Course Numbering Rules and Conventions

All courses have full four-digit numbers. The first digit of a course identifies its level.

• Courses numbered A000 - U000 are reserved for transferred elective and generic credits.
• Courses numbered 0700 - 0799 are reserved for preparatory courses.
• Courses numbered 0800 - 0999 are reserved for General Education courses and Honors General Education courses.
• Courses numbered 1000 - 1999 are appropriate for undergraduate students in their first year of study.

Courses numbered 2000 - 5999 are considered "upper level" for undergraduates.

• Courses numbered 2000 - 2999 are appropriate for undergraduate students in their second year of study.
• Courses numbered 3000 - 3999 are appropriate for undergraduate students in their third year of study.
• Courses numbered 4000 - 4999 are appropriate for undergraduate students in their fourth year of study.
• Courses numbered 5000 - 5999 are primarily for graduate students, but undergraduate students in their third or fourth year may enroll with permission of their instructors and the dean's designee.
• Courses numbered 8000 - 9999 are for graduate students.

Other Classifications and Definitions

Undergraduate Courses

• 0700 - 0799 Preparatory Courses: Courses numbered from 0700-0799 are appropriate for undergraduate, first-year math and writing courses. Students' math and writing placement assessment results determine these course-level selections.
• 0800 - 0899 General Education Courses: Courses numbered from 0800-0899 are appropriate for any undergraduate General Education course requirements.
• 0900 - 0999 General Education Honors Courses: Courses numbered 0900-0999 are appropriate for any undergraduate General Education Honors course requirements.
• xxx0 Special Topics: Regularly-scheduled courses (not individualized instruction) offered with variable content, and repeatable for credit.
• x9xx Honors Courses: Undergraduate Honors courses will be identified by a 9 as the second digit of the course number and will have "Honors" as the first word of the title. The 9 in the second position will not be used by any non-Honors undergraduate course. General Education Honors courses are designated 09xx.
• xx81 Cooperative Assignment: Increasingly complex, experiential learning with supervision external to the university. Usually these courses include learning experiences over more than one semester - as part of a defined program.
• xx82 Independent Study: Explorative study or research initiated by an undergraduate student with faculty sponsorship and an approved Independent Study contract.
• xx83 Directed Reading/Study: Mentored reading/study between a faculty member and an undergraduate student.
• xx84 Performance: Concert performance, juried art exhibition or other performance taken as a requirement for the degree.
• xx85 Internship/Externship: Pre-professional clinical or experiential traineeships contracted by the student's department, including experiences with a clinical, research, or other special concentration in a specific area. Students must have faculty sponsorship and an approved Internship/Externship contract.
• xx86 Internship/Externship: Reserved for a continuation of an internship/externship experience, following xx85.
• xx87 Practicum: Programs that are traineeships contracted by the student's department to meet the educational, geographic, and specific interests of the student. Settings generally have on-site clinical supervision.
• xx88 Student Teaching: Practical experiences in student teaching designed to support and lead to teacher certification.
• xx89 Field Study: On-site, observational study or data collection and analyses which deepen practical knowledge in the discipline. The purpose of the Field Study is to integrate and apply academic theories to on-site experiences.
• xx91 Directed Research: Mentored research between a faculty mentor and an undergraduate student.
• xx92 Undefined
• xx93 Undefined
• xx94 Undefined
• xx95 Undefined
• xx96 Writing-Intensive Course: Courses fulfilling the requirement of the General Education Program that each undergraduate major designates at least two courses as "writing-intensive." The designated courses shall require students to edit and rewrite papers to achieve a high level of clarity and cogency, use a variety of methods to find appropriate materials to support written work and to make proper attribution of those sources.
• xx97 Writing-Intensive Course
• xx98 Writing-Intensive Course
• xx99 Undergraduate Thesis: Sustained research, performance or artistic project resulting in a substantial, finished written report or other product in a format appropriate to the project. Assumes faculty sponsorship and mentorship.

Graduate Courses

• xxx0 Special Topics: Regularly-scheduled courses (not individualized instruction) offered with variable content, and repeatable for credit.
• 5x81 and 9x81 Co-operative Assignment: An experiential learning experience with supervision external to Temple University.
• 5x82 and 9x82 Independent Study: Explorative study or research initiated by a graduate student with faculty sponsorship and an approved Independent Study contract.
• 5x83 and 9x83 Directed Reading/Study: Mentored reading/study between a faculty member and a graduate student.
• 5x84 and 9x84 Performance: Concert performance, juried art exhibition, or other performance taken as a requirement for the degree.
• 5x85 and 9x85 Internship/Externship: Professional clinical or experiential traineeships.
• 5x86 and 9x86 Internship/Externship: Reserved for continuation of Internship/Externship experiences numbered 5x85 and 9x85.
• 5x87 and 9x87 Practicum: Programs that are traineeships contracted by the student's department to meet the educational, geographic and specific interests of the student. Settings generally have on-site clinical supervision.
• 5x88 and 9x88 Practicum: Reserved for continuation of practicum experiences 5x87 and 9x87.
• 5x89 and 9x89 Field Study: On-site observational study or data collection/analyses in the transition from the academic to the professional environment. The purpose of Field Study is to integrate and apply academic theories to the professional arena.
• 5999 Research Experience
• 9991 Directed Research: Mentored research between a faculty mentor and a graduate student.
• 9992 Master/Doctoral Leveling Exam(s): Competency examinations that must be satisfied prior to sitting for the master's or doctoral preliminary/candidacy exam.
• 9993 Master Comprehensive Exams
• 9994 Doctoral Preliminary/Candidacy Exam
• 9995 Thesis/project Credits: Master of Fine Arts
• 9996 Thesis Credits: Masters
• 9997 Reserved for future use
• 9998 Doctoral Proposal/Candidacy
• 9999 Dissertation Credits

For more specific policies, consult individual schools, colleges, or programs.