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How to Write a Syllabus

July 24, 2016

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A well-designed syllabus is an essential tool for effectively managing a course. It gives students a clear understanding of your expectations and a road map for how the course will be conducted. When done right, a syllabus can prevent a lot of misunderstandings as the semester progresses.

As a middle school teacher, I put together a simple syllabus to communicate my plans and expectations to students and their parents. When I followed those years up with four years of college teaching, I had to take things to a new level: “The syllabus is seen as a legal agreement between you and your students,” my department head told me. It is a kind of contract. A promise. In other words, if a student ever wanted to contest their grade in my course, everyone involved in making the decision would refer to my syllabus to see whether I had kept up my end of the bargain. Whatever I wrote there needed to be something I could still stand behind months later.

With that in mind, it’s worth it to put some time and effort into your syllabus well before you ever meet your students, and to make it as thorough and detailed as possible.

In this post, I will share what I include in my own syllabi. I refined my own model over time, pulling from various sources and modifying things through trial and error every semester. It’s certainly not the only way to write a syllabus, but what I can say with certainty is that I had very few issues every semester in terms of students not understanding what was expected of them. No debates over how I calculated grades. No misunderstandings about when assignments were due. And even those few times, I was able to point those students to the syllabus, which they just didn’t happen to read very carefully. So if you’re looking for a syllabus writing model, this one will get the job done.

By the way, if you’re not too handy with page layout and would like a ready-made syllabus template , scroll to the bottom of this post.

Before Giving Your Syllabus to Students

It is essential that you get your syllabus approved by your administration prior to giving it to students, especially if this is your first time teaching in your current school. Doing this will ensure that your syllabus includes everything your institution requires, that it is in line with school policy, and that your administrator is aware of how you plan to handle certain situations.

At least a week before you share it with students, send your administrator a copy for his or her approval. Do this electronically so you have a record of the transaction. If you don’t hear back before it’s time to give it to students, send a follow-up email to get the approval. Although this all may sound like a bit much, and at the beginning of a school term, it may be hard to imagine any kind of trouble, there may come a time when a student issues a complaint about you; if your actions are in line with your syllabus, and you have it on record that your administrator has approved that syllabus, you can save yourself a lot of problems.

What to Include in a Syllabus

This list is for college, high school, or middle school syllabi. Items specific to college, but not necessarily applicable at the K-12 levels, are marked with an asterisk.

Your Details: Name, email, phone number, office hours*

Course Details: Course name, course number*, days and times the course meets, credit hours*

Course Description: A brief overview of what the course will cover for the term or year

Prerequisites/Corequisites: Any courses or other requirements that must be completed before taking this course. Corequisites are courses that must be taken at the same time as your course.

Objectives:  Describe what the student should understand or be able to do as a result of taking your course.

Required Texts and Resources: List all required textbooks, other books, online resources and subscriptions, or other materials students must have to take the course.

Attendance Policy: Be very specific about what constitutes an excused absence, what constitutes a “tardy” (be sure to consider early departures as well…I had some students who regularly had to leave class early), and how these will impact student grades, if applicable. Make sure your policy is in line with your school’s policy.

Communication Protocols:  Specify how often and through what channels students should be accessing course information, looking for updates and announcements, and contacting you. Because we have so many different means of communicating (online bulletin and discussion boards, social media, email and texting), it’s important to tell students exactly which channels they should be on for your course and how often you expect them to check those channels. For example, if you plan to post new information on a learning management system every Sunday night, tell students they should be checking the platform every Sunday night.

Electronic Device Policy:  Explain your policy on the use of cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices in class, including any information about whether exceptions are made for students with accommodations.

Food & Drink Policy:  Are food and drinks permitted in class? Explain your policy here.

Accommodations Statement: If you are teaching at the college level, find out what you are required to include on your syllabus about accommodating individuals with disabilities.

Course Requirements/Assignment List: Describe how students will be graded in the course. What assignments will you give? Will there be tests and quizzes? If each one is worth a certain number of points, specify that here. I found that rather than try to weigh assignments or make them a certain percentage of the grade, it was simplest to just assign points to every assignment, including tests, then calculate student grades as a percentage of the total points possible.

Academic Policies and Procedures: Explain how assignments should be submitted, along with your policy on late work, resubmissions, and plagiarism/academic integrity.

Course Calendar:  This probably requires the most work up front from you, but if you put the time in now to mapping out daily or weekly activities and due dates, you’ll be more likely to stay on track this term. If you aren’t sure about some activities, it’s okay to put TBA in those spaces; just having the spaces set up will help you and your students plan for the semester. It’s also a smart idea to include some kind of “subject to change” language about specific due dates and activities; this will give you some flexibility to adjust the schedule as needed.

This sample shows daily activities for a college course; if you are creating a calendar for middle or high school, it might make more sense to map your plans by the week instead of by the day.

How to Make Sure Students Read Your Syllabus

Simply handing the syllabus to students is no guarantee that they will read it. And delivering it electronically probably means even fewer eyes will actually make it to the last page. Students really should read your whole syllabus, so how can you make sure this happens?

Give them time: In my college classes, I would set aside about 5 minutes of the first class to allow students to read my syllabus. Just providing this time in class, rather than sending it home to be read, can significantly boost the number of students who actually read the thing. I asked students to read it with a highlighter and a pen, and to note any questions they had, which I would answer after the silent period was done. I would then give a brief lecture on the syllabus, covering some of the main points and explaining things that might be confusing to students.

Quiz them:  Some instructors create a brief quiz over the syllabus, to make sure students read it carefully. I never did this, but not because I was opposed to it. I just preferred the next option.

Play a Game: Once students have read the syllabus, you could do some sort of game or activity to “test” their knowledge, like Crumple & Shoot or a scavenger hunt. Another option would be to have students teach sections of the syllabus to each other in a Jigsaw activity.

Get Signatures: It’s a good idea to have students (or their parents, if you’re teaching in a K-12 setting) sign a paper attesting that they have read and understood the syllabus. Although this doesn’t guarantee that they read the syllabus, it may provide you with some legal protection should a student or parent appeal something later on.

Course Syllabus Template

If you want to get your syllabus done quickly, my Syllabus Template will help you knock it out in no time. It includes an editable Microsoft Word template using the same style shown in the above screenshots, my own 6-page sample syllabus that can help you envision and craft your finished product, and a Syllabus Acceptance Form you can use to collect student signatures acknowledging receipt.

What to Read Next

Categories: Classroom Management

Tags: college teaching , first-year teachers , Grades 6-8 , Grades 9-12 , organization

33 Comments

Some great tips/ideas here! Another great way to ensure students understand the most important parts of your syllabus is to create an infographic of it. I always review my syllabus using the infographic (as opposed to going directly from the syllabus) after the 5 minute silent period during which students review the syllabus on their own in class. Because the infographic is colorful/creative and because I am zooming in and out on my iPad, it is more likely to keep students’ attention and really stick with my visual learners and struggling readers.

That’s a great idea, Izabella! Any suggestions for free/ low cost infographic programs, anyone?

I use Venngage to make infographics. The free version has plenty to work with. Good luck!

piktochart.com has some wonderful templates

I use Canva. It has both free and pay features, but the free features are more than enough.

I am 97% sure that if you send Canva an email requesting the full version, telling them that you are a teacher and using your school email address they will upgrade you for FREE!!!

I’ve designed a graphic syllabus in the past right through Google Draw. You can download it as a pdf for students and parents.

I wanna know more about how to make my own syllabus. I never tried since I started to teach online. This time one of the students asked me if I have a syllabus to show and I don’t have any.

I’m not sure how Kristin creates her syllabi in Google Draw, but this post lays out some detailed steps for how you can create your own. At the bottom of the post there’s also a link to a Syllabus Template that can help you get started.

I’m working on my infographic syllabus as we speak (type)! I wanted to do something different than the typical 4 page white paper teachers normally hand out on the first day of school. Izabella, do you have a favorite infographic app or site? I’ve used Canva and am also trying Piktochart and Vengage. It’s a little slow going but I’m happy to try this!

Hello. What program do you use to make an infographic of your syllabus?

Hi Jennifer- Great information! Thanks for sharing! Can you explain the reading guides that you have students create? Thanks!

Hello Jennifer, I appreciate your attention to organizational communication. In a support role I previously held, we always emphasized the importance of the syllabus being the foundation of a school year. Thank you very much ~ Bernadette

Your syllabus is a great refernce throughout the year, It has all components

Jennifer –

Maybe my son is unique, but I don’t think so. During 5th and 6th grade he transitioned from a weekly/daily take home package that we helped him with, to the expectation that he would write down daily assignments for each subject, and be otherwise organized in a way that allowed us to help him effectively.

Well he didn’t have the skills and we were caught unaware. After two years he’s getting better, but there’s still more to do. While my wife and I will be focusing this year on his organizational skills and creating our own weekly summary of what he does in each class, I continue to beg my child’s teachers, principal and school district officials to institute a syllabus requirement and process, so students and parents can have a fighting chance to align with teacher goals daily, weekly and monthly

I’m glad to see you bring attention to the SYLLABUS. Most college students rely on it to organize and prioritize their efforts. If it is so useful to mature college students, I have to believe it is critical to far less mature and organized middle/high school kids, and the parent who struggle to help them.

Everything you mention make sense, but by far the most valuable section you mention for us, would be the COURSE CALENDAR. While I recognize this takes the most effort, I would argue there’s no better way (aside from weekly meetings) to have parents and students align with teacher expectations. The best syllabus communicates, in advance, what will be done each week/month in class. This allows not only students and parents to be organized and keep up, but even plan ahead.

Since middle school content is often driven by district/common core requirements why not have the district (not the teachers) generate a generic syllabus for each school year and subject, that teachers can tailor. Why not make it an online syllabus that is both impossible to lose and that can be easily updated?

I don’t want to burden teachers, but as an experienced project engineer the best way to meet project, or school year goals, is to constantly have the plan in front of your team: students, parents and support staff. If you expect success without a plan, and if you don’t expect the plan to change and evolve, you have been around very long. Let’s burden not our teachers, but their districts to generate (online) syllabus templates, teachers can post as is, tailor or update as needed.

How awesome would it be, and how much better would it be than looking at report cards or even online portals that report test and HW scores (after the fact), for students and parents to have a syllabus that lays out, in advance a detailed plan for what happens during the week, month or year. It doesn’t even have to be perfect. Anything is better than nothing. Every update would be golden and so appreciated.

I’m not a teacher, principal or school district official, but if I were, a detailed syllabus (process) would be high on my priority list for getting my entire team: student, parents, teachers, support staff aligned every day, every week, every month on classroom goals.

As a parent struggling to remain aligned with teacher goals, without weekly emails, I’d love to hear feedback …

Great thoughts sir.

One of my son’s teachers this year is using Google Classroom extensively. While not quite the SYLLABUS I’d like to see, this is a great step in the right direction.

It shows future assignments in detail, and allows a parent to subscribe to updates. It links “calendar” format. If this Calendar could be formatted and maintained in a chronological list format, showing past and future assignments, it would begin to replicate the concise and traditional SYLLABUS format that would be most helpful.

Our school districts “parent portal” continues to focus on past performance. When we can merge future assignments with past grades into a concise electronic syllabus format then we will have a powerful tool for student, teachers and parent to be aware, aligned and focused on future success.

In my experience teaching high school and English 101 at the local community college, teachers need to take time in class reviewing the syllabus. Many high school students won’t take time to read it at home. To make review of it more interesting I ask my students to work cooperatively to “chunk” the syllabus and make posters displaying the most important information. This activity has worked really well over the past few years!

I love this. I actually already do all of this, including the calendar, which I refer to as activities & assignments section. But your design is much cleaner than mine. I think I may take e to use your template! But I’ll have to stick a quote or meme or two in. ????

Love the detailed work.

Thank you for your thread, it definitely facilitated the process of developing a class syllabus for the upcoming school year.

This is excellent! I will be teaching my first college level course this fall and your blog really helped me write my syllabus. I loved many things I found (and purchased) from your TPT store! Thanks so much!

Rather than games, have them rely kn the syllabus. Directing them to the calendar to write content tested where it lists testing dates, highlighting content as it is covered, answer homework questions that return them to the syllabus content, etc.

Hi I really admire your work and your generosity your wisdom is very useful for teachers, new and old I would love the teachers of my school to learn from you Can I translate this article to share ir with them?

Thanks for the feedback! I’ll be sure to share this with Jenn. Yes, you have permission to translate the article, as long as proper attribution is given to the author of the original post and you provide a link so people can read the original in English. Thanks so much for checking with us on it!

Make sure that your syllabus is fully accessible to screen readers. This is both a legal and a moral obligation.

I have taught elementary, middle, high school, and college. While college rightly requires a syllabus, I tend to ponder the need for a syllabus at the middle and high school level. I think it is wise to communicate policies and perhaps assignment types in a syllabus-like document, having a rigid schedule is questionable. I do that for the college courses I teach because at the college level, students are expected to do most of their learning outside of class — studying for two hours per week for every credit hour they are taking. At the middle and high school level, we must adjust our teaching to whether or not students are learning. We cannot say, “Well, the syllabus says we are supposed to move on today so it is okay that you don’t get what we were supposed to learn last week.” For this reason, I would urge a bit of vagueness in the schedule. My other thought is that understanding a schedule, due dates, how to schedule one’s study times, etc., are soft skills that do not seem to be explicitly taught at any level. Another person commented on working with his son on this. His son is not in the minority on this! We need to be much more explicit on how we teach students those skills.

Love the idea of a graphic syllabus – does anyone want to share theirs as examples.

My biggest struggle in creating the syllabus is adding weekly assignments . I find that my roadmap is clear but that the week by week journey varies as I try to be responsive to each students interest and needs and to the energy and opportunities that each unique cadre brings. Any suggestions welcomed as I continue to consider this section of the syllabi I revise.

About to do my project on creating a syllabus and I think this has helped me much. Thank you.

I have never created a syllabus and from perusing and reading, I think this will be very helpful. Thank you

I have never created a syllabus, I guess this is the perfect time to start, the examples shown are really good to start my own and hopefully i get a good grade.

