The goal of the course description is to provide students with a clear and concise summary of what students will learn and how they will benefit from taking the course. A course description is typically 150-200 words [not counting required elements as note below], though there are no character limits. Required elements include: a course prefix, course number, course title, lecture and lab contact hours (if applicable), semester credit hours, any prerequisites or corequisites, and any cross-listings. A course description may also include the number of times a course may be taken for credit and whether the course may be taken on a satisfactory or unsatisfactory basis. 

The syllabus course description should mirror the official catalog description for the course.
 
Please visit our CARS Forms webpage to access the CARS course forms to propose a new course or edit existing courses.

Minor changes will be made in accordance with University Policy 11.99.99.M3 Curricular Processes and Substantive Changes. 
 
Reinstated courses will be added based on the last catalog entry. 

Standard course titles:

• 481 - Seminar
• 484 - Internship
• 681 - Seminar
• 684 - Professional Internship
• 690 - Theory of Research
• 692 - Professional Study / Readings
• 693 - Professional Study
• 695 - Frontiers in...
• 697 - Methods in...
  
  

• 285s, 485s, 685s – Directed Studies 
• 289s, 489s, 689s – Special Topics in … 
• 291s, 491s, 691s – Research 

Below is a suggested list to assist departments in writing course descriptions. Departments are not obligated or limited to its use. 

Some phrases begin with the following:

Advanced instruction in …	Fundamentals of …
Advanced topics in …	Includes …
Analysis of …	Inquiry into …
Application of …	Insight into …
Appraisal of …	Instruction in …
Appreciation of …	Interpretation of …
Assessment of …	Investigation of …
Clarification of …	Major elements of …
Concept of …	Methodologies of …
Consideration of …	Methods of …
Contemplation of …	Models of …
Continuation of … (Part 1 and 2)	Overview of …
Critique of …	Perspective on …
Deconstruction of …	Preparation in …
Development of …	Principles of …
Discussion of …	Reflection of …
Dissection of …	Research in …
Dynamics of …	Selected themes in …
Elements of ...	Study of …
Emphasis on …	Survey of …
Evaluation of …	Synthesis of …
Examination of …	Techniques …
Exploration of …	Theory …
Exposure to …	Topics include …
Focus on …	Understanding of …
Framework for …	Utilization of …

Do: 

• Focus on what the student will gain from the course, rather than on the instructor or the assignments.
• Be short and to the point, typically no longer than 150 -200 words (though there are no character limits), and focus on the core content and benefits to the student.
• Write in the active voice and present tense, avoiding phrases like "will learn" or "you will".
• Begin sentences with active verbs and avoid starting with "This course".
• Steer clear of overly general or self-evident phrases, such as "This course covers" or "At the end of this course".
• Separate a series using commas (,).

Abbreviations: 

• Use “U.S.,” not “US” for abbreviating the United States. 
• Spell out “Texas A&M” instead of using “TAMU.” 
• If using acronyms, when practical, write out the complete name for first use of the abbreviation. 

Use a clear course title and refrain from using abbreviations, acronyms, ampersands, numbers and names (e.g., Intl, HR, 101, Aggie, Mays, Bush, etc.). The catalog course title is limited to 100 characters.

Catalog course titles need to be written in title/headline case, not all caps. The complete course title should not contain any program names. For 300- and 400- level courses, do not use the word "Introduction" in the title.

• Abbreviated Course Title must directly correspond with Complete Catalog Course Title. Update Abbreviated Course Title as needed to better reflect title of course.
• Abbreviated Course Titles will appear in all caps.
• Abbreviated Course Title is limited to 30 characters. If the complete course title fits within this limit, use the full Complete Catalog Course Title.
• Use ampersand (&) instead of “and.”

Do:

• Use semicolons (;) to separate prerequisites.
  
• Use "Grade of [C or B] or better in..." for undergraduate courses where the Minimum Grade/Score in the Enforced Prerequisites and Concurrent Enrollment Table specifically indicates a "C" or "B" respectively. If no minimum grade is indicated, the default Minimum Grade/Score is a "D”.
  
• Use “freshman classification,” “sophomore classification,” or “junior or senior classification.” 
• Use “graduate classification.” 
• Use “doctoral classification,” “doctoral level,” or “doctoral programs.” 
• Use “approval of instructor.” 
• Use “concurrent enrollment.” 
• Repeat the course prefix for multiple courses within the same department. Ex., “ACCT 315 or ACCT 327”; Ex., “AERO 302, AERO 303, AERO 306, AERO 351 and AERO 421”

When cross-listing a course, the course title, lecture and lab contact hours, semester credit hours, description and prerequisite(s) must match exactly.

Cross-listed courses must be at the same academic level. For example, a 300-level course must be cross-listed with another 300-level course.

Use the following statements for the following scenarios.

• If a course may be taken more than 1 time for credit:
  • “May be taken X times for credit.” 
  • “May be taken X times for credit with different readings.” 
  • "May be taken X times for credit as content varies."
• If there is no limit to the number of times a course may be taken:
  
  • “May be repeated for credit.” 
• If a course has a maximum number of hours for credit:
  • “May be taken up to X hours for credit.”
• If a course must be taken on a S/U basis:

• “Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.”

NOTE: For X, please spell out numbers one through nine and use digits for numbers 10 and above.

Please reference the current Undergraduate Catalog and the Graduate and Professional Catalogs for information on how credit hours are displaced.

Variable credit hours appear in various formats such as: 

• Credit 1 to 4. 
• Credit 1 to 5 each semester. 
• Credit 1 or more each semester.