
examine basic values in the field of study
receive general training to meet career objectives

300-399 Advanced undergraduate courses, open to juniors, seniors. A student normally should have completed at least 75 semester hours before enrolling in a course at this level. As a minimum, in this 300-level course, a student can be expected to:

use specialized knowledge and skills in the field of study
acquire "state-of-the-art" knowledge and skills in the field of study
apply principles and theories in the field of study
employ methods of analysis and problem-solving in the field of study
communicate ideas about the field of study
clearly and effectively demonstrate creative and expressive capacities in the field of study
receive specialized training to meet career objectives
practice career-related skills in the appropriate settings

Dual credit courses are those 300 level courses in which a graduate student can receive graduate credit. These types of courses are no longer being approved. Existing 300-level courses offered for dual-credit will continue to be offered for graduate students (at the 300-level). Once an existing 300-level dual credit course is revised, both a 300 and 400 level course should be created. The 300-level course will go through UCC and the 400 level course will go through the GCC.

400-499 Graduate courses

500-599 Courses limited to advanced graduate students in terminal degree programs such as the M.F.A., Au.D., DNP, Ed.D., and Ph.D.

Bachelor of Science - Science, Mathematics, and/or Technology (BS-SMT) Course Approval Process

Students with a B.S. must have one additional science, mathematics, statistics, and/or technology (SMT) course (beyond the General Education requirements) which must meet three criteria: (a) courses must be three semester hours or greater; (b) courses must list specific prerequisites from mathematics, or natural science, or approved natural science alternative courses, or courses in the quantitative reasoning category; and (c) course content must be mathematical, scientific, and/or technological, and must constitute a significant extension of the courses that count as prerequisites.

To submit an existing course for consideration as an approved BS-SMT course, submit a Course Revision Proposal in the Curriculum Forms System. For a new course, the BS-SMT review should be requested at the same time the New Course Proposal is submitted. For both proposal forms, Be sure to check "Yes" to the question on the proposal form regarding the BS-SMT graduation requirement and include in the Comments section on how the course meets the BS-SMT criteria. BS-SMT course requests will be reviewed by the Council on General Education (CGE) for approval.

Variable-Hour Courses/Repeat Policy

Variable-hour courses are those courses that have a range of possible credit hour options. Variable credit courses are repeatable for credit up to the number of hours shown in the catalog. The student will be graded each time they take the course. These courses do not fall under the "Repeat Policy" where a student can retake a course for a better grade.

For example, the University-wide listing of course numbers includes professional practice courses (198, 298, 398) that may be used by any department or school that wishes to offer a professional practice experience for their students. These courses are established for variable credit hours (1-16). After the course has gone through the curricular process (a proposal approved by the department chair/school director, Director of Professional Practice and UCC Executive Secretary) the department will establish the range of credit hours for that particular semester, as long as it does not go over the range of hours for which the course was initially approved. All versions of the x98 courses (including any decimalizations) can be established with variable hours so that the department or school has control over the number of hours for which a student enrolls in a given semester. (See professional practice: 198, 298, 398 under Definitions of Course Formats.)

Another type of variable credit course is STT 399 Student Teaching. To use this course, a department or school does not send through a proposal, they request a decimalization of STT 399 from the University Curriculum Committee Secretary and supply a syllabus (See "Decimalized Courses" under Definition of Course Formats). Students will register for the number of hours that the department or school has established within the range for student teaching which is 1-16 hours.

Limits of Required Hours

Undergraduate programs are governed by Policy 2.1.9, Baccalaureate Degree Programs, which sets certain limits on what may be required. Please refer to the section "Requirements and Limitations for Degree Programs, Majors, Minors, and Semester Hours Mandated by a Major Department" in Policy 2.1.9 for information on hour limits and other program requirements.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

Course prerequisites may be specific courses, minimum total credit hours required (in progress or completed), class standing (freshman, sophomore, etc..) or a combination of these things.

The phrase "consent of instructor" is not an enforceable prerequisite. If a department/school wants to require all students to have permission to enroll in a specific class/section they should request that the class/section have "Department Consent Required" when they submit their schedule.

If a course specifies that a course is a required co-requisite, the system will check to ensure that the student is enrolled in the course for the term the student is trying to register for. These should be written as "Concurrent registration in COM 110 required". If the department/school wants the course to be completed before or at the same time, it should be written as "COM 110 or concurrent registration".

There are system limitations for "concurrent registration required". If a student decides to go back, after they initially registered, and make changes to their schedule the system will NOT drop them from a class if they drop the required co-requisite. For example: ACC 200 states "Concurrent registration in ACC 199 required". A student registers initially for ACC 199 and then adds ACC 200 and later goes back into the registration system and drops the ACC 199 class, the system will allow them to do this and it will not require the student to drop the ACC 200 class even though they are no longer registered for the ACC 199 class.