The websites/resources listed are great! Thanks for sharing.

So glad you found the resources helpful, Patricia!

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Quick Guide to College Course Types

Find the right college for you..

You’re going to have a lot of new experiences in college with different types and styles of courses. You may take a gen-ed in a large lecture hall, or find yourself doing research for a major-specific class in a lab. Here’s an overview of the different college course types and delivery styles.

Orientation Classes

An orientation course is a short educational program that formally introduces first-year college students to the school. Orientation helps new students learn about their college campus and its rules and familiarizes them with the services and resources that the school offers. Orientation classes are designed to get new students excited and prepared for the start of their academic journey. For most colleges, attending orientation is required.

First-Year Seminars

Many colleges now offer first-year seminars designed to help new students make the college transition. These courses will prepare you for future classes by providing the tools and study habits necessary for success. First-year seminars can be one-to-three credit electives, a full semester course, or part of a longer orientation program. However, these seminars differ from standard orientations, which are more about introducing the school, campus, and staff.

General Education Classes/Core Courses

As the first part of any degree, general education classes or “gen-eds” are the courses a student must take before getting into major-specific studies. General education classes are required by a college’s core curriculum and may include basic math, science, and humanities classes. For example, a student majoring in biology may still need two semesters of English courses as part of their general education. Some general education classes/core courses can be satisfied prior to first-semester enrollment if the student meets certain AP® and IB test scores.

Major-Specific Classes

Major-specific classes are the classes required by your specific field of study. Your academic adviser can help you understand which courses are necessary for your major. It's important that you meet with your adviser at least once a semester to ensure that you remain on the path to satisfying these requirements.

Elective Classes

Unlike the process for general education and major-specific classes, students usually have a degree of freedom in choosing their elective classes. Even though elective credits may be a requirement for your major, your electives don’t necessarily have to be related to your field of study. Many students use elective classes as a way to explore educational interests outside of their major, such as an engineering student taking a dance class.

Lecture-Style Classes

Many gen-eds, electives, and lower-level major courses will be lecture-style classes. These are large classes held in a lecture hall, a theater-like room that may seat hundreds of students. The professor talks for the entire class while students take notes. Lecture classes are common in first-year courses. Students in these classes may also attend a related discussion class.

College Discussion Classes

Discussion classes (sometimes called sections) are often a required part of lecture classes. Discussions usually involve smaller groups of students led by a graduate student. You’ll do additional work, talk about the lecture, and have a chance to ask questions.

Laboratory Classes

Labs are usually part of a science lecture class. Students use what they’ve learned from the lectures to complete a laboratory assignment, such as creating a computer program or doing a physics experiment.

Studio-Style College Courses

Students who take hands-on classes such as art, theater, music, design, or photography will find themselves in a class environment that corresponds to what they are studying. A drawing class, for example, may be divided into two parts: a lesson class and a drawing studio.

Independent Study

For an independent-study class, a student and a professor design a study program for the student that is separate from regular courses . Independent study often requires a research project or a research review of readings on a central theme, as well as a series of papers or one major paper.

Online College Classes

Many traditional and online colleges offer classes to enrolled students over the internet. These online classes are usually conducted via a learning management system, a software or web application that students can use to submit assignments, see their syllabi, and even communicate with teachers and other students. Some courses may combine in-person class meetings with online course elements that are more self-paced and time-flexible.

What is a core subject in college?

Core academic subjects in college are the general education/core course requirements for each major, and they must be taken before starting major-specific studies. They can include basic classes in the humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences, and they may not all be directly related to your actual major.

How long are college classes?

College courses can vary in length depending on the number of credits and how many days a week the class is held. Usually, some classes will run an hour and 15 minutes and meet twice a week. Some classes might be three hours long and meet once a week, while some may be as short as 50 minutes and meet three times a week. Lab classes and discussion classes will vary in length depending on the subject and number of credits they provide; they are usually between 2 and 4 hours long.

What are the basic classes in college called?

The basic classes in college are called general education or core course requirements.

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How to Write Coursework

By: Angelina Grin

Impactful courseworks is one of the most important tasks a student has to compose in his college life. It's one of the most important bits of scholarly literature. The work of the course plays an incredibly significant part in having a decent result for a student. If the coursework is good, the student is likely to get good grades and guidance. A lot of studies and hard work is going into writing coursework.

Difference Between Coursework And Assignment

Math coursework, management system coursework, how to write coursework: guide for students, good coursework topics, research data collection, secondary data, quantitative data, qualitative analysis, writing a coursework outline, what is an introduction, a great coursework body, a moving coursework conclusion, coursework writing tips for college students, important things to remember.

Courseworks is a curriculum-mandated written work that students typically have to do beyond regular classroom hours. Coursework is a written or realistic work undertaken by a pupil during a course of study, typically measured to count against a final mark or grade of school or university. And we can get any assistance to students who need courseworks writing service, even if they need nursing coursework help .

The distinction between the courseworks and the assignment is that the assignment is any job that you need to perform in the study period (testing, homework, etc.) whilst the coursework is a longer work that incorporates the analysis method and involves the comprehension of all the course materials.

Types of Coursework Explained

To give you a clearer understanding of how coursework definition  differs from one subject to another, here are a few examples:

English courseworks typically takes the form of an extended essay with the title of your choosing. You typically have a choice of themes and/or texts to pursue, there may be different styles for every type, e.g.daramy may have different styles.

Technology courseworks for science subjects frequently takes the form of a scientific project or experiment that you perform and document on yourself.

Geography Courseworks typically focuses on the compilation, reporting, and evaluation of data intended to address a specific geographical query. For example, you might analyze the use of a shopping Centre or look at the erosion of a specific beach.

Typical math courseworks consists of an examination of historical evidence on the topic of study, an overview of the literature, and related calculations.

Business administration and Management System courseworks includes accounting, economics, finance, management, and business growth.

So how to start the work of the courseworks? Or How to write the course work? how to write the course work? Like every other academic piece, some certain rules and criteria decide what makes courseworks successful and outstanding. Students must consider any of the following points in writing to score a successful grade in school or university and avoid disqualifying their paper:

Students are not permitted to request assistance from teachers or fellow students of university or school until they are qualified or trained in a community course. However, the teacher is only required to provide instructions about how to treat a document and to point out particular areas that are objectively reviewed by the examiners.

Students are expected to prevent plagiarism. It is a law that, if committed, is deemed to be a serious academic crime. Under this law, the student is required to apply an original work written and not copied from another source. This is tested by using different plagiarism control tools.

Therefore, students should make sure that their own words are part of their work by signing a statement affirming that this is your piece of work.

Also, a student must check that the word counts on their document and ensure that the word limits are set without reference to appendices, references, and footnotes.

Students must be keen and alert when choosing subjects to prevent writing about an incorrect subject that is not addressed by the courseworks. Before printing, the topic already addressed should either be reviewed or debated with the faculty concerned.

Choosing a Topic for Your Project

Being able to select relevant subjects is a valuable ability for every student. It is very important to write a decent piece. It is a mandatory part of the degree.

The value of writing good courseworks will cause students to feel an immense and looming weight hanging over their heads as time progresses, but if you know a few key steps in selecting the right study topics, it can be fast, simple, and even enjoyable.

• Choose a topic that suits the length of your article.
• Stop a topic that would tempt you to outline rather than address or evaluate.
• Choose a topic that attracts you.

If your task involves analysis, choose the subject on which you can find the content. Choose the topic where extensive debates can be found.

After you've chosen a topic, don't be afraid to change it if it doesn't work out.

The choice of the subject of the courseworks is the most critical stage of its writing. It depends on your preference whether you're writing it conveniently and rapidly or postponing it for the next three months. A strong subject brings insight and motivation, a poor one breaks the will to learn.

There are three potential options for selecting a topic:

• You're doing it yourself;
• Choose from the list of alternatives proposed;
• You comply with the supervisor's decision.

An individual  choice of subject is an incentive to pick the most interesting field of study for you. However, we do not suggest using this option if you do not understand the topic and what you can study there.

Data collection is a method of obtaining information from all accessible sources to find solutions to the study issue, to validate the theory, and to analyze the findings. Data collection methods can be classified into two categories: secondary data collection methods and primary data collection methods.

Secondary data is a form of data that has already been published in books, articles, magazines, libraries, journals, news, web portals, etc. There is an abundance of data accessible in these outlets about your field of study of market studies, almost irrespective of the quality of the research region. The implementation of an appropriate set of parameters for the collection of secondary data to be used in the analysis thus plays an important role in raising the degree of legitimacy and reliability of the research or hypothesis.

Primary Data

Primary data collection approaches can be classified into two categories: quantitative and qualitative.

Quantitative data processing techniques are based on statistical equations in diverse formats. Quantitative data collection and interpretation approaches include closed-ended questionnaires, correlation, and regression methods, mean, form and median, and other resources.

Qualitative analysis techniques, on the other hand, do not require statistics or statistical equations. Qualitative analysis is closely related to words, sounds, thoughts, attitudes, colors, and other non-quantifiable components.

A thorough overview of the coursework helps students to evaluate the courseworks following their academic needs, to understand better what is required of them and how they can benefit from the learning.

There are several potential components of the outline of the course, but the general outline of the course is presented below and can be adapted to fit within different organizational training systems and developing a coursework outline guide is an easy way to standardize the course descriptions and catalog information for subsequent updates or offers.

The following parts should be included in the courseworks outline:

• Name, Number, Credits, and Summary of Course
• Prerequisites/Corequisites
• Name of Learners, Contact Info, and Biography
• Schedule of courses
• Outcomes of Learning
• Material breakdown by session
• Instructional means in the usage
• Course Assessment Process, Policies, and Size
• Laws of Classroom/Code of Conduct Standards
• Materials of the subject
• Details on the basic idea
• Name, Number, Credits, and Summary of project

How to Write an Introduction for Coursework?

Why does it matter? In certain situations, the intro shows the extent of your understanding of the subject, and thus, even though the main body of your work is written perfectly, you still have high chances to fail in university or school if you don't know how to write the intro!

We are listing a few tips and tricks How to write the guide to the coursework in the most effective manner.

Courseworks is a typical form of analytical writing that is given to students and is typically meant to test their knowledge and to decide the final score. The intro to this paper is the first paragraph, which outlines the key problems, goals, and objectives of the work as a whole, and includes a topic that reveals the importance of the theme chosen.

Get a proposal, man! Many students who don't know how to write decent introductory courseworks make this mistake. It is advised that you should have a thorough outline, no matter whether you are writing an article on History, a term paper on English literature, a report on geography, a business plan, or a C3 course! Why? Why? And if you have a strategy, you'll be able to write a decent job effectively, comfortably, and efficiently!

And how can you write an introduction to the courseworks? To build a strong intro that meets all the criteria, take the reader's attention, and give you a high ranking for your article, you need to follow these basic steps:

• Show the importance of your subject
• Identify the study concern or query
• Define the priorities
• Allow a declaration of thesis
• Finish your intro with an insightful idea.

The body is where the key point is put out and thoroughly formed by the writer. Each paragraph should include a central point that explicitly supports an argument. The follow-up should confirm all key points and be backed up by substantial evidence. The body of the article is the building block for the assignment. The body paragraph would be very readable if it does not contain big chunks of text. Easy paragraphs of 4-5 lines are enough.

The conclusion is a very important part, it provides an end result and an important point of work. A well-written conclusion allows you a variety of valuable chances to explain to the reader your general interpretation of the research topic. This includes the following:

In a general style,

• Summarize your subject, learning outcomes, and why it is relevant,
• Reset your thesis/claim,
• Address contrary views and justify why readers should align with your stance,
• Request for intervention or overview of future study prospects.

Coursework writing is an academic task given to students that leads to the achievement of good grades. A study by the student, his method, structure, content, and writing style can differ from assignment to assignment.

Have Your Time Cool And Take Your Time

It is highly advised that you commence your job as soon as possible. Start early and take your time to finish your task. Keep cool so that your tension does not impede your assignment results.

Divide the Job Into the Pieces

Don't finish the whole task in one sitting. Find your productive time every day and split your workload accordingly. In this way, you will pay more attention to the substance of your task. You may also prevent errors by checking the previously done job each time you continue to do so.

The study is the first and most critical factor in the writing of courseworks. Make sure you use reliable resources for incredible writing. For this reason, you can use a range of outlets, such as archives, the internet, news, content is written by expert writers and classroom lectures.

Managing Time

Organize yourself and make a plan as soon as you start working on your assignment. Follow the schedule set to prevent writing hastily near the deadline. In the case of emergency cases, please ensure that you set the deadline for finishing your work before the date of the request.

Ask for Help

An unclear mind cannot produce quality work. If you are unable to understand your topic you should ask your teacher for help and check all available coursework writing service resources. It is always better to take guidance from the teacher who assigns you the work.

Check for Errors

Always sure you proofread the work before you file it. Go through your task to locate spelling and grammatical errors. It's a smart idea to send your task to someone with strong skills and vocabulary for proofreading. You should also pay particular attention to the look of your job.

Evitate Plagiarism

Many students copy the content from the internet as they run out of time to apply their coursework. It's a really bad idea and it's going to make you miss your marks. You may consider materials from any source, but your content should be original. And if possible, include correct quotations.

• Schedule before you start working on the subject.
• Rationally express their thoughts.
• Choose a special subject instead of a common one.
• Demonstrate your effort to obtain good grades rather than desperation.
• Backup the job.
• Make writing style appealing and use strong vocabulary.

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• How to Make Your Coursework as Good as It Can Possibly Be

Many GCSE and A-level subjects are assessed in part by coursework in addition to exams, meaning that the mark you receive for coursework contributes to your overall grade. Many students prefer coursework, because it’s a chance to showcase your academic abilities away from the high-pressured environment of the exam room, making it ideal for those who don’t perform to the best of their abilities in exams. However, the time you have available for coursework, in contrast with the time constraints of the exam room, can lull some students into a false sense of security. Coursework is arguably just as challenging as exams, just in different ways – and, given the fact that you have more time, much higher standards are expected of you in coursework than in exams. Careful planning and research are needed for successful coursework, as well as strong data-gathering and essay-writing skills. In this article, we look at how to produce excellent coursework, from planning to proofreading. This information might also be useful to you if you’re planning on attending an Oxford Summer School this summer.

