Course Proposals
Guidance for proposing new courses and revising existing courses at San José State University.
Type of Course Proposal:
- ***Course - New (2027-2028)
- *Experimental Course
- ***Course - Modify (2027-2028)
- ***Course Inactivation/Reactivation
- *Campus Graduate GWAR Form
Resources to Keep in Mind
- Consultation: If another department may be impacted by the proposal, consultation should take place.
- SJSU Official Syllabus Template: The SJSU official syllabus template is designed to help instructors build a syllabus that plans for diverse student abilities.
Course Proposals FAQs
Q: We are submitting a program change that involves new courses and/or changes to course numbers. Which do I do first, the course change forms or the program change form?
A. Either way is fine. It is recommended to submit them simultaneously. If you've submitted the courses and they have entered the Catalog, you can place them into your program curriculum proposal.If the courses you need for the program change are not yet approved and in the Catalog, please enter them as placeholders in the proposed program curriculum. Do that by selecting "custom text" in the Curriculum Schema and entering a placeholder number (a combination of number and two X's works best, such as ENGL 2XX - Horror Stories). This will be replaced once the course has been approved or entered the Catalog.Keep in mind that each new course included in a program change must go through its own individual approval process.Q: We had new courses and changes to existing courses listed as part of a program change. The program changes were approved. Does that mean the new courses and course changes are now approved, too?
A. No. Programs and courses get reviewed separately; your overall curriculum has been approved, but the individual courses need to be submitted, reviewed and approved, in order to enter the Catalog and your program curriculum.Q. How do I determine the Course Components & Classifications?
A. Visit https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/course-classification.php.Q. Where do I view university policies relevant to all courses at SJSU?
A. https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/syllabus-info.phpQ. How do I establish Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)?
A. Visit https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/course-learning-outcomes.php.Q. What is difference between Pre/Corequisites and Enforced Requisites/PS Screening?
A. Prerequisite: A course or requirement that must be completed before taking another course.
Corequisites: A course that must be taken at the same time as another course.
Enforced Requisite/PS Screening: Classes can be set up in PeopleSoft to block students from enrolling if they have not completed the pre/corequisites.This is not recommended for courses expecting transfer student enrollment. Because credit transfer is often not completed until mid-semester, these students would be blocked from enrollment and require permission numbers to register.
Curriculum Office does not select "Exclude in-progress credit" for the listed requisites- which means that students that are in progress of completing the pre/corequisites can enroll in the course. The program/department can contact Curriculum Office to select this option - this would mean that students that are in progress of completing the prerequisite will not be able to enroll until their grades are posted.
Q: We want to reinstate a course that was removed earlier from the catalog. How do we do that?
A. You can do that by submitting the Course Reactivation.
Q: We want to remove a course that is no longer offered from the catalog. How do we do that?
A. You can do that by submitting the Course Inactivation
Q: We want to change a course number. How do we do that?
A. You can use the Course Modify to submit a course number change. Be sure the course number you want to switch to is available. Visit https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/course-numbers.php.
Q: What is the difference between Special Topics, Subtopics, and Experimental Course?
A. Special Topics Course: A course offered on a specific, often timely or emerging subject that is not part of the regular catalog. The exact content may change each time it is offered. It allows departments to teach new or niche subjects without creating a permanent course.
Subtopic: A particular theme or focus area within a broader course or Special Topics course. It is not usually a separate course number by itself. It organizes or narrows the content being taught.
Experimental Course (96/196/296/596): A trial course being tested by the department before deciding whether to add it permanently to the curriculum. It lets the university evaluate student interest and academic value.
Q. What is a crosslisted course?
A. A single course is offered for registration under two or more departments at the same day/time. All information should be the same (e.g. title, description, gen ed designation, grading basis, etc.). Crosslisting can also occur between graduate and undergraduate courses.
Q. What is course equivalency?
A. Course equivalency links two different courses with two different course IDs that can substitute for each other to meet the requirement. Purpose is to manage transfer credits, updates to curricula (old course replaced by new), and ensure prerequisites/degree requirements are met. It is recommended if the department offering the course wants to schedule separately and at different days/times.
