Course Information

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• Course Descriptions
• Course Numbering
• Course Types/Instructional Methods
• Other Important Definitions
• x9x Common Course Descriptions

Course Descriptions

ENGL¹ 283² Introduction to Creative Writing³ (COM)⁴ [SGR #1⁵, HSDC⁶]
Credits: 3⁷
This course introduces students to the craft of writing, with readings and practice in at least two genres (including fiction, poetry, and drama).
Prerequisites: ENGL 101.⁸

1. Course subject.
2. Course number.
3. Course title.
4. Common course within the South Dakota Board of Regents System.
5. Course meets System General Education Requirement.
6. Approved High School Dual Credit (HSDC) course.
7. Number of credits assigned to the course. One credit is usually interpreted as one hour of class work per week or as two to four hours of lab work per week.
8. A brief description of the course. This section includes other information affecting your enrollment in the course. A course description might include prerequisites, co-requisites, and registration restrictions. Other information included in various course descriptions would be: “Alternate years,” “Not open to majors,” “May be repeated for a total of six credits,” etc.

Course Numbering

(SDBOR Policy 2:8, section 1)

Pre-College Courses

Undergraduate Courses

Graduate Courses

Course Types/Instructional Methods

(SDBOR Academic Affairs Guidelines 5.4)

Clinical Experience

• This course entails provision of direct patient care in a clinic-based setting.
• Through observation and treatment of patients, students focus on developing specific skill sets designed to improve health (physical and/or mental).
• Oversight and instruction are provided by a faculty member and/or approved site supervisor.
• Enrollments are small (1 to 9) due to the inherent nature of this experience.

Clinical Laboratory

• Learning takes place in a clinical laboratory, an operation which conducts diagnostic tests performed on samples taken on/from the human body.
• These clinical laboratories may be free-standing or situated within hospitals or medical clinics.
• Faculty members are heavily involved; they maintain direct and close supervision of students.
• Enrollment is limited; it varies from 1 to 9 students.

Competency-Based/Self-Paced Study

• Each enrolled student advances at his/her preferred rate; that is, progression is controlled by the student, not the faculty member.
• Successful mastery of content is based on achievement of competencies as opposed to completion of assignments.
• Student progression through course content is often assisted by technology.
• Individual or group tutorials may be provided to supplement individual learning.

Discussion

• Communication between faculty member and students is two-way; all are participants who actively share experiences, ideas, viewpoints, and feedback. Depth of information sharing surpasses ordinary question and answer sessions.
• Designed to stimulate thinking and interest, this method is particularly relevant when subject matter is subjective, controversial, and/or multi-faceted.
• Student involvement is strong; it entails conversation, dialogue, and/or debate.
• Enrollment maximum is typically 35 students.

Experiential

• This course entails discovery learning in a specified area or discipline; through dedicated participation, students derive personal understanding and attach meaning to acquired experiences.
• Focus is placed on the learning process itself, not preconceived learning outcomes; the contrast to traditional instruction presents a defining element of this method.
• Learning is inductive, student-centric, and activity-oriented. Throughout, participants critically assess the experience, draw useful conclusions, and anticipate application of such knowledge to future situations. The assigned faculty member assumes a role of mentor/coach.
• Geared toward participation-based experiences such as service learning and job shadowing.

Independent Study

• Format is distinctive and individualized; content is tailored to the student(s) and particular situation.
• Intended for unique learning experiences outside of established courses.
• Enrollment varies; typically, however, section size is small (1 to 5 students).
• For each section, a suitable plan of study and meeting schedule are negotiated and established.

Internship/Practicum

• This field-based learning experience is monitored and supervised; examples include discipline-specific field work, student teaching, and cooperative education.
• Placed in real-world environments of chosen professions, students strongly engage; involvement is memorable and impactful.
• In pursuit of relevant, discipline-based experience, each student follows a prearranged plan of study and benefits from skilled mentoring.
• Such experience may or may not be associated with payment of wages.
• Enrollment is variable, depending on need.

Laboratory

• Face-to-face course instruction takes place in a specialized physical setting – that is, the laboratory. Online instruction is tailored to the situation and entails a simulated laboratory environment.
• Laboratory experience complements lecture; instruction reinforces concepts presented in lecture through hands-on application.
• Enrollment maximum varies, but typically does not exceed 25.