What is coursework?

GCSE and A-level coursework typically takes the form of an extended essay or project. Its objectives vary from one subject to another, but there’s usually an emphasis on the student conducting independent research into a topic of their own choice. Thus coursework often takes the form of some sort of investigation; it may, therefore, help to have your ‘detective’ hat on as you explore, investigate and analyse your topic. You can usually work on your coursework at home, though it’s sometimes completed under controlled conditions through sessions at school. To give you a better idea of how coursework varies from one subject to another, here are some examples:

• English – English coursework usually takes the form of an extended essay with a title of your choice. You’re usually given a choice of themes and/or texts to explore, and you could choose a format such as a comparison between a set text and another one.
• Geography – Geography coursework usually focuses on the gathering, reporting and interpretation of data designed to answer a particular geographical question. You could investigate usage of a shopping centre, for example, or look at erosion on a particular beach.
• Sciences – coursework for science subjects often takes the form of a scientific project or experiment that you conduct and report on yourself.

Before you start work on your coursework, it’s essential that you have a thorough understanding of the rules. Failing to conform to the rules – inadvertently or not – may result in your coursework (or possibly even your entire qualification) being disqualified, so it’s a serious matter.

• No plagiarism – this is particularly dangerous given the ready availability of relevant information on the internet these days. Make sure everything is in your own words; you’ll need to sign a declaration stating that it’s your own original work.
• There’s only so much help your teacher can give you . They can provide guidance on what you need to include, and on what the examiners will be looking for. You can ask them questions, but they’ll usually only be able to check through your first draft once and offer broad hints on updating it.
• Check the word count , and stick to it. Find out whether footnotes, appendices and bibliographies are included in the word count.
• Check what topics you’re allowed to do your coursework on; if there’s an exam on this topic, you’ll almost certainly have to choose a different one for your coursework.

Choose your topic wisely

Ideally, choose something you’re genuinely interested in, as your enthusiasm will come across and you’ll find it more enjoyable to write. If there’s something you’ve been working on for the course so far that you’ve particularly enjoyed, you may be able to focus more on this as part of your coursework. For science coursework, you’ll need to choose something to investigate that you can measure, change and control; it should be what’s called a ‘fair test’, meaning that you have to acknowledge all the controls you use in the experiment and why. Try not to pick a topic for which the scope is too vast, as you’ll struggle to research it properly and you’re unlikely to do it justice, and it’ll be hard to keep within the word limit. Ask your teachers for some guidance on choosing your topic if you’re not sure what to write about; they might even tell you a bit about what previous students have done to give you some inspiration.

Plan how long it’s going to take

Never leave your coursework until the last minute, even if this is your normal approach to essays and it usually works for you. Make sure you understand when the deadlines are, including time for submitting a first draft for comments from your teacher. Then schedule blocks of time for working on it, allowing plenty of time before the deadline to cater for any unexpected delays. Allow ample time for making corrections based on teacher feedback on your first draft, and keep some time aside before the deadline for final editing and proofreading. Because actual deadlines are few and far between, you’ll need to take responsibility for the writing process and impose some deadlines on yourself to ensure it’s finished in time. Write down your deadlines on a calendar, with the coursework broken into stages and dates assigned to each, by which time each task should be complete. You can base your stages on the next few points in this article – research and data gathering, a structure plan for the piece of work, writing up, and so on.

Conducting your research and gathering data

As coursework is primarily a research exercise, the research phase is crucial, so don’t be tempted to skimp on it and go straight to writing up. Use as many different resources as you can to gather data: books, journals, newspapers, television, radio, the internet and anything else you think might be relevant. For science and Geography coursework, you’ll need to base your work on a hypothesis, so the research stage should start by coming up with at least one hypothesis, otherwise your research will lack direction. The research phase for some subjects may involve site visits for gathering data, so allow plenty of time for this, particularly if you need your parents to drive you somewhere to do so. If it’s a scientific experiment you’re conducting for your coursework, you’ll need to pay careful attention to planning the experiment using rigorous scientific methods (also noting what Health and Safety precautions you are taking), as well as reading up on the background and theory so that you have an idea of what to expect from the outcome of your experiment. In the research stage, make notes about what you expect to happen, so that you can later compare your expectations with what actually did happen. The experiment itself also forms part of the research and data-gathering stage for your science coursework; in the write-up stage, which we come onto shortly, you analyse and write up the results.

Plan your structure

Once you’ve completed your research, the process of writing up begins. Before you get down to the actual writing, however, it’s advisable to write a plan for how you’re going to structure it – essentially an essay plan for English coursework and other subjects for which the coursework is based on an extended essay. It’ll look slightly different from an essay plan for science subjects and others that revolve around project work, but the principle is the same: plan out what order you’re going to present your information in. For big projects, this is particularly important, because with a lot of information to convey, you risk being disorganised and waffling.

Writing up your project

For any coursework, but particularly coursework based around an extended essay, you’ll need to perfect your essay-writing abilities. For science coursework, writing up your project also involves data analysis, as you interpret the results of your experiment and work your notes into formal scientific language.

When you’re writing up, it’s important to find a place where you can work quietly, without distractions that could cause you to make careless errors. You wouldn’t want noise or distractions when you were in an exam room, so treat your coursework with the same reverence.

Supporting materials and images

For some subjects, namely the sciences and Geography, it would be appropriate to include images, graphs, charts, tables and so on in your coursework. For example, for Geography coursework, your extra material could include annotated images and maps of the site you’re talking about, plus tables, graphs and charts. An appendix could then detail your raw data; if, for example, your coursework focused on the results of a survey, you could put the raw survey responses in an appendix and provide summaries and analysis in the main body of the coursework.

Footnotes and bibliography

As we said earlier, it’s important that you always use your own words in your coursework to avoid the possibility of falling foul of plagiarism rules. However, it’s acceptable to quote from another source, as you would in any piece of academic writing, but you must make sure that you state where it is from and use quotation marks to show that it’s a quote from somewhere else. The best way of citing another work is to use a footnote; word processors will allow you to insert one, and it just puts a little number at the end of the sentence and another in the footer of the document, into which you put the name of the author and work, and the page within that work that the quote can be found. At the end of your piece of work, include a bibliography that includes a list of every external source you’ve used in the creation of your coursework. Stick to a set formula when including books. A common format is: Author Surname, Initial. (Date) – Title of Book , page number For example: Lewis, C.S. (1960) – Studies in Words , p. 45 When you get to university, you’ll be expected to include footnotes and bibliographies in all your essays, so it’s a good habit to get into and coursework gives you good practice at it.

The final pre-submission check

Having completed a first draft, received feedback from your teacher, and honed your work into a finished piece of coursework, have a final check through it before you send off your coursework for submission.

• Sense check : have a read through your completed piece of work and check that it all makes sense. Make sure you haven’t contradicted yourself anywhere, or repeated yourself, or laboured the point. If there are any facts that you may have meant to look up to double check their accuracy, do so now.
• Word count : ensure that the completed work falls within the word count, and double check whether the bibliography should be included in the word count. If you’ve exceeded it, you’ll need to work through the piece and tighten up your writing, omitting unnecessary information, reordering sentences so that they use fewer words, and so on.
• Proofread : check your spelling and grammar, and ensure that there are no typos. Don’t just use the spellcheck – go through it with a fine toothcomb, manually, and if you can, ask someone to read through it for you to see if they spot anything you haven’t.
• Formatting : check that you’ve included page numbers, and that the font and line spacing is consistent throughout the work. Ensure that the font is plain and easy to read, such as Arial or Times New Roman.
• Bibliography : check that you’ve included everything, that the format is the same for all sources mentioned, and that the right information is included for each.

Once this stage is complete, you’re ready to submit your coursework along with your declaration that it’s entirely your own work. Get ready for a feeling of immense satisfaction when you finally send off your hard work!

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Coursework: Requirements for an A+ Paper

• Icon Calendar 5 July 2024
• Icon Page 4102 words
• Icon Clock 19 min read

Academic writing is an essential activity in higher education and comes in various forms. Basically, one of these forms is coursework writing, where instructors assess students’ levels of understanding of a course during a semester. Unlike other papers, coursework assignments evaluate students’ understanding of a particular course and not just a topic in a class. Besides, various forms of coursework writing include essays, term papers, theses, dissertations, report projects, and others. Hence, people need to learn what is a coursework assignment and how to write such a paper effectively.

General Aspects

College and university students undertake different kinds of academic exercises, with writing projects taking a significant portion of their grades. Basically, one of these exercises is the writing of a coursework paper, an assignment they submit at the end of their semester. This kind of work also assesses students’ understanding of a particular field of study within a single semester. In turn, instructors rarely require someone to write a paper for things they learned during a previous semester. Therefore, coursework entails completing various writing assignments, such as essays, research projects, experiments, and presentations that assess a student’s understanding and application of a subject material.

What Is a Coursework and Its Purpose

According to its definition, coursework is an academic project assignment that students are required to undertake as part of their educational curriculum and which they must submit before a final closure of an entire semester. The primary purpose of writing a coursework assignment is to evaluate learners’ levels of knowledge and skills acquisition, meaning such a project contributes to their final grades (Godfrey, 2022). Ideally, coursework is what students learn during a semester, and such an assignment is meant to measure how well they have understood a subject matter. Moreover, individuals use reliable and relevant sources to study, examine, and evaluate a chosen coursework topic (Haines, 2021). As such, this task is very similar to other academic assignments, such as essays, research papers, reports, thesis writing, dissertations, and other types of papers . In terms of pages and words, the length of a coursework assignment depends on academic levels, subjects, institution’s requirements, and its nature and scope, while general guidelines are:

High School

• Length: 6-10 pages
• Words: 1,500-2,500 words
• Length: 10-16 pages
• Words: 2,500-4,000 words

University (Undergraduate)

• Length: 16-24 pages
• Words: 4,000-6,000 words

Master’s

• Length: 24-32 pages
• Words: 6,000-8,000 words
• Length: 32-52 pages or more (depending on the complexity and depth of the research)
• Words: 8,000-13,000 words or more

Note: Some sections of a coursework paper can be added, deleted, or combined with each other, and it depends on specific college instructions. However, a typical structure of coursework covers a title page, table of contents, abstract/executive summary, introduction with a thesis or research question, literature review, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, references, and appendices.

Differences With Other Papers

In any course of their classes, students write different types of papers, including essays, research papers, and reports. Basically, the major difference between coursework writing and these papers is that it assesses people’ understanding of what they have discovered throughout a semester (Couch, 2021). In contrast, essays and other papers assess learners’ understanding of a specific topic, concept, result, or theory. Moreover, students may need to address an issue in their project they might have covered in an essay assignment sometime during a previous semester. As such, a coursework assignment is broader in scope than other papers.

Expectations

Like essays and other papers, a coursework assignment varies from one area of study to another. For example, there is a coursework for the English subject and another for the sciences (Godfrey, 2022). Therefore, individuals are expected to complete their coursework assignments according to their instructor’s or department’s instructions. In most cases, this expectation includes presenting an assignment in an essay format, where they select a title of their choice. Depending on a specific subject, some assignments expect students to collect, examine, infer, and report data when answering a specific question (Haines, 2021). Finally, in college, coursework refers to writing assignments, projects, and tasks students must complete as part of their academic curriculum to demonstrate their understanding and application of a subject material.

When it comes to a grading aspect of academic assignments, instructors look at how well a student has attended to all the requirements and expectations. For instance, these requirements include writing about a choice of themes or text excerpts in a given format (Haines, 2021). In essence, people must use a good approach they believe is likely to give them a higher grade, meaning a technique that helps them to answer a specific question methodically, logically, and critically by using relevant information. In essence, these are three dimensions for grading a coursework assignment (Couch, 2021). As such, to write a coursework paper effectively, one should conduct thorough research, follow a clear and organized structure, adhere to given guidelines, and proofread a final document to ensure accuracy and coherence.

Steps on How to Write a Coursework Paper

Like an essay, a coursework assignment takes a particular structure. Basically, students should understand core components and make sure they address them in their academic writing (Bjorn et al., 2022). In this case, the most significant issue for writers is to ensure a logical flow of ideas. Moreover, developing a thesis statement is essential to provide high-quality essays with a guideline on focal issues. Primarily, these issues are class concepts and theories a person has learned in a specific course during a semester (Godfrey, 2022). As a result, to write coursework, students thoroughly research their topics, create detailed outlines, adhere to specified formats, draft their content clearly and concisely, and proofread their papers for any mistakes.

Step 1: Preparation

Planning or preparation is the first step in writing a coursework paper. For instance, an essence of any form of academic writing is to measure a person’s level of understanding about a particular area of study (Haines, 2021). To start coursework, students begin by carefully reviewing assignment guidelines, conducting preliminary research to understand their assigned topics, and outlining main points and structure of their papers. Since such an project measures what a student has learned in a given course, it is paramount for each person to prepare well when executing an assignment. Here, learners have to choose a topic that they are comfortable with, one that they are passionate about. Additionally, they should generate ideas about their coursework by deciding what is relevant and what is not. In principle, a typical reasoning that guides this decision is a particular expectation outlined in assignment instructions (Godfrey, 2022). Lastly, people should understand their audience – consumers of their work or readers. Like any other assignment, a target audience is course instructors. Hence, writers should ensure their class projects satisfy a curiosity of readers. In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning a coursework paper include:

• In recent years, the topic of [subject] has gained a significant attention due to its direct impact on [related field/issue], while this coursework aims to explore … .
• The origins of [subject] can be traced back to [year/era], when [important event/person] first introduced a particular concept of … .
• Understanding [subject] is crucial for [reason/field], as it offers more insights into [related concept or application], and this paper seeks to examine … .
• Currently, [subject] is experiencing a period of rapid development, with new research and advancements being made in areas, such as … .
• By exploring a research question: [research question], this paper aims to examine [purpose of the study] … .
• While much has been written about [subject], there remains a significant knowledge gap in a current literature regarding [specific aspect], which this paper will investigate … .
• During my studies/experience in [related field], I observed [specific phenomenon], which prompted me to investigate [subject] more thoroughly … .
• According to recent statistics, [relevant statistic] highlights the importance of [subject], which this coursework will explore … .
• As [author/expert] once said, ‘[relevant quote],’ this statement underscores a real significance of [subject], which will be a particular focus of this paper in … .
• This coursework is based on a particular hypothesis that [hypothesis statement], and this comprehensive analysis and research will seek to prove/disprove … .

