Syllabus Requirements

A typical syllabus should contain all the information (e.g., requirements of the graduate course) necessary for a student to make an informed decision about the suitability of the course to their interests and needs. As a University document, the syllabus should be checked for grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. prior to submission to the Graduate School. The syllabus must include all of the elements, in the order listed below; with their subtitles (numbers are not necessary). The course title (e.g., History of Physiology and Medicine) and course code and number (e.g., PHZB 686) should be a banner at the top of the first page of the syllabus.

1. Instructor Information – Provide name, office location, phone number, email address, and office hours; optional: web site, BlackBoard url.

2. Catalog Description – As written in the Graduate School Catalog.

3. Course Purpose – Describe the purpose of the course or what the course hopes to accomplish.

4. Required/Recommended Reading – These should be, to the extent possible or appropriate, recent texts or resources and should include full bibliographic citations.

5. Course Objectives – State what students should know and/or be able to do as a result of taking the course. For example, “Students can explain and give examples of…”.

6. Course Content – Include a week-by-week listing of the topics/skills addressed in the course.

7. Course Requirements – Assignments and other expectations of students (e.g., attendance, participation, term papers, laboratory projects, etc.). For 500 level courses, the syllabus must state the additional requirements for those taking the course for graduate credit.

8. Criteria for Evaluation and Determination of Grade – Explain how grades will be determined (i.e., percentage each assignment will count toward the final grade, grading scale, late penalties, etc.) so a student will readily understand the criteria to be applied.

9. Policy on Instructional Modifications (Optional, but encouraged) – Include the following, under the heading Policy on Instructional Modifications: "The University of Louisville is committed to providing access to programs and services for qualified students with disabilities. If you are a student with a disability and require accommodation to participate and complete requirements for this class, notify me immediately and contact the Disability Resource Center (Robbins Hall, 852-6938) for verification of eligibility and determination of specific accommodations."

10. Prepared By – List the name of the person who prepared the syllabus, the date it was prepared, and (if relevant) the date it was revised.




Course Inventory File (CIF)




The CIF, or Curriculum Request, is available on line and only this form should be used. Do not submit old faxed or photocopied versions of the CIF. The following are some commonly found errors and omissions that cause CIF’s to be returned for clarification.




1. Effective Term – If the effective term is to be the Fall Semester, the CIF must be submitted by May 15. September 15 is the submission deadline for Spring Semester implementation and March 15 is the deadline for Summer Semester implementations.

2. Course I.D. – The Course I.D. is the course code and number (e.g., PHZB 686).

3. Check the spaces after “Add” or “Delete” as appropriate to add a new course to the inventory or remove a course no longer offered. If something about an existing course is being changed, check only the items that are being proposed for change.

4. If a change is being made in a cross-listing, indicate the current existing cross-listing(s) as well as the complete proposed new cross-listing (including any current ones to be kept). If a cross-listing is being added where there previously wasn’t one, or all existing cross-listings are being removed, write “none” in the appropriate space.

5. Credit hours should include the minimum and maximum number of credit hours for the course, even if they are both the same number.

6. When creating an abbreviation for the course title, try to make it as explanatory as possible within the limitation of 24 spaces.

7. The official course description that will go into the Graduate Catalog is limited to 30 words. If this limit is exceeded, the description will be edited by someone who may not have any experience with the particular discipline.

8. Make sure the prerequisites listed on the CIF match the ones listed in the course description and in the syllabus.

9. Type of Activity – Indicate the number of contact clock hours (not credit hours) in one semester for each of the four categories. The standard semester is accepted to be 14 weeks of contact. A 3 credit hour lecture course would meet three times a week so the number of contact hours would be 42. This is merely an estimate and does not account for potential conflicts with holidays or the requirement that a one hour class is only scheduled for 50 minutes duration. Laboratory courses have at least two and one-half contact hours per week for each credit hour. Independent Study and Field Work contact hours are left to the discretion of the instructor, but must reflect the actual number of expected contact hours per week over the course of a 14 week semester.

10. Please include a brief explanation of the reason for the action being requested, e.g., clearer description of course, needed to meet accreditation standards, make course available to a greater number of students.

11. The CIF must be approved and signed by the Chair of the Department proposing the CIF and the relevant unit’s Curriculum Committee. These signatures should indicate that the CIF has been approved and checked for accuracy and completeness.

12. Include a photocopy of the course description as printed in the current catalog (for all but new courses).




Program Changes




When submitting a program change, remember that the approved program change will appear in the Graduate Catalog as described. It is advisable to include the description of the program as it is to be printed.




1. Include a description of the change being proposed and the reasons for the change. When writing this description, please remember that individuals reviewing the changes may not be familiar with the program.

2. Include a copy of the, clearly labeled, old program.

3. Include signatures, memos, or email indicating approval of the department chair and the unit Curriculum Committee, if applicable.

4. Indicate a contact person who can respond to questions about the changes.