Lecture

• The learning environment is highly structured; course content is largely rooted in facts, principles, ideas, and theory.
• Communication is very straightforward and primarily one-way; the faculty member formally relays information, while students listen.
• This format is particularly relevant to situations in which student knowledge of subject matter is very limited.
• Classes can be sizable; enrollment maximums – which widely vary – depend on course level, discipline, and university preference.

Music Ensemble, Large

• Intended for large groups, either instrumental or vocal in nature; examples include band, orchestra, and choir.
• Enrollments vary (10 or greater students) with regularly scheduled instructional meetings and/or faculty-led practices.
• Performers can register for a credit bearing or non-credit bearing experience; however, those who are enrolled for 0 credits must also register for other courses which are credit bearing.

Music Ensemble, Small

• Intended for small groups, either instrumental or vocal in nature.
• The course involves regularly scheduled instructional meetings and/or faculty-led practices.
• Enrollments vary between 3 and 9 students (trio, quartet, quintet, etc).

Orientation

• This course is designed to bolster navigational success (collegiate and/or programmatic); content facilitates optimal student acclimation and promotes informed decision making.
• Content is grounded in practical concepts associated with general collegiate life or specific professional discipline. This focus is reinforced by opportunities of expeditionary learning and interactions with guest speakers.
• Learning is highly hands-on with strong student engagement. The faculty member of record functions as a coordinator/mentor who offers support and encourages exploration. 

Physical Education Activity

• This course is devoted to participation in/performance of a physical activity; faculty instruction includes proper form and technique.
• The enrollment maximum varies, depending on factors such as nature of the particular sport, availability of venue and equipment, and safety considerations.

Private Instruction

• This course centers on personalized, one-to-one training; common examples include music performance and flight instruction.
• Course content is consistent with prescribed learning outcomes; it is not negotiable, but rather, inherent to the course.

Research

• This course focuses on designing and conducting research; a viable and appropriate plan is developed as a collaborative effort between faculty member and student.
• Interaction between faculty member and student researcher is both extensive and intensive.
• This instructional method is not intended for courses that focus on either research methods (grounded in theory) or research proposal development; nor is it intended for graduate thesis/dissertation courses.

Seminar

• This course is highly focused and topical with strong, direct faculty-student interaction.
• Instruction features significant emphasis on student exploration of scholarly literature; research; and professional challenges, problems, and practices.
• This    instructional    method   is    exclusive    to    graduate   and   upper-level undergraduate (300, 400) course work.
• The enrollment maximum is typically 20 students.

Small Group

• Because of known and ongoing constraints, section size is extremely limited; such constraints are physical in nature; they tie to limited numbers of workstations, specimens, crucial pieces of equipment, etc.
• Section size is restricted to 9 or fewer students; because of inflexible physical constraints, teaching 10 or more is impossible.

Studio

• Intended for fine arts courses held in a specialized studio environment which is precisely and intentionally geared to the nature of course (for example, dance studio).
• Course presentation and student participation is contingent upon the special studio; no other learning venue will suffice.
• Course content demands significant one-to-one student/instructor interaction; the course is very hands-on with extensive student engagement.

Thesis

• A formal treatise presenting the results of study, which is submitted in partial fulfillment of the student’s program requirements.
• The faculty thesis director is a strong presence; he/she provides considerable mentoring, guiding, and directing. Members of the thesis committee engage in more limited – but still important - interaction with the student.
• Should the student not complete all thesis requirements in the current term, a transitional grade (see SDBOR 2:10) must be assigned.

Tracking

• Utilized for 0-credit place holding pseudo courses; EXCH 489 presents a common example; it is used for students participating in international exchange programs.
• Enrollment assures retention of active student status for the current term.
• Intended usage is narrow and precise.

Travel Study

• Intended for a travel experience that is structured, academic, and university- sponsored with clearly established, on-site faculty leadership.
• Faculty member guides students through a progression of cohesive, theme- based learning environments; shares contextual information, motivates guided inquiry, and facilitates debriefing.
• Interactive instruction heavily relies on engagement of students with comparison of information and observations as well as sharing of insights and reactions.