Step 2: Setting Up

After preparation, people should set up the stage for coursework writing. Basically, a first preoccupation is to find sources relevant to an assignment prompt – those that are more likely to provide enough evidence and support needed claims. As scholars review credible sources, they should take notes to provide a strong argumentation in their projects (Walter & Stouck, 2020). Then, another activity involves deciding on a coursework outline, which should help to answer an assignment prompt logically and critically. Lastly, learners should create an annotated bibliography, a summary of each source they intend to use as a valid basis for their arguments in an entire document.

Step 3: Writing a First Draft

After preparing and setting up the stage, students should start writing a first version of their coursework assignment. In this case, armed with notes taken during a review of reliable sources and an outline they have created, people should start with a first draft, where they develop a thesis statement. Basing all opinions and arguments on a thesis, writers should answer an assignment prompt methodically, logically, and critically. For example, a coursework statement is a concise declaration of a main objective or thesis that an entire project aims to explore and demonstrate (Godfrey, 2022). Moreover, a thesis statement should ‘hook’ a target audience and make them interested in reading a substantial part of a paper – a body. In essence, a body section is where students use all the evidence they have gathered about an assigned topic, while a thesis informs a target audience of what individuals have focused on in their papers. As a result, any coursework paper adopts a typical outline, as indicated below:

• Table of Contents
• Abstract or Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Body Paragraph(s)
• Reference List
• Appendices (Optional)

Step 4: Wrapping It Up

It is normal for a writer to make mistakes when writing an academic document. For example, these mistakes include inconsistent arguments, irrelevant content, punctuation errors, and countless grammatical mistakes (Haines, 2021). Therefore, after completing a first draft, writers should read it through, at least twice, to identify these mistakes and correct them. Basically, common processes of correction include revising and editing a written paper. Regarding revisions, students should give their work to a friend or mentor to read it through. In their feedback, these individuals are likely to point out areas where authors should make corrections for their papers to be logical and interesting to read. Concerning editing a complete document, people should proofread their work to ensure it is free of spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, and other grammatical mishaps.

Step 5: Developing Body Paragraphs

A body paragraph of any academic text, including a coursework assignment, utilizes several features to make a whole paper logical. Basically, the first feature is writing a topic sentence that opens up each paragraph (Couch, 2021). In principle, a primary purpose of this feature is to strengthen a central idea captured in a thesis statement. Then, the rest of a single paragraph structure backs up this claim using evidence gathered from different sources. In turn, another feature is a concluding sentence, which closes each paragraph (Godfrey, 2022). As such, a main goal of this aspect is to connect a topic sentence with a thesis statement. Finally, another feature is transition words and phrases that help readers to sense a logical flow of ideas throughout a whole paper. In short, writers use transitions within and between paragraphs to create a logical flow of information and ideas.

Step 6: Referencing Format and Peer Reviewing

Besides ensuring an entire paper is written methodically and logically, authors should see it meets the highest academic writing standards. In this regard, they should ensure it follows a particular format – APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago/Turabian. In most cases, an assignment prompt dictates a specific format learners should use. Moreover, a particular referencing manual informs about a typical structure of a whole paper and its format of citations. In turn, another essential activity that students should perform is to commit a complete document to peer review. Here, authors give coursework papers to distinguished scholars, such as a professor or classmate, to assess an overall validity and quality of information used, including sources.

Step 7: Writing a Final Draft

After subjecting a first draft to vigorous scrutiny through revisions, editions, and peer review, people should start writing a final draft of a coursework paper. Basically, this draft should be thoroughly polished, meaning it should be free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes, as well as inconsistent arguments and irrelevant sentences (Lawrence, 2020). Moreover, it should indicate an effective use of transitions in paper’s body paragraphs. In short, a final draft is an improved version of a first draft because writers have revised and edited it and incorporated feedback from a friend, mentor, or professor. However, they still need to read through a final draft, at least once, to ensure it is perfect before submission to a grading department. In turn, if someone notes several mistakes, it means another revision is necessary. Hence, a student’s focus should be a correct content, organization of ideas, style of writing, and format.

Types of Coursework

Given that coursework assignments test students’ levels of understanding about a course’s content in a given semester, it means such a project takes several writing forms. For example, these documents include a term paper, a Master’s thesis, a dissertation, or a report project (Godfrey, 2022). Ideally, such a composition is an essential requirement for a student to complete an entire course successfully. It also means such a project is essential to be awarded a degree. Moreover, the only difference between these types of coursework assignments is that they take a different approach to examining and analyzing a course’s content, with each subject taking a unique approach. In turn, common types of coursework projects include:

Writing Techniques

The dream of every student is to pass any assessment and attain a higher grade. In a coursework assignment, learners can utilize different techniques to ensure they attain higher grades after assessments (Haines, 2021). As indicated earlier about a grading aspect of coursework, writers should use an approach they believe answers an assignment prompt methodically, logically, and critically. As a result, every technique they use must allow them to answer a specific question in a way that satisfies these three grading dimensions.

Compare and Contrast

A compare and contrast essay technique is about analyzing two subjects, ideas, concepts, or theories by comparing them, contrasting them, or doing both. Basically, a primary purpose of answering a coursework assignment through this writing approach is that students must not state obvious things (Couch, 2021). Instead, they need to shed light on subtle differences or unexpected similarities between subjects, ideas, concepts, or theories.

Cause and Effect

A cause and effect essay technique allows writers to develop their paper’s body by analyzing possible reasons for and consequences of a decision, action, or event. When organizing a paragraph, students adopt a structure that allows them to arrange defined causes and effects in a chronological or reverse chronological order (Godfrey, 2022). Alternatively, authors can present their arguments through emphasis, starting from least important to most important aspects, or vice versa.

Investigation

An investigation technique involves undertaking an in-depth examination of a topic, idea, concept, or theory. Basically, this technique’s primary goal is to demonstrate that students have gained a thorough knowledge of a specific subject, which is indicated in their methodical, logical, and critical analysis and presentation of information. In esense, ensuring research findings are interpreted and presented in an organized manner throughout a research paper is critical (Walter & Stouck, 2020). Ultimately, such a technique enables writers to demonstrate their articulate understanding of various viewpoints about a particular issue under investigation. 

How to Present Strong Arguments

For an academic paper to capture an audience’s attention and interest, students must not only develop a thesis statement but also ensure they use strong arguments to back up a central idea in a main statement. Basically, the “they say, I say” technique is the simplest method to present arguments properly (Couch, 2021). In this regard, the information that a person uses in answering a coursework assignment prompt should be free of plagiarism and cite all sources properly. Then, another way to ensure an entire writing is persuasive is to confirm that authors have attained a required word count limit without counting footnotes, endnotes, references, and appendices (Haines, 2021). Ideally, selecting a topic that one is comfortable with and passionate about enables an overall writing to be high-quality in terms of argumentation. Besides, students should discuss alternatives with their mentor or instructor. Finally, a thesis statement should not be complicated.

Scope of Research

Students make different kinds of mistakes when writing academic texts. For example, a common mistake in coursework writing involves a scope, where students fail to focus on one area of a particular topic and instead try to be broad in their argumentation (Godfrey, 2022). In principle, they may waste space talking about irrelevant material, leaving them with little space to write about a core idea. As such, an effective solution to this problem is to develop a thesis statement that sets out a paper’s specific agenda. In doing so, authors can realize every time they go off-topic.

Colloquialism

By considering colloquialisms, students may use a language that is not standard for academic writing. Essentially, this problem is particularly common with learners who become excited about a specific topic and try to express their ideas creatively (Haines, 2021). Moreover, a whole project shifts from being evidence-based to a document about an author’s opinion. In turn, a particular solution to such a problem is to pick a topic that is exciting and critically discussed in an existing literature. As a result, students can identify several sources that discuss their assigned topics to use as bases for evidence of their claims and arguments about their central themes.

Common Mistakes

• Lack of Clarity in Thesis Statement: Failing to clearly define a main argument or purpose of an entire paper can lead to a lack of focus throughout a coursework project.
• Insufficient Research: Relying on too few sources or not consulting credible and up-to-date references can weaken an overall quality and depth of an analysis.
• Poor Organization: Not following a logical writing structure can make a paper difficult to follow due to an inadequate flow of ideas.
• Overuse of Quotations: Excessively quoting sources rather than paraphrasing or synthesizing information can make a whole paper seem unoriginal and reduce an author’s voice.
• Ignoring Formatting Guidelines: Not adhering to a required citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago/Turabian) or formatting instructions can result in a loss of marks.
• Lack of Proofreading: Submitting a paper with grammatical errors, typos, and spelling mistakes can undermine an overall professionalism and readability of a project.
• Inadequate Analysis: Simply describing sources without critically analyzing or interpreting the information can lead to writing a biased paper.
• Failure to Address a Prompt: Straying from an assigned topic or not fully addressing a coursework prompt can result in an irrelevant or incomplete paper.
• Plagiarism: Copying text without proper citing attribution, even unintentionally, can lead to serious academic consequences.
• Weak Conclusion: Ending a coursework paper without a clear closure or failing to adequately summarize key findings and implications can leave any reader unsatisfied.

Coursework vs. Research Paper

Ideally, an outline of a coursework assignment is similar to that of a research paper. In this case, an abstract serves as a brief overview of a research paper and informs readers of writer’s focal points. More importantly, such an outline has a body, where writers use different paragraphs to make an argument about a specific topic. In turn, each of the paragraphs begins with a topic sentence and ends with a concluding sentence. Like research papers, body paragraphs of a coursework assignment serve to cement writer’s claims and arguments, which are linked to a thesis statement.

Students should master following tips when it comes to writing a coursework assignment:

• Choose an exciting topic and stick to it. Basically, students come across tons of exciting information about their topic. However, to avoid going off-script, they should focus on their core subject and avoid a particular temptation of using data that may prove irrelevant.
• Use evidence (quotes and statistics) selectively. In principle, relevancy is a significant indicator of a high-grade paper. As such, where authors are not going to refer to some data directly because it adds no value to their argument, they should avoid dwelling on it in their paper.
• Cite sources correctly. When citing sources, writers should note format standards in use – APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago/Turabian – as each has a unique approach.
• Revise, edit, and proofread a complete paper. High-quality coursework writing should be free of inconsistent arguments, irrelevant sentences, and spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes.

A coursework project is among writing assignments that students in colleges and universities undertake in preparation for their degree. Unlike other papers, this assignment assesses learners’ understanding of what they have learned in a course in a given semester. As such, students must complete and submit it before a semester comes to closure. Finally, different types of coursework include essays, term papers, theses, dissertations, and report projects.

Bjorn, G. A., Quaynor, L., & Burgasser, A. J. (2022). Reading research for writing: Co-constructing core skills using primary literature. Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice , 7 (1), 47–58. https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2022.237

Couch, D. (2021). Your guide to college writing . Chemeketa Press.

Godfrey, J. (2022). Writing for university . Bloomsbury Academic.

Haines, C. (2021). Assessing students’ written work marking essays and reports . Routledge.

Lawrence, T. S. (2020). Writing a research paper. International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics , 106 (4), 674–676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2019.12.005

Walter, L., & Stouck, J. (2020). Writing the literature review: Graduate student experiences. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning , 11 (1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2020.1.8295

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Guidelines and steps for writing a coursework | Tips for good writing

What is a coursework and why to write a coursework.

A coursework is a written or practical work done by student in form of thesis, dissertation, project or paper as a part of course. This is often an essential requirement for being awarded a degree and counts towards successful completion of the course. A coursework is assessed by class instructors or by other teachers in the school. Many students cannot clearly define what is a coursework. In a nutshell, at the “A” and GSCE level , a coursework is written in the form of projects or essays. There are few guidelines and good practices which should be followed while writing a coursework. Perfect examples of a coursework include extended essay, field studies, practical activities, design studies and internal assessment test set. Conversely, each coursework have differing objectives from one course unit to another. In addition, a coursework may incorporate work for which the experiments, topics, themes or parameters of a project or essay have been designed by the teacher, or specified in the syllabus, or selected by the students themselves. Therefore, a coursework is presented in a form of a research assignment meant to reflect the understanding of topics and concepts by the student. Students can handle their coursework either at school under the controlled conditions in class sessions, and/or as homework.

Some rules & guidelines for writing a coursework

Deciding good topic for a coursework.

The capability to choose a good topic to write on is a vital skill in coursework writing. All the work and efforts will revolve around the chosen topic. If given the liberty to choose, then the topic should be something you would love to write about.

The steps on how to finish a coursework is easy as it necessitates one to edit their papers prior to the submission. Prior to the submission, students would have time to proffered and confirm features such as word count, word choice, grammar errors, spellings as well as the punctuation mistakes. It is advisable to carry out a manual proofreading as the modern spell checking and grammar checking software can overlook some common mistakes. Importantly, a student is required to include in-text citation according to the writing style used. A well-written coursework is thought-provoking, enjoyable for the reader and enhances the reader’s knowledge.

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Your Guide to Conquering College Coursework

Getting good grades in college can be a lot tougher than in high school. For many students, it requires building new skills and establishing new habits. Learning those skills now—before starting college—will help make your transition as easy and as successful as possible.

Mary Sharp Emerson

The transition from high school to college is a big one. Meeting new friends, living on your own, and creating your own schedule are just some of the new, exciting challenges that await you.   

In the excitement of starting a new life on campus, college coursework can sometimes become a second priority.

