Parallel and Equivalent Courses & Crosslisting

• Parallel Courses- These are courses that typically have an undergraduate and graduate level or a master's level and a doctorate level.
  • The catalog course description must match but the prerequisites may be different. A curricular change made to one must also be made to the other at the same time. 
  • These courses must be noted in the catalog course description with the "may be taught with" and "cannot receive credit for more than one course" statements.
  • The repeat policy does not apply to these courses. 

• Equivalent Courses- These courses are treated as if both courses are exactly the same.
  • The catalog course description and prerequisite information must entirely match. A curricular change made to one must also be made to the other(s) at the same time.
  • These courses must be noted in the catalog course description with the "may be taught with" and "identical with/cannot receive credit for more than one course" statements.
  • Equivalent courses cannot cross levels (undergraduate/graduate).
  • The repeat policy is in place for equivalent courses so one WILL replace the other.

• Cross-listing- This is a technical mechanism by which departments can offer equivalent or parallel courses at the same time, in the same place, with the same instructor.
  • Cross-listing is not a course designation, it applies to sections on the class schedule only. Cross-listing can ONLY be done on sections of equivalent or parallel courses. Courses without the required equivalent or parallel catalog course description statements cannot be cross-listed.
  • Typically, cross-listed sections count as one section for faculty workload.
  • Cross-listing is NOT required to combine classes in Brightspace. Faculty may choose to combine any classes in Brightspace. Additionally, cross-listed sections are NOT automatically combined in Brightspace.