Courses

Course Coding System

Each course is identified by its own course code with letters and numbers. The course code indicates the course area, the level, and whether it is a year or a semester course.

Letter Code

This is the first half of the course code consisting of two to four letters that represent a course area. Please click on below hyperlinks for the list of letter codes with their corresponding course areas.

Number Code

This is the second half of the course code which consists of a number with four digits.

The first digit of the number code signifies the level for which the course is intended. Level 1 (i.e. 1000-series) courses are introductory, foundation, basic skill type courses. Level 2 (i.e. 2000-series) courses are intermediate level courses. Level 3 (i.e. 3000-series) and Level 4 (i.e. 4000-series) courses are those courses which involve more advanced study skills often requiring Level 1 and Level 2 prerequisites. Level 6 (i.e. 6000-series) courses are University-wide common core postgraduate courses. Level 7 (i.e. 7000-series) courses are subject or discipline-specific postgraduate courses.

The fourth digit signifies whether the course is a year or a semester course. 5, 6 or 7 signify a semester course; 8 and 9 signify the first part and the second part of a year course respectively. The first part of a year course is usually offered in the first semester, and the second part is usually offered in the second semester. For some postgraduate courses, 0 signifies a semester course; 1 and 2 signify the first part and the second part of a year course respectively.

Units and Hours

In the course description, the number of units assigned to a course is indicative of the contact time with a teacher and/or the study time associated with that course on a weekly basis over a period of one semester. In general, a single unit represents attendance once a week throughout the semester at a lecture lasting 50 minutes, or two 50-minute sessions per week of field studies or laboratory classes. Each unit presupposes an average of two hours preparation each week on the part of the student. An asterisk (*) indicates that the number of units will be decided by the department each year.

Illustrative examples:

ENGL1118 (3 units): First part of a Level 1 year course that is 3 units.
ENGL1119 (3 units): Second part of the same year course that is 3 units.
BIOL2125 (3 units): a 3-unit Level 2 semester course.
SOCI3998 (*): First part of a Level 3 year course. The units may vary from time to time, usually between one and three units.
SOCI3999 (*): Second part of the same year course. The units may vary from time to time, usually between one and three units.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

The prerequisite of a given course as indicated in the course description must be successfully completed prior to enrolment in the course. A course listed as the co-requisite of a given course must be taken in the same semester or must have been successfully completed in a previous semester.

Medium of Instruction (MOI)

Courses without indication of MOI are courses that are not on offer in the academic year 2020–2021.