Terminology Guide

• Academic Nomenclature
• Course Information
• Course Prefixes
• Degrees, Majors, Minors, Concentrations, Approved Programs of Study and Codes

Academic Nomenclature

• A semester is a period of attendance in which the academic year is customarily divided into two equal sessions. 

• A quarter is a period of attendance in which the academic year is customarily divided into four equal sessions. 

• A full-time student at a college operating on a semester basis is any undergraduate student registered for 12 or more credit hours of work in a regular program whether on campus or at another location, or any graduate student registered for nine or more credit hours. 

Course Information

The number assigned to each course is the key to the level at which it is taught. SUNY Cortland uses the following numbering system to define the course numbers and section numbers.

Courses Numbers

100-199 courses generally designed for freshmen but may be appropriate for sophomores, usually an introductory or first course taught in a sequence within a discipline.

200-299 courses generally designed for sophomores but may be appropriate for freshmen, usually advancing in a progression as a second course which may require previous knowledge or training.

300-399 courses generally designed for juniors and seniors, but may also be appropriate for sophomores. Prerequisites are often required for this course level.

400-499 courses generally designed for juniors and seniors advancing well into upper division work with prerequisite knowledge base required.

500-599 courses are considered graduate courses but are designed for both graduate and highly motivated undergraduate students. This level of course work is open to juniors and seniors in good academic standing (cumulative grade point average of 2.0). Certain 500-level courses are for graduate students only.

600-699 courses are exclusively offered at the graduate level for graduate students only.

Section Numbers

A number following the course prefix and course number used to identify a specific day, time, location and instructor for a course.

000-009 section numbers indicate that the course has no restrictions and is open to all students.

400-499 section numbers indicate courses that are reserved for the Honors Program.

500-599 section numbers require special permission from the chair of the department offering the course.

600-699 section numbers are for that department's majors only or may be reserved for a special student cohort.

700-799 section numbers are reserved for students not in a particular major or discipline.

800-899 section numbers indicate courses that are a part of a "learning community" or special student cohort program.

Prerequisites

Most courses beyond the introductory level require a degree of knowledge or preparation described by the prerequisites for the course. At SUNY Cortland the prerequisites indicate the level of preparation normally required for the course. In appropriate circumstances prerequisites may be waived. An equivalent course or courses taken elsewhere suffice, but questions regarding equivalency should be referred to the department offering the course.

Students who believe that courses they have taken meet the equivalency requirements may seek the consent of the chair of the department to waive the course prerequisites. When the phrase "consent of department" is used, permission from the department chair is required before students may enroll in the course.

Frequency of Course Offerings

Courses described in this catalog are offered according to the frequency code schedule listed below. The identifying code appears in the course description.

State University of New York at Cortland reserves the right to cancel the offering of a scheduled course when any of these conditions prevail:

1. Enrollment in the course is fewer than 10 persons. In cases where the canceled course is a graduation requirement for any of those enrolled in it, SUNY Cortland will afford affected students an alternative method of meeting the requirement.
2. Because of a temporary vacancy no qualified instructor is available to teach the course.
3. The cancellation is early enough to permit students to register in another course.

Courses to be offered in a particular semester are listed on the web on the Registrar's Office page. The schedule of course offerings for the fall semester is available in mid-March, and the schedule of course offerings for the spring semester is available in mid-October.

Frequency Codes

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Course Prefixes

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Degrees, Programs of Study and Program Codes

Degrees awarded: Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Science in Teaching (M.S.T.) and Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.). A Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.) also is awarded.

All majors offered by SUNY Cortland are listed on the Inventory of Registered Degree and Certification Programs maintained by the New York State Education Department. The number assigned to each major is referred to as the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) Code. This table may not represent all concentrations offered at SUNY Cortland. For more information, contact New York State Education Department, Office of Higher Education and the Professions, Cultural Education Center, Room 5B28, Albany, N.Y. 12230.

Access the 2023-24 program code listing on the Registrar's Office website.