Montana State University

Division of Graduate Education

Policy Statement on Cross-Listing and Co-Convening

University Graduate Council

 

Definitions:

Co-Convening:  Refers to convening graduate and undergraduate courses on the same topic

together (in the same room, at the same time). For example, “Current Topics in Biology might be listed as both BIOL 4xx and BIOL 5xx.

 

Learning Outcomes:  The expected capabilities of students upon successful completion of course material.  [Target group + will be able to + action verb + object]. 

 

Co-convening of courses allows departments flexibility in their curricula.  Departments offering co-convened courses must design such courses to meet the elevated learning outcomes expected of graduate-level coursework at MSU. Departments must keep in mind that graduate students enrolled in co-convened courses are typically working towards a Doctoral or a Master’s degree; in order to meet MSU’s goals as an R1 research institution, graduate students must be given the highest level of coursework preparation possible.

To meet these goals, co-convened courses should provide graduate-level classroom content and  experiences designed to satisfy the needs and ambitions of graduate students. At the same time, such co-convened courses allow qualified and highly motivated undergraduates to specialize their knowledge and participate in graduate-level discussions and projects while working towards their own degree completion.

 

Co-convening is permitted under the following circumstances:

1) Only 400 and 500 level courses may be co-convened.[1]

2) The syllabus of a co-convened course must be geared to offer students a course experience commensurate with their degree. In order to do so, the course syllabus must articulate specific sets of learning outcomes for graduate students and for undergraduate students. Achievement of these learning outcomes should be demonstrated through assignments and grading criteria tailored to each set of students. Adding an extra assignment to a class designed for undergraduate students is not sufficient to provide graduate students with course content commensurate with their degree.[2]

3) All co-convened courses must be approved by the University Graduate Council.  The attached syllabi in the course proposal must include both the 500-level and 400-level learning outcomes, assignments, and grading criteria to distinguish the graduate level course from the undergraduate course.  Existing co-convened courses that require updates, must provide revised syllabi, with the above information.

4) If a student takes a co-convened course at the undergraduate level, they may not retake the same course at the graduate level (and vice versa). 

 

 

[1] Certain graduate programs may require 300 level courses as leveling coursework. These courses should not be co-convened to allow graduate students to place them on the Program of Study as 500 level courses and use tuition credits to cover tuition costs. Instead, in cases when graduate students need leveling course work, programs may apply to the Graduate School for an exception to use tuition credits for 300 level courses on a Program of Study.

[2] The course instructors and academic units should thoughtfully review student course evaluations to ensure that the course experience meets the expectations and needs of the graduate students and of the undergraduate students.