CLAS Home > Course Renumbering

TO: Collegiate Deans
FROM: Lola Lopes, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
RE: Course Renumbering Project
DATE: August 22, 2005

As you know, collegiate representatives have been developing a new numbering system for all University courses. The first step, assigning alpha-character acronyms to departments to replace the current 3-digit department numbering system, is almost completed. We are pleased to announce that a new numbering system for courses has been successfully developed. The new system will replace the current 3-digit course number with a new 4-digit course number, significantly expanding the range of course numbers available to departments. You may now begin working with your departments to implement this new system.

The Registrar's Office has developed a web site accessible via Infobank (https://infobank.registrar.uiowa.edu) to facilitate the renumbering process. All Infobank users will be able to view all changes submitted, but each department and/or college should identify selected users who will be given update access to the site and be able to submit new course numbers. Please forward names and Hawk IDs to Christina Carlson in the Registrar's Office at 5-2845 or christina-carlson@uiowa.edu. Instructions for using the web site will be sent via e-mail as users are identified. A 'Course Renumbering Project' website will also be developed for posting memos and announcements about the project; information on the site will be forthcoming from the Registrar's Office.

Please ask your units to submit their completed course renumbering schemes to you no later than the end of Fall Semester so that they can be reviewed, revised if necessary, and finalized by the end of Spring Semester.

If you would like further information about the policy, please contact me at 5-0148 or lola-lopes@uiowa.edu. If you have questions about the implementation of the new system, please contact Larry Lockwood, University Registrar, at 5-0217 or larry-lockwood@uiowa.edu, or Christina Carlson in the Registrar's Office at the phone or e-mail listed above.

The new numbering levels will be briefly described on University documents as follows:

0000-0999 Non-Credit courses

1000-1999 Introductory-level undergraduate courses

2000-2999 Lower-level undergraduate courses

3000-3999 Upper-level undergraduate courses

4000-4999 Advanced Undergraduate courses

5000-5999 Graduate courses

6000-6999 Graduate courses

7000-7999 Graduate courses

8000-8999 Professional degree courses

9000-9999 Professional degree courses

All of the following definitions are general guidelines that will be used consistently across the University. As you work on the project, however, please consider the following:

• Consider current enrollments as a guideline for renumbering, especially when you renumber courses currently at the 100-level. Some of these courses may be appropriately numbered at the 3000- or 4000-level if the enrollment is primarily undergraduates; others may be appropriately numbered in the 5000- level if the enrollment is primarily graduate students.
• Please consider not only students in your own programs but the needs of interdisciplinary programs whose students use courses you offer. This is particularly a concern with courses at the graduate levels.
• Some colleges may opt to use consistent numbers for courses that are offered by all of their departments. For example, a college may elect to number all Senior-level Independent Study courses as 4999. This decision will be made within each college; there is not a general rule for these courses to be applied across colleges.
• If you want to keep certain types of courses together, leave a few unused course numbers between used numbers, so that you will have numbers available in that group in the future. After we begin using the new numbering scheme, departments will not be permitted to re-use a course number for ten years after it has been dropped from the database of officially-approved courses.
• For cross-referenced courses, all of the applicable new course numbers will be entered by the Administrative Home department, after careful consultation with the other departments listing the course.
• As with all course approval processing, course renumbering updates entered via the web site will be reviewed and approved by the appropriate collegiate deans before being finalized in the official course database.
• The new numbering scheme will not be used until registration for Fall 2007. However, new courses added in the interim (for example, for Fall 2006) will need to be given numbers for both the current and future numbering schemes. The 'ADD COURSE' and 'REVISE COURSE' forms available on the Registrar's Office web site are being revised to accommodate this change. The scope of this project does not include other types of course approval changes (title, hours, etc). Those changes should be handled through the regular course approval process.
• During the interim between Fall 2005 and Fall 2007, course approval changes should be kept to a minimum. Due to time constraints and demands on staff across campus during development of the new student information system, it is important that only required changes be submitted.

Course numbers 0000 through 0999. Non-credit courses and courses that are offered to non-matriculated students (e.g., in Upward Bound, or other enrollments of students who are not yet enrolled in an undergraduate college).

Course numbers 1000 through 1999: Introductory, elementary, and general-education courses that are appropriate for first-year students and others with no special background. Courses numbered in 1000 - 1999 ordinarily will have few or no prerequisites.

Course numbers 2000 through 2999: Lower-level undergraduate courses, those that would ideally be taken by second and perhaps third-year students. These courses might build on materials from the 1000 series courses, and may carry prerequisites.

Course numbers 3000 through 3999: Upper-level undergraduate courses, courses for majors, courses that require significant prerequisites, and so on. Courses at this level are undergraduate courses, but please note that the Graduate College will grant graduate credit to graduate students who take courses numbered 3000 and above.

Course numbers 4000 through 4999: Advanced upper-level undergraduate courses, including senior seminars, advanced independent study courses, honors thesis work, and so on. Use these numbers for "dual use" courses whose enrollments include both undergraduates and graduate students, and for which graduate students can receive graduate credit.

Course numbers 5000 to 5999: Graduate courses. However, undergraduates, with the advice of their advisers, may register for these courses without special permission. Use these numbers for introductory or first-year graduate courses. This category may include the first course of a core sequence, and may also include orientation courses or colloquia for entering graduate students. The professional colleges (for example, Medicine, Law, Dentistry, Pharmacy) may use course numbers in this sequence for courses they offer that are open to students (graduate students or undergraduate students) who are not pursuing professional degrees.

Courses numbered 6000 to 6999: Graduate courses. They are not open to undergraduates without special permission. Use these numbers for intermediate graduate courses. You may elect to dedicate the 6000 level to graduate work normally taken after the first year or to first-year graduate work inappropriate for use as an undergraduate elective. The professional colleges may use course numbers in this sequence for courses open to their graduate students who are not pursuing professional degrees.

Courses numbered 7000 to 7999: Graduate courses. They are not open to undergraduates without special permission. Use these numbers for advanced graduate courses. These numbers may complete a master's level course sequence, or complete the course work progression toward a doctoral degree. You may elect to incorporate numbers from this level for thesis or research hours and capstone projects. The professional colleges may use course numbers in this sequence for advanced courses open to their graduate students who are not pursuing professional degrees.

Courses numbered 8000 to 8999 and 9000 to 9999 are used by the professional colleges for students in their professional degree programs.

Thank you for your help with this project. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions.