Course (education) facts for kids

A course is like a special unit of learning you take in school, especially in college or university. It usually lasts for one school term. A teacher or professor leads the course, and a group of students learn together.

Each course usually focuses on one specific subject, like "History of Ancient Egypt" or "Introduction to Computer Science." You'll have regular classes each week. After finishing a course, you might get a grade (like an A or B) and academic credit. These credits help you earn your degree.

Some courses are "compulsory," meaning you *have* to take them. Others are "electives," which means you get to choose them. Electives let you explore subjects you're interested in, even if they're not directly required for your main area of study.

All the courses you need to take to get a degree are called a "program" of studies.

The word "course" is used this way in places like Vietnam, Canada, and the United States. In other countries, like India, the United Kingdom, and Australia, people might use words like "unit" or "module" instead. In the Philippines, "course" can mean one subject or the whole program.

Different Kinds of Courses

Courses are made up of individual lessons, usually on a set schedule each week. Universities offer different ways to learn in a course:

• A lecture course is where the teacher talks to a large group of students. There isn't much back-and-forth discussion.
• A seminar is a smaller class where students do their own research and present their work. Then, everyone discusses and gives feedback.
• A colloquium or reading course involves the teacher giving readings for each class. Students then discuss what they've read together.
• A tutorial course is very small, sometimes just one or two students with a teacher. They work closely on a topic, meeting weekly for help and discussion.
• A Directed Individual Study lets a student create their own deep study topic. A professor guides them, and it needs approval from the school.
• A laboratory course is where most of the learning happens by doing experiments in a lab.

Many courses mix these styles. For example, a lecture course might also have smaller weekly discussion sections. Lab courses often combine lectures, discussions, and hands-on lab time.

How Students Learn in Courses

Students are expected to do different kinds of work for their courses:

• Going to all the class sessions.
• Reading and studying materials given by the teacher.
• Talking about what they've read with classmates.
• Writing papers based on readings and their own library research.
• Finishing homework or solving problems.
• Doing exercises in a lab.
• Taking quizzes and exams.

The exact work depends on the subject, the course, and the teacher. In many places, your final grade is based on all these different types of work, not just one big final exam.

Required vs. Elective Courses

A required course is one you *must* take to get your degree. These are sometimes called "core courses" because they are seen as essential knowledge.

An elective course is one you *choose* from a list of optional subjects. Electives usually focus on more specific topics and often have fewer students than required courses.

For example, in North American universities, students need to learn a lot about different subjects (breadth) and also become experts in one main area (depth), called a "major." So, a student studying Arts might also need to take some science courses, and a science student might take some Humanities classes. Students can usually pick their electives from many courses, as long as they have the right background knowledge.

Sometimes, the term elective is also used for medical students who choose to study medicine in a different place, often abroad. This lets them experience other cultures and see how medical care works in other countries.

Understanding Course Numbers (USA)

In the United States, most colleges and universities use a numbering system for their courses. Each course has an abbreviation for the major (like "French" or "CS" for Computer Science) followed by a 3- or 4-digit number. For example, "French 213" or "CS 123."

This system started in the 1920s to make it easier for students to transfer between colleges. The idea was that a similarly numbered course at different schools would cover the same level of material. However, this isn't a strict rule, and each school can choose its own numbers. To know if courses are similar, you usually have to compare what they teach.

The first digit of the course number often tells you its level or difficulty:

• 100s (like "CS 101") are usually for first-year students (freshmen).
• 200s are for second-year students (sophomores).
• 300s are for third-year students (juniors).
• 400s are for fourth-year students (seniors).
• 500s and higher are usually for graduate students (those studying after their first degree).

The other digits are less standardized. But often, courses that are related or need to be taken in order will have numbers that follow each other. For instance, you might need to pass English 101 and 102 before taking English 201. Sometimes, the middle digits show a specific area within a department. For example, in a Physics department, all "PHYS 47xx" courses might be about magnetism.

The course number 101 is often used for a very first or introductory course in a subject. The University of Buffalo first used this number in 1929. Over time, "101" became a common slang term in the US. It means basic knowledge in any subject, even outside of school. For example, "boiling potatoes is cooking 101" means it's a very basic cooking skill.

Sometimes, the same course is taught by different teachers or at different times. In this case, a "section number" is used to tell the different classes apart.

See also

In Spanish: Asignatura para niños

• Course allocation
• Course credit