Course FAQs

Course FAQS

• How do I change a course title?

  Initiate the "De Anza Curriculum Memo" located in Adobe Sign Faculty Forms.

• How do I determine the number of hours I would need for my course?

  Depending on how your course is categorized, here is a guideline on how to determine the number of hours per week for your course:
  

  • Lecture - 1 unit = 1 hour/week
  • Laboratory - 1 unit = 3 hours/week

• How do I get a new number for a course I am developing?

  See the new course creation process. Click here.

• How many copies do I submit for new/revised courses or certificate/degree programs?

  Copies are no longer required. All information will be routed in eLumen.

• What effective year do I put for my course?

  See the yearly catalog deadlines for what effective year is currently being accepted. Click here.

• What if my course is not approved for articulation with a UC or CSU?

  Contact the Articulation Officer, Christa Steiner at steinerchrista@fhda.edu.

• What are the college's guidelines for course numbering?

  
  

  • 1 - 49: Courses numbered in this range indicate transferability to the UC AND CSU system.
  • 50 - 99: Courses numbered in this range indicate transferability to the CSU system ONLY.
  • 100 - 199: Courses numbered in this range are non-transferable but are credit and degree applicable.
  • 200 - 299: Courses numbered in this range are non-transferable, and non-degree applicable but are credit courses.
  • 300 - 399: Courses numbered in this range are non-transferable, noncredit, and career technical.
  • 400 - 499: Courses numbered in this range are non-transferable, noncredit, and basic skills.
  • 600 - 699: Courses numbered in this range are non-transferable and upper division.

• What is the difference between a course justification and a course description?  

  Course justification: “is a demonstrable need for a course or program that meets the stated goals and objectives, at this time, and in the region the college proposes to serve with the program. For transfer programs and courses, this need is more easily established by determining both student demand and transfer applicability for existing university majors. For career technical programs and courses, this need is significantly more challenging to establish and must rely on such things as researching labor market data, potential employer needs, advisory committee input, and job advertising information, to name a few. The need statement should establish the role of the course in the major programs or general education areas in which it is designed to serve. If it is a stand-alone course, not part of a program, its role in the college’s curriculum should be explained. In particular, this rationale should point out the reason that existing courses do not meet this identified need and clearly distinguishes the role of the proposed course from that of similar courses."
  
  Course description: "The purpose of the catalog description is to convey the content of the course briefly and concisely. Because the catalog description is the major way in which course information is disseminated it is important that it contains all essential information about the course and be written to meet the needs of varied audiences. Students need information to plan their programs, as do counseling faculty advising them. Faculty, staff and students at other colleges use catalog descriptions to evaluate the content of the courses transfer students have taken at the originating institution. Outside reviewers, such as accreditors and compliance monitors, base their assessments on the information printed in the catalog. The heart of the catalog description is the summary of course content (course description). It should be thorough enough to establish the comparability of the course to those at other colleges, to distinguish it from other courses at the college, and to convey the role of the course in the curriculum. It should be brief enough to encourage a quick read."

• What is the difference between a corequisite, a prerequisite and an advisory?

  • A corequisite means that you MUST take class A at the SAME TIME as class B. (Concurrent enrollment means corequisite).
  • A prerequisite means that class A MUST BE TAKEN BEFORE you can take class B.
  • An advisory is just a recommendation, it is not required for the class.

• What should be included in the Methods of Evaluating Objectives and why does it need to match the Assignments?

  Procedures for evaluating student performance should measure the degree to which the student achieves the overall outcomes for the course and the course objectives stated in the Learning Objectives of the course outline. To align and integrate with the student learning outcomes of the course, the Methods of Evaluation should be consistent with and reflective of the Assignments of the course outline and should address the criteria by which assignments will be evaluated. Methods of Evaluation must include a final evaluation procedure (i.e. a final examination or a final project or presentation).

  For more details on adding criteria for evaluating objectives, go to, Methods of Evaluating Objectives.
  For more details on the alignment of Methods of Instruction, Assignments and Methods of Evaluation, go to, Alignment.

• What types of courses are repeatable?

  • Courses that are necessary to meet major requirements of a UC or CSU for completion of a bachelor's degree.
  • Intercollegiate athletics.
  • Intercollegiate academic or vocational competition.

• Who do I contact for assistance on how to revise my course outline?

  Contact your division curriculum representative, click here for a list.