1. GRADUATE PROGRAM COORDINATOR GRADUATE CURRICULUM SERIES
GRADUATE COURSES – SERIES I
CLAIRE RAMMEL, ASSISTANT DEAN
October 2017

2. CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
To create a new graduate course, or to revise or discontinue an existing graduate course, faculty members must submit a Course Action Form for review and approval.

3. GRADUATE COURSE APPROVAL FLOW
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE APPROVAL FLOW
FACULTY
INITIATE
DEPT
APPROVE
SCHOOL
GRAD EDU

4. GRADUATE COURSE: SIMILAR COURSE CONTENT
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE: SIMILAR COURSE CONTENT
If a new course content is similar to other existing courses in another school or department, it is recommended that you contact the school or department to discuss the differences between the courses before you submit the Course Action Form for review and approval.
Information technology courses in BUSINESS and ENGINEERING

5. NEW GRADUATE COURSE: SLASH COURSE DEFINITION
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE ACTION FORM
NEW GRADUATE COURSE: SLASH COURSE DEFINITION
Slash courses are courses approved to be offered simultaneously at both upper-division undergraduate (4000) and graduate (5000) level.
Undergraduate students must register for the 4000 course and graduate student must register for the 5000 course.
Only 4000-level undergraduate courses may be slash-listed with 5000-level graduate courses.

6. NEW GRADUATE COURSE: SLASH COURSE POLICY
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE ACTION FORM
NEW GRADUATE COURSE: SLASH COURSE POLICY
Slash courses must:
contain the same title, credits, description, prerequisites and grade option
be regular courses (specific subject matter and catalog description) not special topics or variable content courses
have two separate syllabi, undergraduate and graduate, each clearly differentiating learning outcome criteria for 4000-level and level credit
require graduate students present work that is significantly more rigorous in both depth of study and methodology (analysis, synthesis and evaluation of knowledge or skills) contrasted to the undergraduate students.
make a qualitative evaluation of students - the instructor must hold graduate students to a standard higher than those undergraduate students

7. NEW GRADUATE COURSE: BASIC GUIDELINES
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE ACTION FORM
NEW GRADUATE COURSE: BASIC GUIDELINES
Enter the requested graduate course number, according to the Graduate Course Numbering guidelines AND Graduate Reserve Course Numbering guidelines.
A syllabus is required for all new courses
Two separate syllabi are required for new slash courses (4000-level and 5000-level) , each clearly differentiating learning outcome criteria
Slash-listed courses must be approved by both Graduate Council and UCOI
Two or more courses within the same subject cannot share the same course title (CNS 5000 and CNS 5005)

8. MODIFICATION TO EXISTING GRADUATE COURSE
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE ACTION FORM
MODIFICATION TO EXISTING GRADUATE COURSE
A Graduate Course Action form is also submitted to modify an existing graduate course.
A syllabus is not required for graduate course change requests.
Modifications are reviewed to verify the requested change does not constitute a new course.  (A modification to change CNS 5000 from 2-credits to 4-credits constitutes a NEW course)
The semester and year requested for a modification to an existing graduate course and the course has enrollment, the course will be updated to the next future semester and year where the graduate course has no enrollment.

9. GRADUATE COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM
Available Numbers
Reserved Numbers
5000 ‐5899
Courses numbered 5000‐5999 are primarily for entry level graduate students and qualified undergraduate students in their last year of an undergraduate degree program.
5900 – 5999
6000 ‐6899
Courses numbered 6000‐6999 are primarily for master’s students. These courses are restricted to graduate students only.
6900 – 6999
7000 ‐7899
Courses 7000‐7999 are primarily for PhD and professional doctoral students, but with permission of the faculty adviser, qualified master’s students may enroll provided they have requisite foundation knowledge and have obtained permission from the department or school offering the course.
7900 – 7999
8000 ‐8899
Courses 8000‐8999 are restricted to PhD and professional doctoral students.
8900 – 8999
9000 ‐9899
Course 9000‐9999 are reserved for Ph.D. coursework and dissertation research.
9900 – 9999

10. GRADUATE RESERVE COURSE NUMBERING
Step-by-step: Prospective Students
GRADUATE RESERVE COURSE NUMBERING
Course Prefix
Course Suffix New
Reserved Course Descriptions
Course Suffix Growth
5‐6‐7‐8‐9
900
Special Topic
900 ‐ 909
910
Special Topic – Study Abroad
910 ‐ 919
920
Directed Readings
920 ‐ 929
6‐7‐8‐9
930
Field Experience/Placement
930 ‐ 939
940
Seminar
940 ‐ 949
950
Internship
950 ‐ 959
960
Practicum
960 ‐ 969
970
Independent Study
Reserved for expansion
971 ‐ 994
6‐7‐8
995
Graduate Research
6‐7
996
Master’s Project 8
997
DNP or DPT Research Project
998
Master’s Thesis
8‐9
999
Dissertation Research

11. UNDERSTANDING GRADUATE RESERVE COURSE NUMBERING
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
UNDERSTANDING GRADUATE RESERVE COURSE NUMBERING
Reserve course numbering to help ensure continuity across the university and be more comprehensible to students, faculty and individuals outside of Oakland University.
Reserved course numbers are restricted to specific course types.
The first digit of a course number (course prefix) identifies course level.
The last 3 digits of a course number (course suffix) identifies reserved course number.

