Courses Numbers

Courses offered in the University are numbered as follows:
  • Below 100 are non-degree courses.
  • 100 through 199 are primarily freshman courses.
  • 200 through 299 are primarily sophomore courses.
  • 300 through 499 are primarily junior and senior courses.
  • 500 through 599 are courses designed for both upper division undergraduates and graduate students.
  • 600 through 899 are graduate-level courses.
  • Figures in parentheses following course titles show credit in semester hours.

Dual-Listed Courses

Dual-listed courses, listed in both undergraduate and graduate catalogs, are defined as courses that have the same course descriptions and the same course requirements. These courses are listed 600 through 699 for both undergraduate and graduate students. Dual-listed courses are graduate-level courses that are open to enrollment by advanced undergraduate level students.

Cross-Listed Courses

Cross-listed courses are defined at two different levels or are defined and listed by two different programs or departments. There are two types of cross-listed courses.

  • Courses that are listed as a 400-level course in the Undergraduate catalog and as a 700-level course in the Graduate School catalog. There may be different course requirements for graduate and undergraduate students.
  • Courses offered jointly by two departments. These cross-listed courses typically have the same number, but different prefixes. The course descriptions are the same, but there will be a notation in the course description that states it is a cross-listed course.

  • 500-Level Courses
    • 500-level classes are open to upper-division undergraduate and graduate students. They may be listed as program requirements for undergraduate or graduate programs and may be applied as electives in undergraduate or graduate programs, with permission of the department. Graduate students in 500-level classes will be expected to complete graduate-level work.

In-Person Courses:

  • Classroom Course (P): Course activity is organized around scheduled face-to-face (in-person) class meetings. Classroom courses require students to be present on campus. Face-to-face courses will have designated section numbers (e.g., .01, .02)
  • Distance Education/Distance Learning Courses include: 
    • Online Courses (OL): Online courses can be asynchronous or synchronous. Online course sections will be designated by OL and number (e.g., OL1, OL2)

      • Online Asynchronous (OA): Students are NOT required to log in at a specific time. Online Asynchronous courses achieve the required credit hours primarily through time spent online at the time of the student's choosing.

      • Online Synchronous (OS): Students are required to log in at a specific time. A synchronous course will indicate this information either within the course description or list a specific online meeting time.  Time online could vary between 1% to 100% of course time and activities.

    • Hybrid Courses (HY): Courses that include a face-to-face component and an online component. A course is designated hybrid if time online is substituted for 51% or more of required in-class time. Hybrid courses can be asynchronous or synchronous. Students are required to attend class meetings or exams on campus, as well as, to participate in an online element. Hybrid course sections will be designated by HY and a number (e.g., HY1, HY2)

      • Hybrid Asynchronous (HA):  The online component of hybrid asynchronous courses achieve the required credit hours primarily through time spent online at the time of the student's choosing. Students are NOT required to login at a specific time.

      • Hybrid Synchronous (HS): The online component of a hybrid synchronous course requires students to login at a specific time. A synchronous course will indicate this information either within the course description or list a specific online meeting time.  Time online could vary between 1% to 100% of course time and activities. 
  • The specific instruction mode codes are:
    • P = Face to Face
    • OA = Online Asynchronous
    • OS = Online Synchronous
    • HA = Hybrid Asynchronous
    • HS = Hybrid Synchronous 

Additionally, courses that make use of videoconferencing technology (e.g., Zoom or similar technology) will be dual listed as both a face-to-face section, for those students who are here on campus, and as an online section for those students who are not on campus during the class meeting time.  

Course Type Definitions

  • Clinical (CLN) – Students participate in client and/or client-related services as part of the learning process. Instruction usually occurs outside the institutional setting (or in an actual clinical laboratory setting) and may involve work with clients who receive professional services from students supervised by faculty members. Examples include medically-based clerkships or working in a clinical lab setting.
  • Continuance (CON) – This course provides continuous enrollment for students who are not on leave of absence and are not currently enrolled in a credit-bearing Gallaudet course. 
  • Dissertation (DIS) – The development of a formal treatise presenting the results of study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of a terminal degree. The process requires intensive interaction between the student candidate, dissertation advisor, and supplemental committee members.
  • Independent Directed Studies (IDS) – A class which substitute an existing course not offered in the semester in which the student wishes to enroll. The material covered in a directed study course is the same as that covered in the existing course.  Modifications may be necessary to deliver the content and assignments at an individual level, and not all courses can be modified. Courses that can be modified tend to be non-traditional courses (e.g. guided research courses, internships, practicums, and clinical duties).
  • Independent Individualized Studies (IND) – A class in which an individual student completes individualized plan of study or investigation in a major or field of specialization on a more autonomous basis. The course provides the student with an opportunity to pursue/research a subject in a manner not possible in an existing course, an individualized study course's content should be supplemental to the curriculum and should align with program-level student learning outcomes or domains. The instructor and student negotiate the details of the plan of study. Students meet with the instructor to establish requirements for receiving course credit, then work independently to complete the requirements, and meeting periodically with the instructor for feedback and guidance.
  • Internship (INT) – A form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent. The internship plan typically involves a student working in a professional setting under the supervision and monitoring of practicing professionals with limited faculty supervision. 
  • Laboratory (LAB) – Instructor supervises creative or investigational work by students (individually or as a group) in a controlled environment requiring specialized equipment and/or facilities. The primary emphasis is on learning by doing and observing. Labs give students first-hand experience in developing and practicing skills, translating theory into practice, and developing, testing, and applying principles. Labs are most often associated with lectures, but also may be freestanding.
  • Lecture (LEC) – Lecture courses may include a variety of pedagogies (discussion, class presentation) but are predominantly lecture oriented. Faculty members are responsible for delivery and discussion of learning material related to instructional activities.
  • Practicum (PRA) – Practical student work under the supervision of a faculty member or under supervision of a professional in the student’s field and regular consultation with faculty member. Courses are designed to give students supervised and practical application of previously studied theory in a setting outside the classroom. 
  • Research (RSC) – Courses focus on research related to a specific interest or academic discipline, but do not entail an actual dissertation or thesis. The faculty member and student(s) mutually negotiate the nature of the study/research. Students receive course credit for engaging in intensive, focused research on a concentrated topic related to their academic studies under the guidance of an instructor, typically culminating in an intellectual product.
  • Seminar (SEM) – A more interactive and typically smaller course forum than a lecture, content may include student presentations and discussions based on literature, theory, problems, or research. Enrollment is generally limited to allow for greater focus on students’ critical reflection and exchange of ideas. Lecture is not the dominant pedagogical activity of the course, like in a Lecture component course. During class meetings, students and the instructor work together in focused exploration typically involving some combination of reading, research, discussion, and production of an intellectual product related to their academic studies.
  • Thesis Research (THE) –  A formal treatise presenting the results of study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of a non-terminal degree. The process requires intensive interaction between the student candidate, thesis advisor, and supplemental committee members.

If you have questions about these definitions, please contact the Registrar's office. 

Cancellation of Courses

Gallaudet reserves the right to withdraw any courses not elected by a sufficient number of students.