Course Cap Guidance

The Curriculum Committee is tasked with deciding (equitably and fairly) whether a proposed course is allowed an exemption from the standard course caps. The following guidance outlines current practice.

Standard course caps:

100-level courses: 28
200-level courses: 26
300-level courses: 18

Exemptions for lower course caps:

1. Safety, equipment, or space considerations
   • a. Science labs (labs are typically capped at 16-20, although they often have larger lecture sections)
   • b. Studio space (e.g., arts/dance)
   • c. Technology Limitations (e.g., limited availability of equipment)
2. Course-level considerations
   • a. Scribner Seminars (16)
   • b. 100-level Expository Writing courses (15-17)
   • c. Senior capstone courses (15)
3. Pedagogy considerations
   • a. Writing Intensive courses (guidelines in the documentation below) (17)
   • b. Skill-intensive courses (such as language courses or music theory) (17)
   • c. Creative writing workshops (15)
   • d. IGR or other non-standard pedagogies
   • e. One-credit add-ons (10-15) f. Team teaching (1.25x cap rather than 2x cap)
4. Other
   • a. Professional or accreditation requirements
5. The Curriculum Committee does not allow exemptions for the following cases:
   • a. Honors Forum courses
   • b. Service learning courses

Exceptions that do not fall under these criteria must be approved on a case-by-case basis in consultation with DOF and CC.