Master Course Schedule and Calendar

April 02, 2024

A revised Master Schedule of Classes was developed by the Arts and Sciences Ad Hoc Classroom Committee in 2014. The Committee took a comprehensive look at patterns of classroom use and identified a range of actions we could take to improve course scheduling and the way classroom spaces are allocated. The Committee consulted broadly, taking the classroom scheduling patterns of Arts and Sciences departments and schools, as well as Barnard and SEAS, into consideration. It made recommendations to address a broad range of issues, the most pressing being the challenges of finding suitable classrooms, especially at hours of peak use. A revised Master Class Schedule was also developed for specific use by the by the foreign language departments in order to best accommodate their unique requirements.

As you plan your academic program, we ask that you keep the revised Master Schedule of Classes and the revised Master Class Schedule for foreign language courses firmly in mind. You may consult with your adviser if you have additional questions.

Changes beginning in Fall 2016 Course Designations

As the Registrar’s Office posts the Fall 2016 courses in the Directory of Classes and Vergil, be aware of two changes to the course designations, one in numbering and one in prefixes. The University’s goal for both is to further clarify the meaning of course designations, positioning Faculty to draw to their courses the most appropriate populations of students and, in turn, enabling students to more easily identify the courses designed for them.

Changes Implemented through July 18, 2016:

Four-digit, thousand-level numbers indicate the introductory, intermediate or advanced nature of undergraduate and graduate courses. If the course numbers have changed, and the Registrar’s Office has been notified of the changes, they will be reflected in the Directory of Classes and Vergil.

Single-character course prefixes have changed to two-character prefixes. You may occasionally see a Q prefix. Pay no attention to it. It serves as a temporary placeholder and will no longer appear after the two-character prefixes are implemented.

Use documents below to understand EPPC Course Prefix and Number Guidelines at Columbia University.

Frequently Asked Questions: New Course Designations in the Arts & Sciences

Updated July 18, 2016

What’s changing in the course designation?

The Office of the University Registrar is enhancing the course planning and registration process by implementing two-character course designators within the Arts and Sciences. Only one-character designators have been used in the past.

Why is the designation changing? How?

A two-character designator will help students to more quickly and accurately identify the target student population for courses of interest. For example, a course with a designator of “UN” means that it is primarily for undergraduate students.

How will the new designation system affect the way I plan and register for courses?

Beyond making it easier to identify the courses that are right for you, this enhancement will not affect your course planning and registration experience.

How will this change affect me if I’ve already registered? Do I need to register again?

No. You don’t need to do anything.

When will this change take place?

The course designation changes were implemented in mid-July 2016.

Where can I get more information about the new designation system?

Review the guide at the bottom of the page to learn more about our new course designation system.

Course Planning Production Calendar

In order to facilitate the course planning process with our academic departments and programs, the regular schedule for the Curricular Planning is provided below. The dates and deadlines are meant to ensure complete and accurate posting of all courses offered for an upcoming semester in Vergil. The objective is to always provide students with reliable and detailed course information no later than four weeks prior to the start of registration. Departments or Schools with alternate registration times may follow a different calendar in close collaboration and coordination with the University Registrar.