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In U.S. education
Education

File:Inukshuk Monterrey 1.jpgEducation can be seen as a product or a process and considered in a broad sense or a technical sense. According to philosophy of education George F....
, a course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term
Academic term

An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called 'terms', 'semesters', academic quarter , or 'trimesters', depending on the institution and the country....
, is led by one or more instructors (teacher
Teacher

In education, a teacher is a person who teaches. A teacher who teaches an individual student may also be described as a personal tutor.The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out by way of Occupation or Profession at a school or other place of formal education....
s or professor
Professor

The meaning of the word professor varies. In some English-speaking countries, it refers to a senior academic who holds a departmental chair, especially as head of the Academic department, or a personal chair awarded specifically to that individual....
s), has a fixed roster of student
Student

The word student is etymology derived through Middle English from the Latin Latin conjugation#Principal parts for the active voice Grammatical conjugation verb "studere", Meaning "to direct one's zeal at"; hence a student could be described as 'one who directs zeal at a subject'....
s, and gives each student a grade
Grade (education)

In education, a grade is a teacher's standardized evaluation of a student's work. In some countries, evaluations can be expressed quantifiably, and calculated into a numeric grade point average , which is used as a metrics by employers and others to assess and compare students....
 and academic credit
Credit (education)

A course credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course taken at a school or other educational institution....
.

The original meaning—a course of instruction, the unit of instruction embodied by a course—is also used, so textbook
Textbook

A textbook is a manual of instruction or a standard book in any branch of study. They are produced according to the demand of educational institutions....
s may be entitled, e.g., A Course in Modern Physics.

Courses are made up of individual sessions, typically on a fixed weekly schedule.

There are different formats of course in universities:



Many courses combine these formats.






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In U.S. education
Education

File:Inukshuk Monterrey 1.jpgEducation can be seen as a product or a process and considered in a broad sense or a technical sense. According to philosophy of education George F....
, a course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term
Academic term

An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called 'terms', 'semesters', academic quarter , or 'trimesters', depending on the institution and the country....
, is led by one or more instructors (teacher
Teacher

In education, a teacher is a person who teaches. A teacher who teaches an individual student may also be described as a personal tutor.The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out by way of Occupation or Profession at a school or other place of formal education....
s or professor
Professor

The meaning of the word professor varies. In some English-speaking countries, it refers to a senior academic who holds a departmental chair, especially as head of the Academic department, or a personal chair awarded specifically to that individual....
s), has a fixed roster of student
Student

The word student is etymology derived through Middle English from the Latin Latin conjugation#Principal parts for the active voice Grammatical conjugation verb "studere", Meaning "to direct one's zeal at"; hence a student could be described as 'one who directs zeal at a subject'....
s, and gives each student a grade
Grade (education)

In education, a grade is a teacher's standardized evaluation of a student's work. In some countries, evaluations can be expressed quantifiably, and calculated into a numeric grade point average , which is used as a metrics by employers and others to assess and compare students....
 and academic credit
Credit (education)

A course credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course taken at a school or other educational institution....
.

The original meaning—a course of instruction, the unit of instruction embodied by a course—is also used, so textbook
Textbook

A textbook is a manual of instruction or a standard book in any branch of study. They are produced according to the demand of educational institutions....
s may be entitled, e.g., A Course in Modern Physics.

Courses are made up of individual sessions, typically on a fixed weekly schedule.

There are different formats of course in universities:

  • the lecture
    Lecture

    A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher....
     course, where the instructor gives lectures with minimal interaction;
  • the seminar
    Seminar

    Seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at a university or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is requested to actively participate....
    , where students prepare and present their original written work for discussion and critique;
  • the colloquium
    Colloquium

    In academia, a colloquium typically consists of a single lecture given by a member of the academic community about his or her work to colleagues who work in the same or an allied field....
     or reading course, where the instructor assigns readings for each session which are then discussed by the members;
  • the tutorial
    Tutorial

    A tutorial is one method of transferring knowledge and may be used as a part of learning. More interactivity and specific than a book or a lecture; a tutorial seeks to teach by example and supply the information to complete a certain task....
     course, where one or a small number of students work on a topic and meet with the instructor weekly for discussion and guidance.
  • the laboratory
    Laboratory

    A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which science research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories....
     course, where most work takes place in a laboratory.


Many courses combine these formats. Lecture courses often include weekly discussion sections with smaller groups of students led by the principal instructor, another instructor, or teaching assistant
Teaching assistant

A teaching assistant is an individual who assists a professor or teacher with instructional responsibilities. TAs include graduate teaching assistants , who are graduate school students; undergraduate teaching assistants , who are undergraduate students; secondary school TAs, who are either high school students or adults; and elementary sch...
. Laboratory courses often combine lectures, discussion sections, and laboratory sessions.

Students are expected to do various kinds of work for a course:

  • Attending course sessions.
  • Reading and studying course readings assigned in the course syllabus
    Syllabus

    A syllabus is an outline and summary of topics to be covered in a education. It is often either set out by an exam board, or prepared by the professor who teaches the course, and is usually given to each student during the first class session....
    .
  • Discussing material they have read.
  • Writing short and long paper
    Essay

    An essay is usually a short piece of writing. It is often written from an author's personal Perspective . Essays can be literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author....
    s based on assigned reading and their own library
    Library

    A library is a collection of information, sources, resources, books, and services, and the structure in which it is housed: it is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual....
     research
    Research

    Research is defined as human activity based on intellectual application in the investigation of matter. The primary purpose for applied research is discovery , interpretation , and the development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a wide variety of scientific matters of our world and the universe....
    .
  • Completing homework or problem sets.
  • Completing laboratory exercises.
  • Taking quizzes and examination
    Examination

    To examine somebody or something is to inspect it closely; hence, an examination is a detailed inspection or analysis of an object or person....
    s.


The exact work required depends on the discipline, the course, and the particular instructor. Unlike most European university courses, grades are generally determined by all of these kinds of work, not only the final examination.

See also

  • Credit (education)
    Credit (education)

    A course credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course taken at a school or other educational institution....
  • Course Atlas (education)
    Course Atlas (education)

    A course atlas is an online repository created to address the need to aggregate and share a database of credit and noncredit courses offered by one to many educational providers across a state, region, country or around the world to facilitate course planning....
  • Course catalog (education)
    Course catalog (education)

    A course catalog is an organized, detailed, descriptive list of Course offerings at a college, university or other educational outlet. Educational organizations usually publish a course catalog with additional information covering academic and administrative policies and procedures....


External links