Workshop

• A very intense, rigorous academic experience, the workshop focuses on a specific, narrowly tailored topic of current interest and professional relevance.
• The workshop is restricted to graduate level instruction; in rare instances, 300/400-level undergraduate instruction is allowed; this scenario requires special approval from the system Vice-President of Academic Affairs.
• For each earned credit, 45 hours of student work is required.
• No more than 3 graduate credit hours in any graduate program can be a workshop (see SDBOR Policy 2:8).

Other Important Definitions

Common Course Numbering

The South Dakota Regental institutions utilize common course numbering. A common course (COM) is a course offered by one Regental institution that has essentially the same content (subjects/breadth) and level of instruction (depth) as a course offered by at least one other Regental university. Any courses on the following pages without the COM designation are considered to be unique to SDSU.

Cross-listed Courses

A cross-listed course is a course which carries more than one course prefix (i.e., HIST, POLS, GEOG) with credit being offered under any one of the listed prefixes at the same time. Students choose to take the course under the prefix that is more beneficial to their course of study. All students typically meet at the same time in the same place, with the same instructor(s). A cross-listed course may also be multi-numbered.

Dual Numbered Courses

A multiple-numbered course is a single course specifically designed for simultaneous delivery at two or more levels with the two or more numbers taught simultaneously. The course is offered for credit at different levels (i.e., courses may be offered for upper/lower division credit or for undergraduate/graduate credit). Different levels of expectations are stated for the students via the syllabi. The dual-numbered course may also be cross-listed.

x9x Common Course Descriptions

(SDBOR Academic Affairs Guidelines 1.11)

The following middle digit 9 course numbering scheme is used in the South Dakota public university system. These courses may have multiple sections. A section’s title may or may not reflect the material covered in that section. See the academic department for section information, e.g., description, prerequisites such as instructor or department consent, GPA required, junior or senior standing, etc.

x90 Seminar

A highly focused and topical course. The format includes student presentations and discussions of reports based on literature, practices, problems, and research.

x91 Independent Study

Students complete individualized plans of study which include significant one-on-one student-teacher involvement. The faculty member and students negotiate the details of the study plans.

x92 Topics

A course devoted to a particular issue in a specified field. Course content is not wholly included in the regular curriculum. Guest artists or experts may serve as instructors.

x93 Workshop

Special, intense sessions in specific topic areas. 45 hours of student work is required for each hour of credit earned. Workshops may vary in time range, but typically use a compressed time period for delivery. They may include lectures, conferences, committee work, and group activity. No more than 3 graduate credit hours in any graduate program can be a workshop (see Board Policy 2:8).

x94 Internship

Applied, monitored, and supervised field-based learning experience for which the student may or may not be paid. Students gain practical experience; they follow a negotiated and/or directed plan of study. A higher level of supervision is provided by the instructor in these courses than is the case with field experience courses.

x95 Practicum

Applied, monitored, and supervised field-based learning experience for which the student may or may not be paid. Students gain practical experience; they follow a negotiated and/or directed plan of study. A higher level of supervision is provided by the instructor in these courses than is the case with field experience courses.

x96 Field Experience

Applied, monitored, and supervised field-based learning experience for which the student may or may not be paid. Students gain practical experience; they follow a negotiated and/or directed plan of study established by the student, instructor, and field-based supervisor. Due to the presence of a field experience supervisor, a lower level of supervision is provided by the instructor in these courses than is the case with an internship or practicum course.

x97 Cooperative Education

Applied, monitored, and supervised field-based learning experience for which the student may or may not be paid. Students gain practical experience; they follow a negotiated and/or directed plan of study established by the student, instructor, and field-based supervisor. Due to the presence of a field experience supervisor, a lower level of supervision is provided by the instructor in these courses than is the case with an internship or practicum course.

498 Research

Independent research problems/projects or scholarship activities. The plan of study is negotiated by the faculty member and student. Contact between the two may be extensive and intensive.

788 Research Problems/Projects

Independent research problems/ projects that lead to research or design paper, but not to a thesis. The plan of study is negotiated by the faculty member and the candidate. Contact between the two may be extensive and intensive.

798 Thesis

A formal treatise presenting the results of study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the applicable degree. The process requires extensive and intensive one-on-one interaction between the candidate and professor with more limited interaction between and among the candidate and other members of the committee.

898D Dissertation

A formal treatise presenting the results of study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the applicable degree. The process requires extensive and intensive one-on-one interaction between the candidate and professor with more limited interaction between and among the candidate and other members of the committee.