AA/PPS 02.01.01 - Academic Credit Courses

Academic Credit Courses

AA/PPS No. 02.01.01
Issue No. 7
Effective Date: 4/13/2026
Next Review Date: 9/01/2031 (E5Y)
Sr. Reviewer: Vice Provost for Academic Innovation

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to maintaining an effective process for curricular development.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1. This policy guides adding, changing, or deleting courses and is intended to help ensure the academic integrity of curricular development.
2. When considering a request for the addition, change, or deletion of an academic credit course, faculty members should consult with the department chairs, program directors, school directors, or college deans in their academic administrative unit and in other related programs and, if necessary, outside experts. Efforts shall be made at all levels to prevent the proliferation of courses.
3. Course addition, change, and deletion forms will be submitted and reviewed during the annual course cycle, as detailed in the Course Review Flow Chart for Additions and Deletions, to be effective each fall semester, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) annual course reporting requirements (CBM003). The CBM003 is an electronic file of courses maintained at the THECB that complies with Section 61.052 of the Texas Education Code. The course calendar in the Course Review Flow Chart for Additions and Deletions demonstrates the integration of approved Course Inventory Management (CIM) course additions, changes, and deletions into the annual CBM003 and the annual university catalogs. Course addition, change, and deletion forms may only be submitted during the annual course cycle in existing degree or certificate programs. Course addition, change, and deletion forms proposed as part of a new degree proposal will be submitted along with the degree proposal, rather than during the annual course cycle. The Course Review Flow Chart for Course Changes will provide an overview of the faculty and administrative reviews of course forms according to the requirements established by The Texas State University System (TSUS) Board of Regents and the THECB.
DEFINITIONS
1. Academic Administrative Unit – a department, college, or school that has administrative authority over courses and academic programs.
2. Academic Credit Course – a college-level course that, if successfully completed, can be applied toward the number of courses required for achieving a degree, diploma, certificate, or other educational credential.
3. CIP Code – Each academic credit course will be assigned a Texas Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code that corresponds to the subject matter of the course and determines the rate of formula funding. CIP codes reflect the content of the course, rather than the degree program or the academic administrative unit in which the course will be offered. CIP codes are used nationally to classify instructional courses and to report educational data. National CIP codes are six digits in length. Texas CIP codes have an additional four-digit extension that can further define the subject matter and the formula funding code. Both the CIP codes and the national manual definitions will be available on the THECB website.
4. Contact Hours – clock hours spent each week in the instruction process. Contact hours are not course credit hours, course instruction types, or workload credit hours. Contact hours do not include out-of-class student learning and reflection.
  1. Lecture contact hours are the hours per week that students are required to spend in contact with faculty in a lecture setting (e.g., class, conference, seminar, individual instruction, private lesson, thesis or dissertation discussion, or independent study).
  2. Laboratory contact hours are the number of hours per week that students are required to spend in contact with faculty in an experiential situation (e.g., laboratory, clinical, practicum, internship, or student teaching).
  Contact hours must be presented in whole numbers.
5. Course Catalog – All courses will be published online in the university catalogs and entered in the Student Information System (SIS) databases. The main elements of a course entry in SIS include the administrative unit, CIP code, contact hours, co-requisites, credit hours, description, equivalency, instruction types, number, prerequisites, repeatability, restrictions, subject or prefix, title, and valid grade modes.
6. Credit Hour – For purposes of this policy and in accordance with federal regulations, as defined by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Credit Hours Policy Statement regarding the definition and assignment of credit hours, a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonably approximates:
  1. not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out-of-class student work each week for approximately 15 weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or 10 to 12 weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
  2. at least an equivalent amount of work as outlined above for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internship, practicum, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
  A semester credit hour is defined by THECB as a unit of measure of instruction consisting of 60 minutes, of which 50 minutes must be direct instruction over a 15-week period in a semester system. Credit hours must be presented in whole numbers.
7. Description – courses shall maintain a neutral tone that provides students with clear, unbiased information about course content and expectations, maximize exposure to viewpoints, without advocating particular viewpoints or perspectives. Descriptions must:
