Cross-Listed Course Policy

Approval for all new and modified undergraduate and graduate courses begins at the discipline/program level. Normally, one or more faculty will draft a proposal to be considered by their discipline/program colleagues which – if approved – must be sent to the department executive committee for consideration. Once approved by the department executive committee, the college curriculum committee has sign-off authority on all course proposals. The next step is for the University Curriculum and Degree Committee (UCDC) to consider all undergraduate proposals. Graduate proposals need to be sent to the Graduate Subcommittee of UCDC. 

UCDC has established the following policies regarding cross-listed courses among the colleges:

1.  If a course is cross-listed, the originating discipline or department[1]  “owns” the course in the sense that they can determine when it will be offered and who will teach it.
2. If one party to a cross listing decides to delist the course, that is permitted but the other discipline or department must be told prior to the change being approved. 
3. If there is a faculty departure, the home or originating discipline or department continues to “own” the course.
4. If a faculty member goes on sabbatical or other leave, the originating or home discipline or department determines whether the course will be offered and who will teach it.

Campus Definitions for Cross-Listed and Equivalent Courses

Cross-listed Courses: A cross-listed course is a single course that meets together but is offered under more than one discipline heading or course number. There are two major types of cross-listed courses:

1. Across discipline cross listing: The course number is usually the same (preferred), but occasionally one discipline will use a different number for the cross listed course. These courses must have the exact same curricula and course requirements. Therefore, they cannot be taught at different student levels (undergraduate and graduate) or course levels (lower level 100/1000-200/2000) vs. upper level 300/3000-400/4000)).

• Courses must share a course title, credit hours, description, prerequisites, co-requisites, student level, meeting time and days, instructor, classroom, registration restrictions, grade mode and repeatability rules. If one course in a cross listed arrangement is offered, all courses in the cross listed arrangement must be offered.
• Credit may only be earned for the course under one of the cross-listing designations.
• If a course fulfills a requirement for a major, minor or distribution category, all courses cross listed with that course shall be considered to fulfill the same requirement.

2. Meets with or dual listed or split level or concurrently scheduled or cross level cross listing: These courses are distinguished from across discipline cross listed courses by the fact that only some portion of the academic experience is common between the classes, although they are likely to meet as one class. They may be taught as different student levels (undergraduate and graduate) or course levels (lower level and upper level). All students earn the same amount of credit for the course, but more rigorous work is required of students enrolled under the upper level number or graduate level number. Like across discipline cross listing, credits may only be earned for the course under one designation.

Equivalent Courses: Students may receive credit for only one course when courses are determined to be equivalent by the originating faculty. Unlike cross listed courses, equivalent courses usually do not meet together.  Circumstances under which equivalency may occur:

1. A course has its number changed (e.g., a topics course becomes a regular course with a permanent new course number).
2. The courses have substantial overlap in curricula and course requirements (e.g., MATH104 and MATH105). 

Students who receive credit for a course under one course number may not also receive credit for the equivalent course under a different course number.