However, adjusting to college coursework is often the biggest challenge of all. Even the best students may be surprised at how difficult college courses are. The subject matter is more complex. The workload is larger. And instructors’ standards are higher.

Mastering college-level courses requires a new level of independence, advocacy, engagement, and time management.

You can prepare yourself to succeed before you even get to campus. Identifying the skills you need, and building those skills into established habits, will help make your transition to college academics, and college life, easier, less stressful, and more successful.

Be engaged in your college coursework

College courses require your full attention and active participation.

And the more you engage with your teachers, teaching assistants, and classmates both in and out of the classroom, the easier it will be for you to succeed in that class.

The importance of active listening

Active listening is one of the most critical parts of engaging in a course, according to Gina Neugebauer, assistant director of Harvard Summer School’s Secondary School Program.

“Professors and teaching assistants can tell if you’re actively listening. They notice if you’re taking notes and making eye contact. They also notice if you’re distracted by your phone or computer,” notes Neugebauer.

Active listening means not checking your social media accounts or texting friends during class.

It also means really giving the instructor and your classmates your full attention.

It sounds easy in theory but it takes practice. It can be tough to not think about all the work you have or your next party. But the more you work on actively listening, the easier it will be to not get distracted and miss important information in class.

Different ways to actively participate

Beyond active listening, there are many ways to participate in a course. And you can tailor your level of engagement to your personality and comfort level.

“It’s all about gauging what you’re comfortable with,” says Neugebauer.

“You may not be the person who raises their hand all the time but you actively respond to online discussion posts, for example. You may not feel comfortable talking in front of hundreds of students in a large lecture hall but you take advantage of TA office hours and email the instructor with questions.”

But don’t be afraid to push yourself if you aren’t someone who usually speaks up in class.

It’s ok to start small. Work on raising your hand in small seminars or discussion sections. As you gain confidence, you’ll find it gets easier to answer questions and share your opinions.

Build independence and advocate for yourself

In college, you are responsible for your own success. You will need to advocate for yourself and know when—and how—to ask for help. That requires a level of independence that you may not have needed in high school.

The good news is that instructors and teaching assistants want to help you.

“Instructors, on the whole, enjoy hearing from you. And they’d rather hear from you right from the start, rather than have you struggle on your own for three weeks,” says Neugebauer.

If you have a question about an assignment, send your instructor an email. Are you upset about a grade you got on a recent test? Visit your instructor or TA during office hours to discuss what went wrong and how you can improve.

But remember, says Neugebauer, professors are busy and you are only one of many students.

“Your email should include your full name, what course you’re taking, and a brief description of your question or concern. And you cannot expect an answer at 2 a.m. because that’s when you’re studying. When you reach out to an instructor, give them 24-48 hours to respond.”

And remember, always be respectful and non-confrontational.

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Don’t be afraid to seek help

If you have excelled in high school without extra help, you might be tempted to persevere on your own.

In college, Neugebauer points out, asking for help is the norm.

“Once you get into your undergraduate program, you’ll find that almost everyone has, at some point, asked a TA for extra tutoring, gone to a tutoring center, or a writing or math center for extra help. It’s part of the learning process of an undergraduate program,” Neugebauer says.

Colleges have a variety of support systems in place to help you succeed.

TA office hours are a great place to start if you find yourself struggling with a specific concept or assignment. Peer tutoring programs enable you to learn from students who have been through the course themselves. Academic coaches can help with more general study tips or exam-related stress.

The key is seeking out help proactively, before you get too far behind. As the courses become more difficult, catching up becomes increasingly difficult.

Build time management techniques

Balancing everything that comes with life on a college campus can be difficult for many incoming college students.

“The biggest challenge we see facing high school students who are trying to adapt to college life is overcommitment. Students want to engage in every activity, a full course load, and even sometimes a part-time job. They don’t schedule enough time for self-care, quiet time, doing laundry, and plenty of study time. All those things take time,” Neugebauer says.

Good study habits and time management are key to avoiding the stress that comes from getting overcommitted.

Neugebauer recommends getting into the habit of keeping an accurate and up-to-date calendar.

“The best thing I can recommend is a calendar, such as Google Calendar. Use it to schedule everything: your class, your lunch time, time at the gym. It may seem counterintuitive, but work on scheduling literally everything, even sleep.”

Be sure to include assignments, tests, and other deadlines, as well as office hours for your instructors, TAs, and academic coaches.

Use your calendar to block off dedicated study time. And once you schedule it, stick to it! Avoid the temptation to procrastinate or use that time to hang out, play video games, or scroll on your phone.

Your calendar should also include dedicated time for self-care.

Regular mealtimes, good exercise habits, and a full night’s sleep are not only critical for your physical and mental health. You’ll also be surprised at how much they contribute to your academic success.

Challenge yourself as you engage in college coursework

Getting outside your comfort zone is a critical part of preparing yourself for the exciting challenges that await you in college.

“Being uncomfortable allows for growth. It means saying to yourself, ‘this is new. I want to try it. I want to see how it feels.’ This is all about adapting to a new environment but also examining yourself as a person,” says Neugebauer.

Taking on a new challenge—regardless of the ultimate outcome—builds resilience, mental toughness, and confidence, all of which you will need to succeed in your college courses.

But, warns Neugebauer, it’s also important to know your limitations.

“That uncomfortable feeling should be manageable. It should be a challenge but not so challenging that you feel panicked and wake up in cold sweats every night. It should be something that gets you a little nervous but also excited about what you’re involved in every day.”

However you decide to challenge yourself, it’s never too early to start if college is in your future. The sooner you start identifying and mastering the skills you need in college, the better prepared you’ll be to succeed right from day one.

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Emerson is a Digital Content Producer at Harvard DCE. She is a graduate of Brandeis University and Yale University and started her career as an international affairs analyst. She is an avid triathlete and has completed three Ironman triathlons, as well as the Boston Marathon.

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Teaching Resources

Designing a Course

Resource overview.

Designing a course can seem like a daunting task, so we break it down into a few easy steps to help you navigate creating a structure that's engaging and fun for your students.

Begin the process early, giving yourself as much time as you can to plan a new course.  Successful courses require careful planning and continual revision. Consult with colleagues who have taught the same or similar courses to learn from their strategies and their general impressions of the students who typically take the course. If you are team-teaching, you and your teaching partner(s) should begin meeting well in advance to discuss course goals, teaching philosophies, course content, teaching methods, and course policies, as well as specific responsibilities for each instructor.

Define course goals.  Determining the goals for the course will clarify what you want the students to learn and accomplish. Having these course goals in mind will then help you make decisions about which content to include, which teaching methods to use, and what kinds of assignments and exams are appropriate. For a useful introduction to curriculum planning that begins with defining goals for student learning, rather than with course content, see Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe’s Understanding by Design (1998). When you define the course goals, focus on student learning. One way to formulate these goals is to determine what students should be learning in terms of content, cognitive development, and personal development. Be as specific as you can and make sure that the goals define learning in ways that can be measured. Consider the following questions:

• What do you want your students to remember from your course in 5-10 years?
• How should taking your course change students?
• What skills should students gain in this course?
• How does this course relate to other courses in the discipline? How, then, might you define the course goals accordingly (e.g., for an introductory, fundamental, or advanced course in the discipline)?

In addition, you should learn about the students who typically take the course (their level of preparation, their majors or academic interests, etc.) in order to think about how your course will help this group of students build their knowledge and understanding of the topic.

Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (1956) provides a helpful framework for identifying the observable and measurable skills you would like your students to learn.  Bloom identified six types of cognitive processes and ordered these according to the increasing level of complexity involved: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. This page provides resources for using Bloom’s Taxonomy to help write learning goals.

Below is an example of a list of course goals, as developed for a General Chemistry course. (At Washington University, General Chemistry is a foundational course for several scientific disciplines; it attracts mainly first-year students who were in the top one percent of their high-school classes and whose academic interests represent a variety of disciplines.)

General Chemistry: Course Goals

• Teach chemistry topics that must be covered to help students prepare for other courses and for standardized exams.
• Teach study skills that students need to succeed in university-level science courses; these skills are distinct from those required to succeed in high-school science courses. For example, teach students how to study effectively in a group.
• Teach students problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Demonstrate how chemistry is used in other fields and in everyday situations.
• Teach students the beauty of chemistry.

Determine course content.  Select the major topics and determine the order in which you will teach them.

• Select the main topics to be covered.  To obtain an initial list of course topics, look in current textbooks or the current literature (for a special-topics course). Determine whether there is a consensus concerning the necessary topics by obtaining previous course syllabi and discussing potential topics with colleagues. Refine your list by considering your course goals and the characteristics of your students. At the same time, use the desired content to refine the course goals.
• Pare down and refine your initial list of topics.  Instructors often plan initially to teach more material than they can cover in the allotted time.
• Determine the structure of the course; arrange the topics in a logical order.  Developing a rationale that guides the structure of the course can help you explain the material more clearly to the students. In other words, you can discuss how and why you have organized the material in a particular way, helping them to see, for example, how one topic builds on, illustrates, or offers a different perspective on another. Articulating the rationale behind the course structure also increases and maintains the students’ interest in the course content. Determining the course structure can help you decide which texts are most appropriate.

You can choose to organize the topics in a variety of ways, whether chronological, topical, conceptual, survey-oriented, or process-oriented. Think about how the structure of the course will contribute to student learning. Ask questions such as the following:

• Can I organize the topics according to a theme or storyline?
• Do I need to teach certain skills initially and then discuss applications?
• Do I want to introduce a particular theory before illustrating it with specific examples or problems?

Develop teaching methods and tools.  Once you have determined the course goals and content, think about how you will present the content. Select and develop teaching methods and tools that are 1) appropriate for the size of the class and 2) consistent with the course goals. Consider the following questions and suggestions:

• What is your teaching style? How will you apply or adapt your style to suit the course goals, the size of the class, and the types of students who are likely to enroll?
• Which types of teaching methods will best fulfill your course goals?
• When deciding whether or not you will use technology in your teaching, identify specific goals that technology will help you reach. Plan carefully to determine how you will integrate technology with more traditional teaching tools, such as the chalkboard.
• Whenever possible, use a variety of approaches, taking into account that students use a diverse range of learning preferences.
• Plan to use teaching methods that will require and measure active student learning.

Determine how you will evaluate student learning: Plan assignments and exams. The evaluation must go hand-in-hand with course goals. For example, if one course goal is to improve problem-solving skills, the exam should not contain only questions that ask students to recall facts; it should contain questions that ask students to solve specific and well-chosen problems. By the same token, homework and class activities leading up to the exam must include some questions that require problem-solving skills. Consider the following questions:

• Do assignments reflect and help achieve course goals? For example, are the papers required for the course an appropriate genre and length? How much time will you give students to complete these papers?
• Do exams and quizzes reflect course goals? Do they measure the extent to which students are achieving the learning objectives you have set out for the course?
• Will the students have an opportunity to acquire and practice the skills that are required for exams and major assignments?

Select text(s) and other materials.  If you are using texts, decide whether the course goals will be best met by using a published text or a course reader that compiles material published elsewhere (and unpublished material, if applicable). Take into account the cost of all materials. Consider placing some of the material on reserve at the library so that students can borrow, photocopy, or download the material themselves. Order texts early and call the bookstore about a month before the course starts to ask if the texts have arrived.

If you are compiling a course reader, consider copyright issues (see the University’s guidelines on copyright and fair use ). If you need to obtain permission to reprint or otherwise use published material, allow at least 3 months to complete the process. Keep in mind that some publishers now offer faculty the option of creating custom readers, for which the publisher has already obtained the necessary permissions. You can also use commercial copyright clearance services.

Before the semester begins, order text(s) and other materials, including films, videos, or software; contact guest speakers; and arrange field trips. If you plan to use instructional technology or multimedia equipment, ensure that you will have the necessary equipment, software, and training.  Reserve a classroom that has all the necessary components. Classroom reservations are handled by the  Office of the University Registrar (OUR), formerly the Office of Student Records. Typically, requests to register classrooms for a course are forwarded to OUR by departmental administrative assistants. To learn about the process in your department, ask the department chair or administrative assistant. Contact The Teaching Center at 935-6810 to schedule training on how to use the classroom multimedia or to arrange for additional, licensed software to be installed on the classroom PC. If you would like to reserve a classroom to practice using the multimedia before the semester starts, or when classes are not in session, please contact Jeanine Gibson in the Office of Student Records by email , or by phone at 935-4145.

Define course policies.  Determine how you will grade all required work, including all assignments, papers, exams, and, if applicable, class participation. Decide ahead of time how you will deal with such issues as tardiness, attendance problems, work turned in late, and requests for extensions or the rescheduling of exams. Learn the  Policy on Academic Integrity  and develop strategies for preventing and responding to plagiarism and cheating. Include all course policies on the syllabus and plan to review them with students on the first day of class.

Develop the course schedule. The tendency is nearly always to try to accomplish too much during each class period. Allow time for active learning to occur during class and for students to complete major assignments and prepare for exams. When preparing the schedule, consult the relevant academic calendars, and keep in mind major religious holidays and significant campus events (for example, Homecoming and Thurtene Carnival).

Write the course syllabus. At a minimum, the syllabus should contain the following: course title, time, and location; prerequisites; required texts and other materials; course topics; major assignments and exams; course policies on grading, academic integrity, attendance, and late work; and contact information for instructor and assistants to instruction (if applicable).

Refine the Course Design.  Course planning is a continual process, as illustrated by the diagram below. Each of the steps is necessarily undertaken with the others in mind, and each will necessarily undergo revision each time you teach a particular course.

As you plan and revise courses, remember the importance of teaching core concepts and critical-thinking skills. Focusing only on content can quickly lead you to over-emphasize knowledge-based skills and to ignore the teaching of the higher-level thinking skills in Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Further Reading

Nilson, L. (2016). “Outcomes-Centered Course Design” in  Teaching at It’s Best , 4th edition. Jossey-Bass.

Fink, L. D. (2005).  A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning .

Bloom, Benjamin (ed). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Vol. 1: Cognitive Domain. New York: McKay, 1956.