12. GRADUATE RESERVE COURSE NUMBERING: EXAMPLE
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE RESERVE COURSE NUMBERING: EXAMPLE
Course Prefix
Course Suffix New
Reserved Course Descriptions
Course Suffix Growth
5‐6‐7‐8‐9
920
Directed Readings
920 ‐ 929
Master’s Level Directed Readings
Doctoral Level Directed Readings

13. GRADUATE COURSE: TITLE AND DESCRIPTION
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE: TITLE AND DESCRIPTION
The abbreviated course title must not exceed 30 characters
The full course title must not exceed 99 characters
The course description must not exceed 50 words
Include prerequisite and/or co-requisite graduate courses in the course description
If a slash course, Include a distinctive statement in the course description that identifies the 5000-level course as a slash course

14. GRADUATE COURSE: REPEATED FOR CREDIT
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE: REPEATED FOR CREDIT
The repeat limit is the number of times a course may be repeated for credit.
This limit is enforced at the time of registration.
Providing the appropriate repeat limit is important - the University will not provide financial aid for a course that is not listed as repeatable for credit OR if the student repeated the course more than the number of times listed in the Banner course catalog.
The credit limit indicates the maximum number of credits that a student may earn in the course that will count toward degree requirements

15. GRADUATE COURSE: VARIABLE CREDIT
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE: VARIABLE CREDIT
Graduate Courses offered for variable credit have a credit range (low to high credits)
Example: CNS is offered for 1 to 3 credits.
The repeat limit is set to 3 - the number of times this course may be repeated for credit.
The credit limit is set to 9 credits - the maximum number of credits that a student may earn in this course that will count toward degree requirements

16. GRADUATE COURSE: VARIABLE CREDIT ISSUES
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE: VARIABLE CREDIT ISSUES
Suppose a student takes CNS credits, 3 credits and 2 credits for a total of 8 credits. Based on the repeat limit, of 3, the student can enroll in the course one more time, however if he registers for 2 (or 3) credits for the fourth time, the student will exceed the 9-­credit limit.
It is not possible to remove only the part of the credits from his fourth attempt that exceeded the credit limit, so all credits from the fourth attempt will be treated as having exceeded the credit limit.

17. GRADUATE COURSE: REPEATED FOR GRADE IMPROVEMENT
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE: REPEATED FOR GRADE IMPROVEMENT
Graduate students, with the permission of the program faculty and Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning, may repeat a course up to two times. The original grade for the course will remain on the student transcript, but the last numerical OR letter grade earned in the course will be used in computing a new grade-point average. 
Students must complete the Petition to Repeat a Course and obtain approval from their program faculty to repeat a graduate course. A new grade-point average will NOT be computed for a graduate course repeated without an approved Petition on file with Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.

18. GRADUATE COURSE: PREREQUISTE COURSES
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE: PREREQUISTE COURSES
Prerequisite graduate courses stated in your course description cannot be enforced in Banner.
A graduate level course requiring a specific OU undergraduate course as a prerequisites will prevent registration for students who completed their undergraduate coursework at another institution.
In these cases, stating undergraduate prerequisites in terms of general competencies or skills - such as “knowledge of...” OR “coursework in...” should be considered instead.

19. GRADUATE COURSE: CO-REQUISITE COURSES
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE: CO-REQUISITE COURSES
A co-­requisite is a course that must be taken at the same time as another course.
Co-requisite graduate courses stated in your course description cannot be enforced in Banner.
As a reminder - failure to offer a co-requisite course during a specific semester will prevent students from enrolling in the primary course.

20. GRADUATE COURSE: FACE-TO-FACE
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE: FACE-TO-FACE
All courses have classroom interaction time requirements that correspond to credit hours.
FACE-TO-FACE COURSES
In a traditional course, the classroom interaction time requirement is met by the teacher meeting with the students in a physical classroom for a specific amount of time each week.
These meetings are often referred to as “face-to-face” meetings.

21. GRADUATE COURSE: PRIMARILY ONLINE and ONLINE
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
GRADUATE COURSE: PRIMARILY ONLINE and ONLINE
Online tools allow instructors to replace required face-to-face meeting time with online activities. The amount of required face-to-face meeting time that is replaced by online activity time determines a course’s delivery method.
PRIMARILY ONLINE COURSES
Up to 3 face-to-face meetings may be required. Remaining course meetings are delivered online.
ONLINE COURSES
All instruction is delivered online; no face-to-face meeting

22. ACCREDITATION DEFINITION OF ONLINE COURSES
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
ACCREDITATION DEFINITION OF ONLINE COURSES
North Central Accreditation (NCA) Higher Learning Commission (HLC) considers a course to be online when 75% or more of required meetings are delivered online.
In terms of HLC definition, OU considers graduate courses in both the “online” and “primarily online” delivery methods are as online courses.

23. ACCREDITATION DEFINITION OF ONLINE PROGRAMS
CURRICULUM: GRADUATE COURSE
ACCREDITATION DEFINITION OF ONLINE PROGRAMS
North Central Accreditation (NCA) Higher Learning Commission (HLC) considers an “online program” to be a program in which 50% of the required courses are delivered as online courses (75% or more of required meetings are delivered online).
All online graduate programs must be reported to HLC, before OU can award financial aid to students enrolled in an online program.
Example: Master of Science in Safety Management

24. QUESTIONS