Curriculum Structure and Unit Guide

This guide explains how curriculum requirements are organized and how units should be calculated when preparing new or modified curriculum proposals. It is intended to help faculty identify the major core, concentration, prerequisites, electives, and other curriculum components before submitting a proposal.

Unit totals entered in curriculum proposals should be consistent with the catalog, Degree Audit, and the proposed curriculum structure. Accurate unit calculations help prevent delays during technical and curriculum review.

General Unit-Counting Principles

When calculating curriculum units:

• Count all courses that students are required to complete.
• Include prerequisites when the prerequisites are required for completion of the program or subprogram.
• Do not count the same course more than once within the same program unit total.
• Separate requirements completed by all students in the major from requirements completed only by students in a concentration or other subprogram.
• Confirm that the unit totals in the proposal match the proposed catalog curriculum and Degree Audit structure.

Degree Audit Form

Use the following worksheet before submitting a new program or program modification proposal.

Please note: Stan State Faculty and Staff must be logged into OneDrive to access the file.

Degree Audit Form

The Degree Audit form organizes curriculum requirements into separate requirement areas. These areas may include the major core, concentration, electives, prerequisites, support courses, General Education, and other graduation requirements.

Before submitting a proposal, review the program requirements to confirm:

• which courses are required of all students in the major;
• which courses are specific to a concentration or other subprogram;
• whether required prerequisites are included in the unit total;
• how elective requirements are displayed; and
• whether the Degree Audit structure matches the catalog requirements.

Undergraduate Degree Programs

Total Degree Units

Total degree units include all units required to earn the degree, including the major, General Education, university requirements, and any additional units needed to reach the minimum number of units required for the degree.

Major Units

Major units include all coursework required for completion of the major. Depending on the program structure, major units may include:

• major core courses;
• required prerequisites;
• support courses;
• required electives;
• restricted electives; and
• concentration requirements.

Major Core

The major core consists of the courses and requirements completed by all students in the major, regardless of concentration or area of emphasis.

Courses required only for a specific concentration should not be included in the major core.

Prerequisites and Support Courses

Required prerequisites and support courses must be included when calculating program or subprogram units if students must complete them to satisfy the curriculum requirements.

A prerequisite should not be excluded from the unit total simply because it appears outside the primary list of required courses.

Required and Restricted Electives

Include the number of elective units students must complete, not the total number of courses available on the elective list.

For example, if students must complete 6 units from a list containing 18 units of available courses, count 6 required units.

Concentrations

What Is a Concentration?

A concentration is an organized curriculum within a major that provides focused study in a particular area. Concentration requirements are completed by students who select that concentration and are separate from the major core completed by all students in the major.

Counting Concentration Units

When calculating concentration units:

• Count only courses and requirements that are specific to the concentration.
• Include prerequisites required for completion of the concentration.
• Do not include courses already required in the major core.
• Do not count the same requirement in both the major core and the concentration.
• Confirm that the concentration does not comprise more than 50 percent of the major core units.

Concentration Example

In this example, the concentration is allowable because its 15 units are separate from the 30-unit major core and do not exceed 50 percent of the major core.

Example That Does Not Meet the Requirement

This structure does not meet the requirement because the 30-unit concentration exceeds 50 percent of the 25-unit major core.

Incorrect Double Counting

A course required of every student in the major belongs in the major core. It cannot also be counted as a concentration unit. Including major core courses in the concentration total overstates the number of units specific to the concentration.

Minors

Minor units include all coursework required to complete the minor, including required prerequisites and required electives.

When calculating minor units:

• count all required courses;
• include required prerequisites;
• count only the number of elective units students must complete, not every course available on an elective list; and
• confirm that the unit total matches the proposed catalog requirements.

Any limits on overlap between a minor and a student's major should be addressed through the applicable university and program requirements.

Certificates

Certificate units include all coursework required to complete the certificate, including required prerequisites and required electives.

When calculating certificate units:

• count all required coursework;
• include prerequisites required for certificate completion;
• identify whether the certificate is undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, or graduate; and
• confirm whether additional state or federal reporting requirements apply.

Certificates that are not linked to a degree may be subject to additional federal reporting, disclosure, and financial aid requirements.

Credentials

Credential units should reflect all coursework required to complete the credential program, including required prerequisites, professional preparation courses, and other required components.

Because credential structures may include requirements established by external agencies, proposal originators should confirm that the curriculum unit total matches both university requirements and applicable credentialing standards.

Program Modifications

Unit totals must be reviewed whenever a program modification adds, removes, or reorganizes curriculum requirements.

For a program modification, confirm:

• the current approved unit total;
• the proposed unit total;
• the net change in units;
• whether changes affect the major core, concentration, prerequisites, electives, or total degree units; and
• whether the catalog and Degree Audit will require corresponding updates.

Common Unit-Counting Errors

• Excluding required prerequisites from the program unit total.
• Counting major core courses again as concentration requirements.
• Counting every course on an elective list instead of the number of elective units required.
• Reporting a concentration that exceeds 50 percent of the major core.
• Entering unit totals that do not match the catalog or Degree Audit.
• Changing curriculum requirements without updating all affected curriculum sections.

Questions

Contact Academic Programs at AcademicPrograms@csustan.edu for assistance with curriculum structure, unit calculations, or proposal requirements.

FAQs