Davis, Barbara Gross. “Preparing or Revising a Course.” Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993.

McKeachie, Wilbert, et al. McKeachie’s Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005.

“Planning Your Course: A Decision Guide.” Center for Learning and Teaching, Cornell University.

Stout, Julie. “Radical Course Revision: A Case Study.” National Teaching and Learning Forum 10(4). May 2001.

Wiggins, Grant and Jay McTighe. Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1998.

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Required Curriculum

Elective curriculum, there are moments that pull everything we've learned into focus. when theory, practice, experience, and talent all come to one sharp point — a decision that shapes a definitive path..

Year One, Fall

Begin the year with personal leadership activities, reflection, and small team projects..

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HBS's MBA curriculum includes a range of exciting courses and is frequently refreshed with new content. The goal is to give students a firm grasp of broad-based fundamentals. The School's inductive learning model goes beyond facts and theories—a process that teaches individuals not only how to manage organizations, but also how to continually grow and learn throughout life.

During the first year at HBS, all students pursue the same course of study: the Required Curriculum and FIELD. By studying under a common curriculum, students build a solid, broad foundation of general management concepts and skills across all the key disciplines.

• Data Science for Manager (DSM)
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The Required Curriculum forms the first year of study and establishes a common foundation in the fundamental practices of business including finance, marketing, leadership, negotiation, operations, strategy, and more. All students participate in the same set of classes within their section of 90 colleagues, including FIELD, which complements case-method learning with smaller hands-on team projects, personal reflection, and immersions. In addition to acquiring specific analytical and quantitative skills, students become acclimated to MBA Program standards of communication and collaboration, and develop strong, lasting relationships with one another.

• Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE)
• Strategy (STRAT)
• The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM)
• Finance 2 (FIN2)
• Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA)
• FIELD Global Immersion
• Social Purpose of the Firm (SPF)

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Year One, Summer

The summer work experience.

Students fulfill the requirement through successful completion of a summer work experience—either with an established organization or by launching an entrepreneurial venture, and in either a paid or an unpaid position. Any student facing personal circumstances that do not allow for an internship could apply for a waiver.

Year Two, Fall

Choose from an unparalleled range of elective courses to build on the concepts developed in the required curriculum..

During the second year, students choose from an unparalleled range of elective courses to build on the basic concepts developed in the Required Curriculum. This portion of the program enables students to integrate the functional skills learned in the first year into an understanding of the firm as a total enterprise.

Students may take any combination of courses—up to five courses per semester—and also have the opportunity to cross-register for courses in other select graduate programs.

Consult the online listing of Elective Curriculum MBA courses for faculty biographies, unit overviews, and detailed course descriptions.

Cross-Registration

Opportunities for students to take classes at other select graduate programs during their second year.

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Year 2, Spring

Integrate the functional skills you've learned into an understanding of the firm as a total enterprise..

During the winter term, choose from an array of courses spanning topics from corporate board leadership to reimagining capitalism and authentic leadership development to managing global health. You also have the opportunity to participate in Immersive Field Course (IFC).

Created by the Great Schools Partnership , the GLOSSARY OF EDUCATION REFORM is a comprehensive online resource that describes widely used school-improvement terms, concepts, and strategies for journalists, parents, and community members. | Learn more »

Core Course of Study

Also called core curriculum , core course of study refers to a series or selection of courses that all students are required to complete before they can move on to the next level in their education or earn a diploma. In high schools, a core course of study will typically include specified classes in the four “core” subject areas—English language arts, math, science, and social studies—during each of the four standard years of high school. Since elementary and middle schools generally offer students a predetermined academic program with fewer optional courses, the term core course of study nearly always refers to requirements in high school programs.

In some schools, the core course of study may also entail additional credit requirements in specified subject areas, such as the arts, computer science, health, physical education, and world languages, but not all schools may define their core courses of study in this way. A core course of study typically does not include electives —optional courses that students choose to take and that may or may not satisfy credit requirements for graduation.

The general educational purpose of a core course of study is to ensure that all students take and complete courses that are considered to be academically and culturally essential—i.e., the courses that teach students the foundational knowledge and skills they will need in college, careers, and adult life. Yet depending on the structure of the academic program in a particular school, the core course of study may be different for some students. For example, some schools offer distinct academic programs in parallel with their regular academic programs—such as International Baccalaureate or theme-based academies , among many other possible options—and students enrolled in these programs will likely have to satisfy different requirements to complete the program or earn a diploma.

Credits are awarded when students complete a course with a passing grade. Therefore, increasing subject-area credit requirements effectively increases course requirements. This is why states may attempt to influence the quality or effectiveness of academic programs by modifying state-mandated credit requirements: schools may offer a wide variety of math courses and academic tracks, but they all offer courses in the subject area of math. Still, there is a nuanced distinction between core academic courses and credit requirements: some history courses, for example, may be elective in a school while others are considered part of the core course of study. To complete the core course of study and satisfy a school’s graduation requirements, then, students will need to pass the required history courses , not just earn a specified number of history credits .

For decades, high schools have typically used some form of graduation requirements to ensure that students complete a specified selection of courses before they are awarded a diploma. States have also passed legislation that determined minimum credit requirements in a selection of subject areas for public high schools, although districts and schools can elect to increase those requirements. To this day, graduation requirements still vary considerably from state to state and school to school, both in terms of (1) the total number of courses or credits required in each subject and (2) the kinds of courses or learning experiences required.

In the latter part of the twentieth century, however, graduation requirements—including mandatory courses and other learning experiences, such computer-literacy or community-service requirements—became objects of reform. Growing calls to improve academic achievement and student preparation led states, districts, and schools to increase course and credit requirements as a mechanism for elevating academic expectations and improving education results. For example, many states moved to require that all public high school students complete four “years” (or credits) in English, and to increase credit requirements for math, science, or social studies from two years (a formerly common requirement) to three or four years. Some states even now require students to complete specific courses, not just specific credit requirements—for example, students may be required to complete four “years” of math up to and including courses deemed to be at an “Algebra II” level or above. Schools also used the core course of study, and any attendant graduation requirements, as a way to improve the academic achievement, attainment, and preparation of more students, while also mitigating learning loss , learning gaps , achievement gaps , and opportunity gaps .

Pedagogically and philosophically, the core course of study, as a reform strategy, is related to concepts such as access , equity , high expectations , and rigor . The basic rationale is that increasing requirements in the “core” subjects will not only improve student learning and skill acquisition, but it will give graduates more educational and career options because they will graduate better educated and prepared. The core course of study, as a reform strategy, is also related to learning standards (i.e., the general educational intent is similar), but course requirements are distinct from standards: a core course of study establishes minimum course requirements, while standards establish minimum learning requirements. Many learning standards may be addressed or taught in a course, but standards are not specific to certain courses (although they are typically organized by subject area and grade level). Learning standards describe knowledge and skill expectations, but those standards can be met either within or outside of a course.

Some education leaders question whether it is sufficient or useful to simply require students to take more courses, when such requirements do not guarantee that students will actually learn more in certain subject area or graduate better prepared for adult life. Since courses may be more challenging or less challenging, and since students may learn a lot or not learn much in any given course, many educators argue that states, districts, and schools should require students to meet learning standards, not just complete courses, because standards describe the specific knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. For example, reform strategies such as proficiency-based learning require students to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge and skills outlined in learning standards before they can pass a course, move on to the next grade level, or graduate. If schools have a core course of study in place, students may take more courses, but they may also be able to pass those courses with low grades and without having acquired the knowledge and skills described in learning standards.

Less commonly, core courses of study, learning standards, and other attempts to standardize what gets taught in schools may be perceived by some parents or public figures as a form of “forced curriculum ”—i.e., an attempt to control what gets taught to students. In most cases, such criticism mirrors larger political debates and ideological fault lines in the United States, such as whether and how schools should teach the science of evolution (a highly politicized topic). While core courses of study and learning standards are, in fact, overt attempts to standardize education and ensure that students learn certain foundational knowledge and skills, the majority of educators do not see ominous or ideological intent behind these strategies.

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How to Include Relevant Coursework on a Resume (with Examples)

13 min read · Updated on September 11, 2023

If you are a recent graduate struggling with a lack of work experience, knowing how to include relevant coursework on a resume can be one of the best ways to create a more compelling resume narrative.

One thing that many recent college graduates have in common with one another is a general lack of work experience. That lack of experience can sometimes make it difficult for them to construct a resume that sells their potential to be the best candidate for a job. Fortunately, there are ways to still create a strong and compelling resume, even without experience. For example, did you take classes that might be relevant to the position? If so, including relevant coursework on your resume may be the perfect solution to your resume challenges.

In this post, we will explain how you can identify relevant coursework and where it should be listed in your resume. We will also include several examples of relevant coursework on a resume so that you can see the best options for using these details to strengthen your job search efforts.

What is relevant coursework?

Of course, when we talk about relevant coursework, we are talking about those classes and educational activities that have direct relevance to the position you are seeking. The first thing you need to recognize is that many of the classes you took during your college career will not need to be included in your resume. After all, most degrees require that students complete any number of basic foundational courses that will have little if any relation to their chosen job — at least from a resume standpoint. 

So, what types of classes, achievements, and activities should you focus on as you identify suitable courses to add to your resume? While this sounds like a simple question, it actually requires some serious thought and evaluation. Fortunately, there are some basic rules that you can follow as you make that determination. Below are just some of the potentially relevant things that you might want to include in your resume: 

Coursework that demonstrates that you have a foundation of knowledge in a required aspect of the job you are seeking. For example, if communication skills are needed for the position, you should include courses that focused on business communications, writing, etc.

Projects that are related to particular job skills. For a marketing position, you should include any marketing-related projects you completed during your studies. Or you could include research projects you engaged in if you are seeking a job where research skills are essential.

Academic achievements can also be included, including notably high GPA scores or awards you received. Also, be sure to include any related extracurricular activities. That could include everything from clubs to sporting activities if they helped you develop skills that would be useful for the job.

Again, do not include coursework that has no bearing on the job at hand. This will require you to carefully consider each course to determine its relevance. One way to do that is to read the job posting and select keywords and phrases of import that seem to be describing the skills or educational qualifications needed for the job. Then go through your coursework and try to match courses to those skills. As you do so, remember that some basic courses like those involving communication—both written and verbal—may be included, since communication is one of those soft skills that every company values .

You can learn more about the difference between hard and soft skills by reading our excellent article, Key Differences Between Hard Skills and Soft Skills . A better understanding of those critical soft skills can help to ensure that you don't underestimate the value of any of your classes. There's a great chance that you have more marketable soft skills than you realize! 

When should you include relevant courses on your resume?

Before you add your job-related classes to your resume, you should decide whether it is necessary. For example, you can almost certainly benefit from including your relevant coursework on your resume if: 

You recently graduated from school or are beginning the process of looking for a job because you are close to graduation. Students and recent graduates typically have little or no real job experience to highlight skills. Fortunately, their studies and project assignments will likely have helped them to develop important skills that they can highlight in their resumes.

Your educational achievements are necessary to qualify for the position you are seeking. In those instances, your prospective employer will be interested in knowing that you have fulfilled those requirements and have the basic knowledge needed for the position.

There may also be times when you need to include coursework even after you have been in the workforce for some time. For example, if you are switching careers and your current work experience does not include the skills needed for your new job, that may not matter as much if you can show that your studies prepared you for the role. 

Including coursework related to your minor

As you select relevant coursework for your resume, don't forget to consider courses of study related to your minor too. Hopefully, you will have selected a minor that is at least tangentially related to your desired career path. If so, then chances are that some of the courses you completed may have some relevance that can translate to a useful resume listing. For more information about minors and when they can be added to your resume, read How to Include a Minor on Your Resume .

When should I take coursework off my resume?

Obviously, there will be times when you should forgo any mention of your courses in your resume. Some examples of situations where you might not need to list your specific coursework include:

When your coursework is not really relevant to the position you seek. Including irrelevant coursework could actually distract from your important skills and experiences.

Situations in which coursework was completed so long ago that the information is no longer useful. For instance, many technology-related courses can lose their value over time. Other examples include old marketing courses and other educational achievements that involve skills that have evolved rapidly in recent years.

If your resume is already filled with enough work experience and skills that there is no need or room for specific course details. Remember, you want to add your courses to enhance your value as an employee. If adding a particular course does nothing more than add length to the resume, skip it. 

Where should relevant coursework be listed in your resume?

In most resumes, the coursework should be placed in the education section, with a subheading titled “Relevant Coursework.” When creating this part of the education section, you should insert the subheading under the name of your degree, with a list of the courses you studied. For example:

Bachelor's in [Name of Degree]

[College Name, City, Graduation Date]

Relevant Coursework: [Course 1], [Course 2], [Course 3], [Course 4], [Course 5]

Alternatively, you can also opt to show your courses in a bullet-point list if your resume is short and you need to fill more space. You can even elaborate on each course with a few words to describe the skills you learned in class. For example:

Relevant Coursework:

If you have no actual work experience, you may even want to consider using your education section as a substitute for that experience section. If you choose that option, you may want to place the education section closer to the top of your resume and flesh out each course in the same way you would detail a job listing in your work experience section. That means using detailed descriptions that include quantifiable results highlighting your achievements.

Key tips to remember when listing relevant coursework

Before we show you some examples of how to list relevant coursework on your resume, there are a few tips that can help to ensure that your final product is as compelling as possible. By incorporating these ideas into your resume creation process, you can more effectively make that all-important great first impression on any hiring manager.

Only list relevant coursework if you lack sufficient work experience to meet the job requirements.

Always make sure that the courses you list highlight skills and knowledge needed for the position. If a course has nothing to do with your chosen line of work, it has no place in your resume.

Relevant courses may be related to hard and soft skills.

If you choose to use descriptions for each course, use that as an opportunity to insert relevant keywords from the job description. This can be a great way to ensure that your resume can get past any applicant tracking system .

Always proofread your entire resume to eliminate spelling mistakes, punctuation and grammar errors, and style or formatting discrepancies.

Make sure that you tailor your resume to fit the job you want. Since you will likely be applying for different jobs during your job search, you may need to modify your educational coursework details to align with the needs of each position.