  1. begin with “This course” and be in complete sentences;
  2. be between 75 and 150 words;
  3. avoid jargon and acronyms; and
  4. include the number of times that a course may be repeatable for degree credit (if applicable), the number of maximum credit hours, or other restrictions for repeatability (i.e., repeatable with a different emphasis or by approval from the instructor or the department chair, program director, or school director).
8. Equivalency – courses that the faculty have determined to be equivalent to another course that has at least 50 percent of the same course content. Equivalencies count as repeats of each other in grade point calculations and degree audits. Equivalencies can be inactive or active courses.
9. Frequently Taught Topics Course Report – a report of topics courses taught more than three times within a five-year period. This report will be distributed with the annual course cycle instructions to the college deans by the curriculum coordinator.
10. Grade Modes – Valid grades are defined in G/PPS No. 02.12, Grades and Changes of Grades.
11. Header and Topics – A header course will be required as a placeholder before a new topics course can be developed. At least one new topics course must be submitted along with the new header course. Topics courses, also known as “special topics” courses:
  1. are temporary lecture or seminar courses that provide a format for offering courses in which content is being developed as a single topic or subject;
  2. are designed to determine the appropriateness and applicability of the subject before committing that course to a permanent course number;
  3. are taught under a single subject or prefix and number with an alphabetical suffix;
  4. must have the same CIP code and instruction type assigned as the header course;
  5. continuing beyond three years requires the faculty to submit the course for formal curriculum review as a regular course offering; and
  6. remaining in the system beyond three years without faculty action will be deleted administratively.
  Topics course addition and deletion forms will be submitted through the following reviews, as noted in the CIM workflow steps:
  1. departmental or school faculty;
  2. department chair
  3. college dean;
  4. graduate dean (for graduate courses); and
  5. vice provost for Academic Innovation (may be delegated to associate vice provost for Curriculum and Academic Programs (AVPCAP))
12. Instruction Modes – All course sections taught will be categorized according to the method by which the course is delivered. Instruction modes may vary by course section and will not be required for the CIM course development and approval process. Instruction modes will be required in the schedule of classes for each semester. The primary mode of instruction, where more than 50 percent of the instruction is delivered via a single mode, will be coded as follows:
  1. 1 = Face-to-Face – the instructor and the students are in the same physical location at the same time. Course is designed for face-to-face content, meetings, and interactions and may include up to 15 percent online content, meetings, and interactions.
  2. 2 = 100-Percent Online Course – A distance education course in which 100 percent of instructional activity takes place when the students and instructors are in separate physical locations. Requirements for on-campus or in-person orientation, testing, academic support services, internships/fieldwork, or other non-instructional activities do not exclude a course from this category. Students enrolled in class sections with this instruction mode will be charged the electronic course fee.
  3. 3 = Video Tape, DVD, or Broadcast TV – course is taught by video tape, DVD, or broadcast TV.
  4. 4 = Two-Way Interactive Video – course is scheduled for interactive television (ITV). Two sections of a class will be scheduled at the same time, with ITVs at two locations. Students in both locations can see, hear, and interact with students and faculty in both locations via two-way audio and video feed.
  5. 5 = Multiple or Other Electronic Media – this code will only be used if no other single mode accounts for 50 percent of the course instruction or if the electronic instruction mode is not listed above.
  6. 6 = Hybrid – a distance education course in which more than 50 percent but less than 100 percent of instructional activity takes place when the students and instructors are in separate physical locations. Students enrolled in class sections with this instruction mode will be charged the electronic course fee.
13. Instruction Types – All courses will be categorized according to the primary type of instruction. Only one of the following codes per course may be selected. Instruction type is sometimes referred to as schedule type and is coded as:
  1. 1 = Lecture
  2. 2 = Laboratory
  3. 3 = Practicum (includes student teaching, internships, work-study, cooperative education, and similar activities)
  4. 4 = Seminar
  5. 5 = Independent Study (includes individual or special problems)
  6. 6 = Private Lesson (includes private music, ensembles, or other private instruction)
  7. 8 = Thesis
  8. 9 = Dissertation
  9. 0 = Individualized (includes asynchronous internet, videotape, audio-tutorial, and similar types)
  10. C = Clinical (includes workplace settings in which students learn and apply program theory and management of the workflow. Clinical experiences must take place in a health care setting, and students must not be paid for the learning experiences)
14. Number – Course numbers will follow a four-digit numbering system offered in a single academic administrative unit. The first digit will indicate the level of the course.
  
