The regular use of course designations and components is critical for clear and effective expectations for students, advisors, and staff as well as for compliance requirements for reporting and accreditation.
Accurate usage and definitions
Course designations
Use of the correct course designations assists in uniform transparency across all departments and colleges. Students will know what to expect when they are selecting a correctly designated course. This provides easier decision-making on their part and less confusion when it comes time to enroll. Key designations to use appropriately are:
- X189 – Field experience and field work
This designation should be used for courses that involve students being placed into a field experience or field work as a component of their program. Examples may include student learning experiences.
- X191 – Internships
This designation should be used for courses that involve students participating in internships as a component for their program.
- X193 – Individual studies
This is an individualized academic program/project determined between the instructor and student, which may involve a physical placement.
Class components
Classes should be correctly labeled with a component. The below components are vital to consider and appropriately use. Classes that do not use the appropriate course designation should still utilize the class component of a field or clinical placement, or an independent study class if it makes sense to do so.
- CLN – Clinical
Students participate in a client and/or client-related service as part of the learning process. Instruction generally occurs outside the institutional setting (i.e., an actual clinical laboratory setting) and may involve work with clients who receive professional services from students supervised by faculty members and/or preceptors.
- FLD – Field experience
An academic or investigative study, generally away from the classroom and/or campus, which relates to the student’s occupational objectives and is taken with permission of a faculty advisor or program.
- IND – Independent study
An individualized and often self-paced plan of study for one student or a small group of students. The student(s) and instructor negotiate details of the plan of study. Class size is smaller and generally have no defined meeting days/times.
These are just a few available class components. Just as it is important to accurate select “LEC – lecture” or “REC – recitation” for a class component, the above are just as crucial to be aware of and use accurately. These allow the university to support students wherever this educational activity is occurring.
Notes
Courses that involve out-of-country educational experiences should consult with the Office of International Affairs. Courses that fall under that category may need to use designations of X797 (study at a foreign institution) or X798 (study tours).
Important Information
A course that is correctly labeled with the designation and/or component can provide invaluable information. Students are provided with transparent information, which reduces the risk of enrolling into a course that may not fulfill degree requirements. Another benefit is Ohio State can better support students wherever they are experiencing their education. This is critical in times of disasters or situations that threaten the safety of our students.