Academic Programs

Summary

• The primary purpose of the course description is to clarify course content.
• Course descriptions are used by students, prospective employers, accreditors and transfer articulators at other institutions.
• To ensure consistency, clarity, and succinctness, limit the course description to 50-80 words.
• All course descriptions are listed in the OSU Academic Catalog.
• Course descriptions in the syllabus must match the catalog description exactly.
• Course descriptions must be listed on every syllabus and must match for all sections of the course, regardless of location, modality, and instructor.

Special Cases

• Special topics courses do not include a course description because the content changes each term.
• Blanket courses do not include a course description because the course title indicates the nature of the content (e.g., thesis/dissertation, internship/work experience).
• Sequential courses may use the same description.
• Course descriptions for non-credit courses are determined by the type of experience and follow a standard format. Copy and paste the description from the Non-Credit Courses page.

What must be included in the course description:

• Statements that describe and clarify the content of the course.
  • Begin each statement with an active verb. (The understood subject of each statement should be "the course...".)
• Crosslisted courses should be indicated at the end of the description (e.g., CROSSLISTED as FE 307/FOR 307)

What may also be included in the course description:

• Clarification of language, if relevant for the content (e.g., “Taught in German")
• References to other courses if content will build upon them (e.g., "uses techniques learned in XXX to explore...").
  • Note: For slash-listed courses, do not reference prerequisite courses because students at a different academic level may not have completed them.

What not to include in the course description:

• “The course” or "Students will” at the beginning of statements
• Departmental jargon or university acronyms
• Personal pronouns such as, "I," "we," "you" or “he/she/they”
• Content for specific groups of students (e.g., "This course is for College of Liberal Arts students")
• Information related to admission, advising or programs (e.g., "Fulfills the foreign language admission requirement" or "Prepares students in the Biology major")
• Frequency of class offering (e.g., "offered every other year")
• Information that will already be listed with the course description in the Catalog or information that will be displayed in the Schedule of Classes

• See the Academic Catalog for additional information about what is included alongside the course description.
• Information for the Schedule of Classes should be added to the CRN at the time of scheduling.

Visit the Writing Course Descriptions page for examples of course descriptions that meet this criteria.

Minor changes, such as correcting typos, can be made to courses throughout the year, but all requests must be sent to the Catalog Coordinator in the Office of the Registrar for review.