  The following course level definitions should be considered within a discipline-specific framework:
  1. 1 – freshman – lower-division coursework that is basic and foundational knowledge at an introductory college-level difficulty;
  2. 2 – sophomore – lower-division coursework that applies prerequisite knowledge at an intermediate college-level difficulty;
  3. 3 – junior – upper-division coursework that builds upon prerequisite knowledge at an advanced-intermediate college-level difficulty;
  4. 4 – senior – upper-division coursework that includes complex levels of knowledge at an advanced college-level difficulty;
  5. 5 and 6 – post baccalaureate and master’s – master’s level coursework that includes specialized knowledge of the field with an emphasis on primary source materials and research and creative activity; or
  6. 7 – doctoral – doctoral coursework that prepares students to critically evaluate evidence, conduct original scholarly research, and qualify for professional practice.
  The second digit will indicate the number of semester credit hours the course carries. The last two digits typically indicate the sequencing of the course within the curriculum.
15. Prerequisites and Co-requisites – courses that are required to be completed before enrollment in a subsequent course or concurrently with another course that prepares the student for successful completion. Prerequisites include specific courses, minimum grades, minimum grade point averages, course credits, test scores, and allowed concurrent enrollments.
16. Repeatability – courses that are repeatable for credit in a degree or certificate program allow for all earned grades and credit hours to be included in the grade point calculation and in hours toward graduation requirements. The definition of repeatable for credit courses includes the course credit hours and the number of allowed repeats (e.g., a three-credit-hour course that is repeatable for credit two times will result in maximum credit hours of nine) or other restrictions for repeatability (e.g., repeatable with a different emphasis or by approval from the instructor or the department chair, program director, or school director). See Section 02.18 for the federal Financial Aid definition of retaking coursework.
17. Restrictions – requirements that restrict registration based on a student’s campus, student classification, cohort, college, degree, department or school, student level, major, or program.
18. Retaking Coursework – a course that is exempted from the calculation of financial aid, found in federal rules 34 CFR Section 668.2, and allows students to enroll continuingly, but with different content in each enrollment (see Section 02.16 for the academic credit definition of course repeatability).
19. Student Learning Outcomes – Course additions must include student learning outcomes stated in measurable, value-neutral terms using action verbs from Bloom’s Taxonomy. Learning outcomes should describe observable student competencies without prescribing particular attitudes, beliefs, or values.
20. Subject or Prefix – the subject abbreviation of each course.
21. Title – Course titles should be descriptive, discipline-appropriate, ideologically neutral, academically professional, and student accessible. The course forms will include two titles: the long title that appears in the online catalogs and the abbreviated title that appears on a student’s transcript.
22. Untaught Course Report – a report prepared by the curriculum coordinator that contains lecture, laboratory, and seminar courses that have not been taught for four consecutive years. This report will be distributed with the annual course cycle instructions by the curriculum coordinator to the college deans to help keep the catalog up-to-date and to provide students with a current list of university course offerings. Courses not taught for four consecutive years will be deleted administratively.
23. Writing Intensive – undergraduate courses for which at least 65 percent of the grade must be based on written exams or assignments, and at least one assignment must be 500 words or more in length. Writing intensive is a designation intended to address the writing policy for undergraduate degree programs. The writing intensive designation is not applicable for graduate courses.
COURSE PROPOSALS
1. Course forms will be available on the CATSWEB CIM login page.
2. Additions – A course addition proposes a new course that is part of the annual cycle or part of a new degree proposal and requires completion of the course addition form. If a course addition is being proposed for the undergraduate General Education core curriculum, the requesting faculty should first consult with the AVPCAP before developing the course addition form. If a course addition is proposed that affects an educator preparation program, the requesting faculty member should first consult with the associate dean for Teacher Education in the College of Education before developing the course addition form.
3. Changes – A course change requires completion of the course change form. It is the responsibility of the originating academic administrative unit to notify all potentially affected programs and to seek concurrence for course changes that affect programs, departments, or schools outside the originating college. If a course change involves changing more than 50 percent of the course content, a new course must be proposed instead of the change. If a course change is being proposed for the undergraduate General Education core curriculum, the requesting faculty should first consult with the General Education Council before developing the course change form. If a course change is being proposed that affects an educator preparation program, the requesting faculty should first consult with the associate dean for Teacher Education in the College of Education before developing the course change form.
