To propose a new course or revise an existing course, log into the Course Inventory Management (CIM-C/CIM-Courses) system. Upon submission, CIM-C will route the request to the necessary departmental, college, and Graduate College steps in workflow for review and approvals. For specific questions on using the CIM system, please contact Office of the Registrar. Questions about courses should be directed to Brooke Newell in the Office of the Provost.
The following are helpful CIM-C resources:
- Guidelines to assist in completing new course CIM-C online form
- Guidelines to assist in completing revised course CIM-C online form
- Units proposing or revising courses awarding graduate credit are encouraged to visit Graduate College Developing Graduate Programs and Courses website.
- Units requesting general education certification, recertifying existing certification, or removing certification are encouraged to visit Gen Ed Course (Re)Certification & Maintaining Status website.
- Deactivating and Reactivating Courses
- New and Revised Course Submission Timeline
Course Number
Course Number | Course Type |
---|---|
000-099 | Noncredit, preparatory course |
100-199 | Lower level undergraduate courses |
200-299 | Lower level undergraduate courses |
300-399 | Upper level undergraduate courses |
400-499 | Upper level undergraduate and graduate courses |
500-599 | Graduate level courses |
600-799 | Professional courses (available to College of Medicine, Law and Vet Med) and select graduate courses |
Renumbering Existing Course
When renumbering an existing course, consideration should be given on the implications for: the degree audit for students who took the course under the existing course number; transfer students; programs of study that include the course and courses that include the course as a prerequisite, since CIM will not automatically update the course number and thus units will need to revise their CIM programs and courses accordingly; if changing levels of the course (for example, from a 300 to a 200 level) might impact degree requirements for upper-level coursework; and overall numbering for the rubric. Please consult with the Office of the Registrar if you have further questions.
Re-using Course Numbers
Course numbers may not be re-used for a period of six years from the last time the course was offered. Please consult with the Office of the Registrar to determine the availability of course numbers. In CIM-C, there is a tool that will pull up a list of existing courses in a rubric, including deactivated courses, to aid in selection of a new course number. Courses that have not been offered in 6 years and are deactivated in CIM-C can be archived to make a course number available for reuse. Reach out to the Office of the Registrar at cmss-catalog@illinois.edu to request that a course be archived.
199 Courses (Undergraduate Open Seminars)
The 199 course is a special course for independent study or for use as a testbed for topics not treated by regularly scheduled courses. Credit for 199 courses applies toward graduation (generally, to a maximum of 12 hours); however, credit toward satisfying particular college or departmental requirements is contingent upon approval by the appropriate college or departmental bodies.
Special Topics Courses
In addition to 199 courses, a number of 200-, 300-, 400- and 500-level courses also serve as special topics courses, and are typically identified as such by their titles. As in the case of 199 courses, topics offered under such courses are necessarily temporary; they are not listed in the Courses Catalog. A specific topic may be offered a maximum of three times under a special topics listing; if there is an intention to offer the course past the third time, a proposal to establish it as a permanent course must be submitted through the CIM-C system. Approval as a permanent course is necessary before the course can be offered again.
Syllabus
All new course proposals require inclusion of the course syllabus. Course revisions may need a syllabus attached, including but not limited to revising/adding credit hours and reactivating a course. Required and strongly recommended syllabus information can be found on the Provost’s Office Course Syllabus Resources website.
Course Credit
Academic units offering courses for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign academic credit must adhere to the federal definition of a credit hour for the assignment of credit hours earned per course, as described in university policy. Helpful information regarding Course Credit and Contact Hours can be found on the Assigning Credit Hours website.
Laboratory, independent study, special problems, and thesis research courses should follow a similar model based on the unique needs of the course.
Please refer to the Graduate College Policy for Proposed New and Revised Courses for complete information regarding graduate level coursework.
For more information, visit the following links:
Courses intended for both Undergraduate, Graduate and Professional credit
Credit statements for 400 -level courses will appear in the Courses of Instruction entry as follows:
- X undergraduate hours. Y graduate hours. (if the course is available for a different number of undergraduate and graduate hours; see ‘differential credit’)
OR
- No graduate credit. (if the course is only available for undergraduate credit)
There is no statement in the Courses of Instruction entry if the course is available for the same number of undergraduate and graduate hours.
Variable and Differential Credit
Additional explanation is required if there is variable credit or differential credit. Differential credit involves two distinct credit-hour options depending on intended audience and is characterized by an “or” relationship (e.g., 3 or 4 hours). Variable credit involves a range of credit hours distinguished by a “to” relationship (e.g., 1 to 3 hours). For any course requesting variable (1 to 4 hrs.) or differential (2 or 4 hrs.) credit, justify why different amounts of credit need to be available. For courses awarding different credit based on student level, the extra work required of graduate students should be of a concrete nature, included in calculation of the final grade, and listed explicitly in the syllabus and within the “Justify variable or differential credit” CIM course field. Additionally, please ensure that the syllabus specifies the work required for each number of credit hours, as defined in Credit Hour Definition.
Repeatability
A course for which repeatability approval is sought must be matched to only one of the six permissible categories, i.e., choose the ‘best fit.’ For each category below, representative examples and keywords are given to guide selection:
- 1X = Applied Experiences —internships, practicums, apprenticeships, study abroad, field trips, service learning, outreach, etc.
- 1H = Honors —any Honors-designated course, seminar, etc.
- 1N = Individualized Instruction —one-on-one teaching involving established subject matter, typical of courses titled ‘Independent Study’ or ‘Individual Study’
- 1R = Research or Ongoing Study—guided group or individual research, investigations, projects, studies, problem-solving, etc. in new, developing, or emerging areas
- 1S = Special Topics, Seminars —trial or nonpermanent subject offerings of current, developing, or emerging topics to augment existing courses; colloquia, discussion groups, seminars, etc. with student, faculty, visitor, and/or outside presenters/participants
- 1M = Subject Mastery/Skill Proficiency —developing or improving mental and/or physical ability in areas such as art, communication, language, writing, leadership, life skills, motor skills, the performing arts (dance, music, theater), laboratory practice, medical/vet-med training
If a course is repeatable, complete additional questions related to total hours, entering total hours, “U” if unlimited, or “NA” if not applicable. If the “if topics vary” box is checked, the Courses of Instruction repeatability sentence will automatically include “if topics vary.”
NOTE: Based on the entries to repeatability items, the Office of the Registrar fashions a Repeatability Statement as part of the other course information placed after the course description in the Courses of Instruction entry. The preferred format is:
May be repeated
> in [the same term / separate terms / the same or separate terms]
> if topics vary
> to a maximum of [X hours / X undergraduate or Y graduate hours / X graduate or professional hours]
> but no more than X hours in any one term
Each qualifier (>) below the initial phrase “May be repeated” is optional –in the descending order shown.
Examples:
- May be repeated.
- May be repeated in separate terms if topics vary to a maximum of X hours.
- May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of X undergraduate or Y graduate hours but no more than Z hours in any one term.
Graduation Credit Restrictions
Graduation credit restrictions are used when a course has been renumbered or the content of the course is equivalent/overlaps significantly to another course in the catalog. It affects all courses listed below. If courses outside of the proposing unit are listed below, please contact the other units so they can add the graduation credit restriction to their course for transparency. The restriction is enforced in the degree audit of all courses below whether or not the statement is in each course description. This statement always begins “Credit is not given toward graduation for”. Example: CHBE 321 has a credit restriction statement “Credit is not given toward graduation for CHBE 321 and either ABE 340 or ME 200.” As such, ABE 340 and ME 200 must have a similar statement, with their respective course listed first.
It is important to remember that when a course is deactivated, a student cannot earn credit for the deactivated course and a new iteration of the course, if one is created.
Example 1. Credit is not given toward graduation for ACE 100 if credit for ECON 102 has been earned.
Example 2. Credit is not given toward graduation for both ACES 509 and ACES 409.
Advisory Statements
Prerequisites
Prerequisite statements are advisory in nature and are not enforced through the registration system unless approved by the Office of the Registrar. Graduate-level courses other than seminars and individual study usually require prerequisite knowledge or experience.