Do not forget to include important skill information in your coursework descriptions. Again, try to use those job description keywords.

If you are maintaining an updated resume throughout your educational career, be sure to continually edit your resume as your coursework evolves over time. This can make it easier to keep it updated and can save you some time when your job search begins.

3 Examples of relevant coursework on a resume

In this final section, we will explore some different examples to show you how you can successfully incorporate relevant coursework into your resume. We have included a couple of examples of the most basic listing options, as well as an expanded sample that enables you to provide more details and skills. You can refer to these samples and use them as guides as you create your own relevant coursework section.

Example #1: The Basics

Bachelor's in Information Technology

My College, Anytown 2022

Relevant Coursework: Cyber Security 101, Business Intelligence, Application Development, Networking and Telecom, Artificial Intelligence

This simple listing would be a good option for anyone who has at least some relevant work experience but who still needs an additional boost to meet the job requirements. In this case, the job seeker's coursework listing is presented in a minimalist format, documenting the specific courses and areas of focus—but without any other information about those studies.

Example #2: Bulletpoint List of Courses

Cyber Security 101

Business Intelligence

Application Development

Networking and Telecom

Artificial Intelligence

This option is similar to the first example but presents the classes and areas of focus as separate bullet points. This provides additional emphasis for each area of study, while also taking up a bit more space in the resume. This can be a great option if your resume is a little short and you need to expand the content.

Example #3: Detailed Format

My College, Anytown

Completed in 2022

Certified Cyber Security Expert, skilled in protecting data, information, and infrastructure.

Coursework included training on risk analysis, threat mitigation, compliance assurance, and cloud security.

Completed multiple projects and research assignments designed to test knowledge and adaptability to various types of cyber threats.

 Business Intelligence

Business analytics certificate, training focused on data interpretation and communication to resolve business problems with a data mindset.

Course included 3 projects testing analytical skills using hypothetical business challenges based on real-world business scenarios.

 Application Development

Courses focused on the development of software coding skills used for web application creation, troubleshooting, and debugging.

Final course project involved the creation of an independent web app to streamline online sales processes for a test company.

Training focused on routing, packet switching, and cybersecurity needs.

Spent eight weeks as a volunteer networking intern for a local ISP, receiving hands-on training from experienced networking professionals.

AI and machine learning studies, emphasizing tech integration into business processes, impact on sales and marketing, and ethical concerns.

Conducted study for the course final, evaluating potential AI benefits for enhanced marketing in the digital age and impact on online sales.

This more detailed example is a superior option for those who have no work experience and need their educational credentials to highlight their skills. In this sample, each area of interest is accompanied by bullet point details describing the types of courses studied and the lessons or skills developed during those classes. In addition, bullet points are added to highlight specific achievements, describe studies and real-world application of skills, and demonstrate competency in the subject matter.

This type of format can enable your coursework section to serve as a replacement for work experience if you have never been employed. When used for that purpose, you can expand on each course listing to include additional skills and keywords from the job post. Simply add new bullet points where needed to flesh out each area of emphasis.

Again, if you choose to replace your work experience section with this relevant coursework section, make sure that you move this section closer to the top of your resume so that it receives more prominence. Basically, if your strongest selling point is your education, then make sure that your important courses are one of the first things that a prospective employer sees. Also, you may want to highlight your educational qualifications in your resume summary so that the reader expects to see those coursework details.

Don't underestimate the power of a well-crafted and compelling resume

Finally, it is important to reiterate just how vital it is that your resume makes the best possible impression. When you approach the labor market with little or no work experience, you are usually already at a competitive disadvantage. There will almost always be someone else who has a similar level of skill and educational background, as well as real-world experience. To compete against a qualified rival, you need a resume that can effectively sell you as the best candidate for the job.

For recent graduates and job seekers moving to entirely new careers, a lack of relevant work experience can be a major impediment to landing job interviews and employment offers. One way to overcome this obstacle is to learn how to use relevant educational coursework on your resume to highlight your qualifications and skills. Hopefully, this post and its resume examples can provide you with the inspiration and help you need to translate your educational experience into a compelling resume narrative. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure that your resume effectively positions you to have the best chance at landing any interview and job. To make sure that your resume is up to par, get a  free resume review  today. And if you really want to be sure that your resume is ready for prime time, take a few moments to discover just how easy it is to get professional resume assistance from our team of experts!

Recommended Reading:

What Should I Say About My Education On My Resume?

Ask Amanda: What's the Best Way to List Education on a Resume?

14 Reasons This is a Perfect Recent College Grad Resume Example

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How to List Relevant Coursework On Resume [Tips & Examples!]

If you’re a college student, recent graduate, or entry-level professional, chances are you don’t have a lot of professional experience to list on your resume. 

This, in turn, might make you feel insecure about your application, especially considering that the work experience section is among the most important section of a resume. 

Well, listing your relevant coursework might just be the answer!

By listing the courses that are relevant to the job position or internship you’re applying for, you can show recruiters that while you don’t have much work experience, you have the right skills and knowledge for the job.

But what is the right way to list relevant coursework on your resume and is there a time when you shouldn’t list it all? And what exactly is relevant, to begin with?

In this article, we’re going to answer all those questions and more. Read on to learn:

When Is Relevant Coursework Necessary on a Resume?

• How to List Relevant Coursework on Your Resume in 3 Steps

7 Tips on Listing Relevant Coursework on Your Resume

Resume example with relevant coursework.

And more! Let’s dive right in. 

What Makes Coursework Relevant?

Professional experience is one of the most important sections of a successful resume, but you first need to land a job to start building it. 

Which begs the question, how can a recent graduate or entry-level professional prove they’ve got what it takes for an entry-level position with no, or minimal, professional experience ? 

Well, this is where coursework comes in. 

Together with academic projects and achievements, as well as extracurricular activities, listing relevant coursework can help students and entry-level professionals show they’ve got the necessary skills for the job despite not having the relevant professional experience.

The coursework you list on your resume should actually be related to the position you’re applying for.

For example, if you’re applying for a job as a graphic designer, listing your achievements in your World History class won’t really impress recruiters. If, on the other hand, you mention that you were top of your class in Design and Layout , you’ll be effectively showing recruiters that you have great potential as an up-and-coming graphic designer. 

To sum things up, here are the top cases when relevant coursework is necessary on a resume:

• When you’re still a student
• When you’re applying with an entry-level resume
• When you’re applying for an internship
• When the coursework is directly related to the job position 

If, on the other hand, you have 2+ years of work experience in the field, as well as the needed skill-set, coursework on your resume will only take up space and can be skipped entirely.

Checking the job description is another way of determining whether you should add relevant coursework to your resume. If, for example, the job description requires that you list your majors, GPA, diploma, or portfolio, chances are they’ll also be interested in your coursework, especially if it’s relevant to the position. 

How to List Relevant Coursework on Your Resume in 3 Steps 

So you’ve established that you should include relevant coursework on your resume. Now, you may be wondering where exactly to include it. 

As a rule of thumb, coursework is listed under an applicant’s education history. Depending on whether you have any professional experience to list, the education section may come before or after the work experience section. 

Here are the four best ways to add relevant coursework to your resume: 

#1. Add a New Line in Your Education Section

Instead of creating a fresh section called “Relevant Coursework,” you’re better off just adding the courses to your education section.

As a student resume can be one-page max , this helps you to save up the space needed for other essential resume sections.

Here’s a practical example of what this looks like on the resume of a recent graduate applying for a high-school teaching position: 

BA in World Literature 

UC Berkeley

2012 - 2016

Relevant coursework: British Literature, American Literature, Medieval Literature, William Shakespeare, Language and Cognitive Development 

#2. List Your Relevant Coursework in Bullet Points

To make your relevant coursework more visible and reader-friendly, list them in bullet points underneath your diploma title. 

Here’s how the above Literature graduate’s resume would look like following this formatting: 

Relevant Coursework: 

• British Literature
• American Literature 
• Medieval Literature 
• William Shakespeare 
• Language and Cognitive Development

#3. Explain How The Coursework is Relevant to the Position 

Finally, if you want to take your relevant coursework resume section to the next level, add detailed explanations to your courses to support how they’re relevant to the position you’re applying for or how they helped develop your skill-set. 

A recent study found that companies are suspending the use of degree completion as a proxy and instead now favor hiring on the basis of demonstrated skills and competencies . This means that your relevant coursework should aim to show exactly how it has helped you acquire the skills required for the position. 

Here’s an example of how that would play out for a journalism student applying for an entry-level reporting job at a newspaper:

B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication

Northwestern University, IL

2015 - 2018

• Writing and Reporting: Learned the ins and outs of news reporting through several practical assignments and exams.
• Media Ethics: Got introduced to the most essential ethical theories and decision-making strategies in journalism and wrote a paper on Ethical Journalism and Human Rights that got published in the Political Communication Journal.
• Gathering and Developing the News: Gained first-hand experience in interviewing, researching, newsgathering, and communicating with sources.

To make sure your coursework is as relevant as possible, check out the required skills in the job description. If you have taken classes that have helped you master those skills, then make sure to mention how by adding all the necessary details, as shown above. 

Here are seven tips you should always keep in mind when listing coursework on your resume: 

• Take advantage of keywords . When evaluating your resume, recruiters scan it to look for the keywords that were mentioned in the job description (e.g. skills, experiences, etc.). You can re-read the job ad and, where relevant, include these keywords in your coursework section.
• Tailor your resume to the job offer.  In order for your coursework to add value to your resume, it really needs to be relevant. So, if you’re applying for a job that doesn’t take academic background into consideration or that’s completely unrelated to your major, you’re better off omitting coursework altogether and focusing on other important sections, such as your hard and soft skills. 
• List online courses. If you’ve completed some online courses that are relevant to the position you’re applying for, feel free to also include them under relevant coursework. 
• Add value through other academic achievements. Relevant coursework can say a lot about your potential, but recruiters will be even more easily convinced if you support it with other academic achievements, including your GPA, extracurricular activities, etc. 
• Show how you’ve grown. When you’re explaining your relevant coursework in detail, you can include how you’ve grown by listing all the skills you acquired in the process. Those can be both soft skills, like communication and interpersonal skills, and hard skills like programming or doing extensive research. 
• Change the relevant coursework as you progress. Many college students start working in their freshman year. If that’s the case with you, make sure to update your resume from year to year to reflect your academic journey and most recently acquired skills. 
• Check for errors. A well-written, error-free resume shows that you’re attentive to detail and that you care to make a good impression. 

Key Takeaways 

And that’s a wrap! You now have all the necessary information to add relevant coursework to your resume effectively. 

Before you start working on your resume, though, here’s a brief summary of the key points covered in this article:

• Listing relevant coursework on your resume is not mandatory but can be very helpful if you’re a student or an entry-level professional.
• If you have at least a year of professional experience, drop your relevant coursework and focus on tailoring your work experience and skills sections to the position. 
• Relevant coursework typically goes under the education section. You can either give a general or a detailed summary of your coursework. 
• You can make a separate relevant coursework section only if the job you’re applying for requires a strong academic record. 
• Your coursework needs to be relevant to the position. This means you should leave them out of your resume if they have nothing to do with the role.

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What is the difference between taking courses, classes or lessons?

Currently, I am preparing a letter of my study objectives for an university application. I ask myself what is the exact difference between the following terms? Or can I use them synonymously?

• taking courses
• taking classes
• taking lessons
• word-choice

10 Answers 10

The uses and meanings of 'course', 'class' and 'lesson' vary considerably between North American English and British English.

North American English

This means a series of classes, on a particular subject, usually lasting a whole semester or year. It does not mean a "course of study"; for this North American English uses "program" or "major". Evidence for this usage comes from American and Canadian University websites in which courses are usually given "credit" values, e.g. 3-credit course, 4-credit course, and listed per semester as the "Schedule of Courses". Example sentences:

What courses do I need to take to get a degree in English? Students must register for 4 courses to be considered full time. I'm taking a course on Shakespeare's sonnets.

This has two possible meanings in a university context . First, as a particular instance of a course. Example sentences:

I can't go for coffee now, I have a class. I have classes all day Wednesday.

Second, as a slightly more informal term for 'course'. Example sentences:

I'm taking a class on Shakespeare's sonnets. How many classes are you taking this semester?

In a non-university context , 'class' substitutes for 'course', i.e., 'course' isn't used in these contexts very much. It still has the two meanings above, though.

Example sentences: For a series of individual classes on pottery,

I'm taking a pottery class.

For a particular instance of a class,

In my yoga class today, we did back bends.

The word 'lesson' isn't used much in the North American English higher educational context except as part of the compound noun 'lesson plan', which is a technical educational term meaning a plan for a single class. It also appears in the context of individual instruction, especially for musical instruments, e.g. "piano lesson".

British English

In British English, a course refers to a course of study, i.e. a series of lectures, tutorials or exams taken over a number of years, usually leading to a degree. Neither 'class' nor 'lesson' is used in the context of Higher Education in the UK, as far as I know.

• 3 At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Course is used in the British English sense: Mathematics is a Course. The various series of lectures lasting a semester, e.g. Calculus I, that would be needed for a degree in this Course are called Subjects. In contrast, at most other American universities, Mathematics might be referred to as a Subject (though Major or Curriculum are more likely) and Calculus I would be called a course. –  Dilip Sarwate Commented Feb 20, 2012 at 4:26
• @DilipSarwate Interesting. Although I've spent some time at MIT it wasn't as a student so I guess I never noticed this. It certainly seems to be a minority use in the U.S., though. –  Alan Munn Commented Mar 3, 2012 at 19:44

Notwithstanding the fact that people will be sloppy with their language and use these terms synonymously:

Course is the broadest term for the study of a subject. It could be used to refer to an entire degree program, but it is most appropriately applied to a specific subject such as First Year English Literature .

Class is more specific and is most properly applied to a section of a course taught by one instructor to one group of students at a certain scheduled time.

Lesson is the most specific and implies a particular unit of instruction, such as would be delivered by a particular instructor to a particular class on a given day.