4. Deletions – A course deletion requires completion of the course deletion form. The Untaught Course Report is available to determine inactive courses that should be deleted. If a course deletion is being processed for the undergraduate General Education core curriculum, the requesting faculty should first consult with the General Education Council before developing the course deletion form. If a course deletion is being proposed that affects an educator preparation program, the requesting faculty must first consult with the associate dean for Teacher Education in the College of Education before developing the course deletion form.
DEPARTMENTAL COURSE REVIEW PROCESS
1. Each academic department/school shall conduct a comprehensive review of all course offerings on a three-year cycle to ensure currency, relevance, and alignment with program goals. During this review, department faculty will evaluate course descriptions, learning outcomes, prerequisites, and delivery methods, making recommendations for course revisions, deletions, or new course proposals as needed. Upon completion of the departmental review, the department chair shall submit a summary report to the Office of Curriculum and Academic Programs by May 1, documenting all proposed changes and including justification for modifications. The Office of Curriculum and Academic Programs will then guide departments through the appropriate curriculum approval processes to implement approved changes in the official course inventory and catalog.
PROCEDURES FOR PROPOSAL ROUTING
1. Course addition and deletion forms will be submitted through the following reviews, as noted in the CIM workflow steps:
  1. department or school faculty (from the unit proposing the course addition or deletion);
  2. department or school curriculum committee;
  3. department chair, program director, or school director;
  4. General Education Council (if course impacts the General Education core curriculum);
  5. associate dean for Teacher Education in the College of Education (if course impacts an educator preparation program);
  6. college curriculum committee;
  7. college council;
  8. college dean;
  9. other college deans;
  10. dean of The Graduate College (if course is graduate level);
  11. University Curriculum Committee;
  12. vice provost for Academic Innovation (VPAI);
  13. provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs (EVPAA);
  14. TSUS Board of Regents; and
  15. the THECB.
2. Course change forms will be submitted through the following reviews as noted in the CIM workflow steps:
  1. department or school faculty;
  2. department or school curriculum committee;
  3. department chair, program director, or school director;
  4. General Education Council (if course impacts the General Education core curriculum);
  5. associate dean for Teacher Education in the College of Education (if course impacts an educator preparation program);
  6. college curriculum committee;
  7. college council;
  8. college dean;
  9. other college deans;
  10. dean of The Graduate College (if course is graduate level);
  11. VPAI;
  12. provost and EVPAA;
  13. TSUS Board of Regents; and
  14. the THECB.
3. Detailed instructions for course additions, changes, and deletions will be maintained on the Office of Curriculum and Academic Programs website, along with review flow charts and timelines.
4. Throughout the process, faculty on each college curriculum committee will have final authority on change proposals that do not conflict or overlap with courses in other colleges. It will be the responsibility of the college curriculum committee to exercise good faith in determining the potential effect of course change proposals on courses outside the originating college. In cases where change proposals may overlap courses outside the originating college, the college curriculum committee must notify the college dean of those courses so that the affected courses may be reviewed by the other college dean and the affected faculty. Additionally, faculty who have comments or concerns regarding any course addition, change, or deletion should submit those comments or concerns in writing to their department chair or school director, who will be responsible for conferencing with the originating department chair or school director.
5. After a course proposal has been fully approved, the curriculum coordinator will make all necessary additions, changes, and deletions in the catalogs and the SIS.
6. If a course proposal receives a negative vote or is denied at any level, the proposal will be returned to the originating faculty for review and possible revision. It can be resubmitted for future consideration in any subsequent annual course cycle.

REVIEWERS OF THIS PPS

Reviewers of this PPS include the following:

Position	Date
Vice Provost for Academic Innovation	September 1 E5Y
Associate Vice Provost for Curriculum and Academic Programs	September 1 E5Y
Chair, University Curriculum Committee	September 1 E5Y
Chair, Faculty Senate	September 1 E5Y

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

This PPS has been reviewed by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Academic Affairs policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

Vice Provost for Academic Innovation; senior reviewer of this PPS

Senior Vice Provost

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs