Course Numbering Guidelines

The below listing of course guidelines is neither exhaustive nor inclusive. If your courses are part of an accredited program, your guidelines may differ depending on the standards required by your program accrediting body.

Courses at the undergraduate and graduate level should not utilize the same course name within the same discipline. APSU suggests utilizing “Advanced” or “Graduate” in the name of 5000 or higher courses.

Coursework is considered to contain beginner knowledge and require no additional skills to enroll and complete the course requirements. These 1000 level courses should provide the foundational knowledge for, in some cases, 2000 and, in most cases, 3000 level courses. Within the 1000 level courses, unique prerequisites are sometimes required to provide sequential learning (e.g. a student satisfactorily completes BIOL 1110 then he/she enrolls in BIOL 1120). These 1000 level courses will tend to require students to demonstrate the lower levels of Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning (e.g. remember and understand).

Recall common discipline specific terminology
Recall basic concepts and issues in discipline
Exhibit proficiency in discipline specific writing skills
Explain basic understanding of discipline specific ideas and/or concepts

Considered to contain beginner knowledge and require no additional skills to enroll, but aligned to one aspect of a much bigger curriculum (i.e. Anatomy & Physiology and American History) and/or aligned to a more specific career path (i/e/ Nursing and Medical Laboratory Science). These 2000 level courses will tend to require students to demonstrate the lower levels of Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning (e.g. remember and understand).

Identify, discuss and list discipline specific terminology
Identify skills necessary to solve discipline specific programs
Identify discipline specific research

Considered to contain more advanced knowledge and requires successful completion of prerequisite course work prior to enrollment. These 3000 level courses should provide advanced course content that prepares students for 4000 level courses. These 3000 level courses will require students to demonstrate the lower levels of Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning (e.g. remember and describe) and include mid-level levels of Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning (e.g. apply).

Apply acquired skills within discipline to solve problems
Develop proficiency of skills/techniques within discipline
Identify and interpret discipline specific research

Considered to contain content that can only be manageable by those that have successfully completed 3000 level courses and/or very specific 2000 level courses. These 4000 level courses are considered terminal courses of knowledge for the undergraduate degree that contain course content derived from a hybrid of primary and secondary research databases/repositories. In addition to lower and mid-level Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning, these 4000 level courses will require students to demonstrate analysis and evaluation.

Develop and enhance course knowledge and competencies in discipline
Analyze and develop discipline specific opinions about research
Demonstrate proficiency in discipline specific concepts
Demonstrate an understanding of different fields of study by comparing/contrasting skills or topics across disciplines
Develop an understanding of the applications and limitations for the discipline's theories and or practices
Develop specific abilities that will promote success in a particular field or professional practice upon graduation

Contains Master's level courses and is considered manageable by those who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree within a relevant field of study and have earned appropriate grades within relevant undergraduate courses or for undergraduate students who have excelled within the discipline and therefore, enroll in graduate level courses while still an undergraduate student. For 5000 level courses, unique admission requirements tend to exceed undergraduate admission standards (i.e. elevated GPA and/or additional assessment scores and documentation). In addition to lower and mid-level Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning, these 5000 level courses will require students to demonstrate analysis and evaluation. It is expected that a few 5000 level courses within a graduate program will require students to create an original work to be evaluated by faculty.

Demonstrate knowledge of the literature of the discipline
Develop discipline specific research questions and/or hypotheses
Propose alternative methods and/or research designs
Defend opinions/ideas related to research
Engage in research and or appropriate professional practice and training experience

Contains Master's level courses and is considered manageable by those who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree within a relevant field of study and have earned appropriate grades within relevant undergraduate courses. For 6000 level courses, unique admission requirements tend to exceed undergraduate admission standards (i.e. elevated GPA and/or additional assessment scores and documentation). In addition to lower and mid-level Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning, these 6000 level courses will require students to demonstrate analysis and evaluation. It is expected that a few 6000 level courses within a graduate program will require students to create an original work to be evaluated by faculty.

Demonstrate Knowledge of the literature of the discipline
Engage in Field Study or Research activity
Work independently to analyze and evaluate discipline specific theses or research projects
Compare and Contrast field of study ideology

Contains Doctoral level courses that have prerequisite requirements stemming from 6000 level courses and/or very specific 5000 level courses. These 7000 level courses are designed to prepare doctoral students for the terminal 8000 level courses which require the highest level of applied knowledge. 7000 level courses contain course content derived from the most immediate, primary research databases/ repositories and students will engage in activities requiring the highest level of Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning. Evaluation of learning within these courses require instructors to have earned the highest level of education preparedness (e.g., in most instances, doctoral work plus post-doctoral work and/or other relevant experiences).

Advanced application of discipline specific knowledge
Develop individual research interest
Analyze and evaluate previous research to develop a unique research interest that would contribute to discipline
Develop full plan of study for research completion
Develop knowledge of technical applications in the field

Contains Doctoral level courses that have prerequisite requirements stemming from 7000 level courses and/or very specific 6000 level courses. These 8000 level courses are considered terminal courses of knowledge that contain course content derived from the most immediate, primary research databases/repositories and students will engage in activities requiring the highest level of Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning. Evaluation of learning within these courses require instructors to have earned the highest level of education preparedness (e.g., in most instances, doctoral work plus post-doctoral work and/or other relevant experiences).

Practical application of all previously completed coursework
Defense of proposed research utilizing all elements of field research processes
Ability to comprehensively explain all elements of research or study with terminology and methodology consistent with the area of study
Completion of study at a level ready for publishing