Each word paints a different image through association in the reader's mind. Here are some meanings associated with each:

• course - field of study, duration as in "time elapsed", the process of evaluation and grading
• class - teacher-student interaction, where the interaction does not necessarily include the evaluation and grading grading process
• lesson - a unit of knowledge, tutorial, achieving a greater level of understanding

Course is at the highest, most abstract (macro) level. Lesson is at the most specific, micro level. Both course and lesson are independent of time. Both are dependent on goals. Class is the least abstract, most tangible of the three. It is dependent on time. It is a process level word.

You know what image you want to convey to the reader. It may not matter which country the reader hails from. What will matter is the other words in the sentence.

When we want to talk about a period of time when we are taught something, we say we have a lesson . For the same occasion, especially as part of a group, we can use the term class : We have a History lesson/class at nine.

When we want to talk about a series of lessons or lectures we attend, we say we take a course . The same term applies when we want to talk about a period of study at an academic institution which leads to an exam or qualification, as in postgraduate courses .

According to OALD, class can also be used to describe a series of lessons on a particular subject (as a synonym of course ), for example we can say pottery class and mean a series of classes/lessons.

• @Theta30: No, I'm speaking about the UK. –  Irene Commented Feb 18, 2012 at 18:27

In a "class" you take lessons.

In a "course" you take many classes.

• 1 These are not all set in stone, as students use these terms (especially class and course ) interchangeably... –  Jimi Oke Commented Jul 9, 2011 at 0:54

A course is "a series of lectures or lessons in a particular subject, typically leading to a qualification." A class is "a course of instruction."

It all depends on the context. In the UK, for instance (I'm presuming you're talking about an American university), neither "class" nor "lesson" is ever used in the context of higher education, and the "course" one studies is likely to be the overall subject, e.g. Computer Science/English Lit/whatever. Then again, the terminology varies widely from one institution to another within the UK, as I'm sure it does in America.

• So a course in the US might be a subject in the UK, while a course in the UK might be a subject in the US? –  Peter Shor Commented Jul 10, 2011 at 12:52
• like thesis and dissertation?! –  karthik Commented Feb 18, 2012 at 12:15

Let me see if I can simply all of the above:

A lesson is part of a class ; a class is part of a course ; a course is part of a program that usually leads to a degree or certification.

• 1 Except for the fact that 'lesson' isn't really used (at least in the US) and 'class' can be synonymous with 'course' and therefore isn't always part of one, and 'course' can mean 'program' in the UK. Simplification isn't always what it's cracked up to be. –  Alan Munn Commented Feb 19, 2012 at 15:29
• 2 @AlanMunn In my part of the US, lesson is a well known word. Maybe it is owing to that I'v dated several teachers but lesson is word that I'v heard often—lesson plans; get tomorrow's lesson ready—asf. Many textbooks have "Lesson #" instead of "Chapter #". And while class may bestead course sometimes—What classes/courses are you taking this semester?—course isn't an eath swap for class ... I'm off to class. (Course doesn't work here) ... When you're talking to your advisor, you'll discuss the coursework (not classwork ... classwork is what you do for class) that you'll need for your degree. –  AnWulf Commented Feb 20, 2012 at 3:03
• w.r.t. 'lesson', I was referring to a higher education context. It may well be used in high/middle/grade school. As for your substitutions, the fact that 'class' can be a synonym of 'course' doesn't entail that 'course' can be used everywhere 'class' can be. "I'm off to class" is only the first of my meanings of 'class' so we don't expect a substitution. Thanks for your 'coursework/classwork' example, which is a very nice minimal pair, but since the words are compounds, we don't necessarily expect the same substitutions to be possible. –  Alan Munn Commented Feb 20, 2012 at 4:01
• It doesn't matter, professors hav lesson plans as well as high school teachers. I'v made lessons plans for classes at a corporation. With your advisor you'll discuss the courses you'll need for your program (or maybe degree track). If class and course were syn. then classwork and coursework would also be syn. Think of it this way. In order to complete the course, you must go class for your lessons. –  AnWulf Commented Feb 20, 2012 at 4:39

If I teach "Calculus 1" in both Spring 2016 and Fall 2016, then those are two different classes but the same course .

Evidence: terminology such as "Schedule of classes" (for a particular semester) and "Course catalog" (not bound to a particular semester).

It is easy to understand when you know what you are talking about and how to define the words.

Lessons are considered as chapters filled with a certain amount of assignments. It can take several classes to finish one lesson, but also several lessons can be done in one class.

This lesson was very hard. We've learned a lot today, we finish many chapters → lessons. We will continue this lesson next week.

Classes are certain, every day you attend classes, therefore also the lessons. Although classes can be a group of people, mainly that word refers to the daily classes/lessons.

It's not always certain how many lessons you have in one class. This is individually decided.

— What class do you have? — Photography — What lesson are you in? — We have to calculate the value of light measurement for cameras and before that we learned what ISO means and what it does.

An unknown bundle of classes, but the lessons what to learn/teach are known. Right now, we either finish and understand the lecture or we don't understand it and have to redo the whole course since we could not keep up with other students, or we have to take extra classes to polish the lessons we already have had.

• Hi and welcome. Please put more effort into your posts in the future. I tried to fix what I could, but some bits just plain do not make any sense whatsoever, so I have no idea how to fix them. –  RegDwigнt Commented Dec 3, 2012 at 10:01
• Thnx, maybe I have been writing too much. I'm Dutch so my English isn't that great. If people learn the meanings of words it should be easy to understand: lesson, class, course. I tried too hard to explain it in apparently a retarded way. –  Ruben Commented Dec 7, 2012 at 9:15

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged meaning word-choice nouns or ask your own question .

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• About CFP Board
• CFP Board Center for Financial Planning
• Verify a CFP® Professional
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What You'll Learn

Before you can sit for the CFP® exam, you will need to complete the Coursework Requirement through a CFP Board Registered Program.

CFP Board Registered Programs offer courses that cover the 8 Principal Knowledge Domains (70 topic areas in total) assessed on the exam that candidates must master to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. These topic categories comprise the major topic areas of personal financial planning. 

Completing this coursework on your path to CFP® certification equips you to become a competent, knowledgeable planner who can help secure your clients' financial future by providing a holistic view of their finances and offering advice tailored to their situation.

Find a CFP Board Registered Program

A Blueprint for the CFP ®  Exam

The Principal Knowledge Topics establish the blueprint for the CFP® exam. Each exam question is linked to one of the following Principal Knowledge Topic areas below, in the approximate percentages indicated. The Principal Knowledge Topics serve as not just a framework for the CFP Board coursework requirement, but also the subjects that CFP Board accepts for Continuing Education  credit.

A.1 CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct A.2 CFP Board’s Procedural Rules A.3 Function, purpose, and general structure of financial institutions A.4 Financial services regulations and requirements A.5 Consumer protection laws A.6 Fiduciary standard and application

B.7 Financial planning process B.8 Financial statements B.9 Cash flow management B.10 Financing strategies and debt management B.11 Economic concepts B.12 Time value of money concepts and calculations B.13 Education needs analysis B.14 Education savings vehicles B.15 Education funding B.16 Gift / income tax strategies

C.17 Principles of risk and insurance C.18 Analysis and evaluation of risk exposures C.19 Health insurance and health care cost management (individual and group) C.20 Disability income insurance (individual and group) C.21 Long-term care insurance and long-term case planning (individual and group) C.22 Qualified and Non-Qualified Annuities C.23 Life insurance (individual and group) C.24 Business owner insurance solutions C.25 Insurance needs analysis C.26 Insurance policy and company selection

D.27 Characteristics, uses and taxation of investment vehicles D.28 Types of investment risk D.29 Market cycles D.30 Quantitative investment concepts and measures of investment returns D.31 Asset allocation and portfolio diversification D.32 Bond and stock valuation concepts D.33 Portfolio development and analysis D.34 Investment strategies D.35 Alternative investments and liquidity risk

E.36 Fundamental and current tax law E.37 Income tax fundamentals and calculations E.38 Characteristics and income taxation of business entities E.39 Income taxation of trusts and estates E.40 Tax reduction/management techniques E.41 Tax consequences of property transactions E.42 Tax implications of special circumstances E.43 Charitable/philanthropic contributions and deductions

F.44 Retirement needs analysis F.45 Social Security and Medicare planning F.46 Eldercare and special needs planning F.47 Types of retirement plans F.48 Qualified plan rules and options F.49 Non-qualified plan rules and options F.50 Key factors affecting plan selection for businesses F.51 Distribution rules and taxation F.52 Retirement income and distribution strategies F.53 Business succession planning

G.54 Property titling and beneficiary designations G.55 Strategies to transfer property G.56 Estate and incapacity planning documents G.57 Gift, estate, and GST tax compliance and calculation G.58 Sources for estate liquidity G.59 Types, features, and taxation of trusts G.60 Marital deduction G.61 Intra-family and other business transfer techniques G.62 Postmortem estate planning techniques G.63 Planning for divorce, unmarried couples and other special circumstances G.64 Planning for special needs and circumstances

H.65 Client and planner attitudes, values, biases H.66 Behavioral finance H.67 Sources of money conflict H.68 Principles of counseling H.69 General principles of effective communication H.70 Crisis events with severe consequences

Download the 2021 Principal Knowledge Topics List (PDF) .

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The Complete List of High School Classes

Coursework/GPA

Are you wondering which classes to take in high school? Do you want to find out what courses may be offered for each subject?

We've compiled a complete list of high school classes for you to see all the possible course options high school students may have. We'll cover everything from science and math to electives and the humanities.

How to Use This List

This list was created by researching the classes offered at numerous high schools , both public and private, across the country. Classes are alphabetically organized by subject. While there is a separate section for AP classes at the bottom of the list, other varying levels of difficulty for the same class, such as "honors" or "introductory", were not included in order to make reading the list easier.

This list's purpose is to show you all the possible class options you may have as a high school student. You can use it as a starting point for doing a more in-depth study of your own school's course offerings.

Read through the list below, making note of any courses that you may want to take in the future, then look to see if your school offers them. To find out which classes your own high school offers, look through your school's course catalog, check the school website, or speak with your academic adviser.

What If Your School Doesn't Offer One of the Classes Listed Below?

It would be impossible for any single school to offer every course in this list ; there are simply too many. Schools decide which classes to offer based on multiple factors, including student interest, school location, and teacher expertise.

If you are interested in one of the courses listed below but don't see it offered in your school's course catalog, first talk to your guidance counselor or the department head. Your school may, in fact, offer the course, but under a different name. If there is no comparable course and you are really interested in the subject, you may be able to do an independent study or take the course at a local community college for credit. Ask your guidance counselor for more information on pursuing this option.

Complete List of High School Classes

• Business law
• Business management
• Consumer education
• Entrepreneurial skills
• Introduction to business
• Personal finance

Computer Science/ Information Technology

• App development
• Audio production
• Computer programming
• Computer repair
• Film production
• Graphic design
• Media technology
• Music production
• Video game development
• Web programming
• Word processing

• American literature
• British literature
• Contemporary literature
• Creative writing
• Communication skills
• English language and composition
• English literature and composition
• Literary analysis
• Modern literature
• Popular literature
• Technical writing
• Works of Shakespeare
• World literature
• Written and oral communication

Family and Consumer Science

• Chemistry of foods
• CPR training
• Culinary arts
• Early childhood development
• Early childhood education
• Family studies
• Fashion and retail merchandising
• Fashion construction
• Home economics
• Interior design

Foreign Language

• American Sign Language
• Ancient Greek

• Computer math
• Consumer math
• Fundamentals of math
• Integrated math
• Math applications
• Multivariable calculus
• Practical math
• Pre-algebra
• Pre-calculus
• Probability
• Quantitative literacy
• Trigonometry

Performing Arts

• Concert band
• Marching band
• Music theory
• Theater technology
• World music

Physical Education

• Lifeguard training
• Racket sports
• Specialized sports
• Weight training
• Agriculture
• Earth science
• Electronics
• Environmental science
• Environmental studies
• Forensic science
• Marine biology
• Oceanography
• Physical science

Social Studies

• Cultural anthropology
• Current events
• European history
• Global studies
• Human geography
• International relations
• Macroeconomics
• Microeconomics
• Modern world studies
• Physical anthropology
• Political studies
• Religious studies
• US government
• Women's studies
• World history
• World politics
• World religions

Visual Arts

• Art history
• Digital media
• Jewelry design
• Photography
• Printmaking

Vocational Education

• Auto body repair
• Auto mechanics
• Building construction
• Computer-aided drafting
• Cosmetology
• Criminal justice
• Driver education
• FFA (Future Farmers of America)
• Fire science
• Heating and cooling systems
• Hospitality and tourism
• JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps)
• Metalworking
• Production technology
• Refrigeration fundamentals
• Woodworking

Advanced Placement Classes

Ap capstones.

• AP Research
• AP Art history
• AP Music theory
• AP Studio art: 2-D design
• AP Studio art: 3-D design
• AP English Language and Composition
• AP English Literature and Composition

History & Social Science

• AP Comparative government and politics
• AP European history
• AP Human Geography
• AP Macroeconomics
• AP Microeconomics
• AP Psychology
• AP United States Government and Politics
• AP United States History
• AP World History
• Math & Computer Science
• AP Calculus AB
• AP Calculus BC
• AP Computer Science A
• AP Computer Science Principles
• AP Statistics
• AP Chemistry
• AP Environmental Science
• AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
• AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based
• AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based

World Languages and Cultures

• AP Chinese Language and Culture
• AP French Language and Culture
• AP German Language and Culture
• AP Italian Language and Culture
• AP Japanese Language and Culture
• AP Spanish Language and Culture
• AP Spanish Literature and Culture

What's Next?

Now that you know all the possible high school classes out there, which ones should you take? Read our guide to get expert advice on the classes you should take in high school.

Wondering which classes you will need to take in order to graduate high school and get accepted into college? Check out our guide on the standard high school curriculum , as well as the classes college admissions officers are looking for.

Trying to decide whether to take the ACT or the SAT? Read our guide to figure out which test will get you a better score!

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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