The following suggestions are provided to promote clarity in prerequisite statements to the students who may be registering for the course.
- list only the highest-level course if there is a string of sequenced prerequisites (see Example 1 below)
- list both the primary course and any cross-listed courses (Academic Catalog’s Courses of Instruction ‘Same As’
statements readily identify secondary cross-listed course alternatives) for transparency. - explicitly list courses by their subject and number (CHEM 232) found in the Courses of
Instruction (not, e.g., “a course in chemistry”) - express alternative courses and combinations of courses clearly (see Example 2 below).
Example 1. Since GRK 101 is a prerequisite for GRK 102, the prerequisite ‘GRK 101 and GRK 102’ should be shortened to ‘GRK 102’ for a course requiring GRK102 as a prerequisite, such as GRK 201.
Example 2. Consider the prerequisite statement ‘CS 225 and CS 373 or MATH 444.’ It’s ambiguous. It could mean ‘(CS 225 and CS 373) or (MATH 444), or perhaps ‘(CS 225) and (CS 373 or MATH 444).’ Assuming it’s the latter, the use of a semicolon gives the clear meaning by separating the intended groupings: ‘CS 225; CS 373 or MATH 444.’
Concurrent Enrollment Statement
Concurrent enrollment statements are advisory in nature and are not enforced through the Banner
system unless approved by the Office of the Registrar. Statements should be entered as “Concurrent enrollment is required in Subject Course and Subject Course.”
Example – ACCY 301 – for a Prerequisite statement that reads: Prerequisite: ACCY 202 or equivalent and concurrent enrollment in ACCY 302 by students majoring in accountancy (recommended for non-accountancy majors); or consent of department; the concurrent enrollment statement ‘Concurrent
enrollment in ACCY 302 by students majoring in accountancy’ should be added to the Concurrent enrollment box.
Restricted Audience Statement
These restrictions can be enforced through Banner at the section level and should be separate from the prerequisite statement. These restrictions typically limit registration to a group of students, e.g., ‘for majors only’ or ‘junior standing required.’ Finally, ending the statement with a period ‘.’ will allow accurate Banner synching.
Example – ANTH 495 – for a Prerequisite statement that reads: Prerequisites: Senior standing; ANTH 391; 3.6 GPA in anthropology; 37 hours of anthropology courses, and consent of instructor; ‘Senior Standing’ should be put in the Audience Restriction box.
Cross-Listing
Guidelines for Approved Cross-Lists
- Cross-listing should be based on course content in that it deals with the involved departments/subjects (SUBJ) in a substantive way.
- Cross-listing should be limited to cases involving a significant purpose, such as instructors from more than one department are involved in the instruction of a course. Creating cross-listings for the purpose of “advertising” a course multiple places in the Courses of Instruction is not considered justification for cross-listing, nor is the desire to enhance the stature of the course.
- A cross-listed course is considered the joint responsibility of all departments/SUBJ offerings, and coordination of course scheduling should be agreed upon by all involved departments.
- In a given term, if any SUBJ offering of a cross-list is active, all SUBJ offerings must be active.
- All schedule types must be the same across all sections.
- All course levels numbers must be the same (example: a 400 level may not be cross listed with a 100 level course).
- All sections of a given course must be scheduled with the same instructor, room and meeting pattern.
- The section ID must remain the same throughout the cross-list, except in cases of a grad section cross-listed with undergrad, then U1 and G1 should be used.
Limitations
- Independent Study courses may not be cross-listed.
- Special Topics courses may not be cross-listed.
- Two existing courses may not be cross-listed.
- Courses may not be cross-listed within the same department.
- Cross-lists should be reviewed on a continuous basis. It is critical that cross-lists be deactivated if course content and instruction no longer justify the cross-listing.
- Please consult with the Office of the Registrar for questions concerning temporary cross-listings known as “meets with” sections.
Course Fees
Course fees, when approved, must be separate, unique and used solely for support of the courses involved. For more detailed information, see the Course Fees website.