New Course Numbers

IMPORTANT: New course numbering (Common Course Numbering) only affects course subject abbreviations and numbers.  It does NOT affect course content or degree requirements. 

Background

Effective Autumn Semester 2009, the Montana University System moved to common numbering for all undergraduate courses at all public institutions in Montana.  Additionial courses are converted each academic year as the process continues.

What Does This Mean?

All public colleges and universities in Montana will use the same subject abbreviations (the letter codes that indicate the course subject), numbers, and titles for courses taught on more than one campus. 

If students transfer to another campus, ONLY common course numbered courses also taught at the new campus will automatically transfer as equivalent.  All other courses will continue to transfer as electives and will be applied to curricular requirements at the discretion of the faculty at the receiving institution.

UM subject abbreviations and course numbers CONTINUE TO CHANGE as implementation moves forward each year.  Many familiar course titles have changed, and more are scheduled to change for the 2012-2013 Academic Year. 

     Some courses will change level (e.g., from the 300-level to the 400-level).

     Course content remains the purview of faculty and will NOT be changed as a result of this process.

     During the transition period, which will last several years, the lists of what courses are required for majors will be updated yearly to reflect the changes.

What Disciplines and Programs Have Changed?

We have created a New Course Number Translation Guide to help you determine how course numbers have changed.  With this Guide you can select the old subject abbreviations and see what those courses are now called, or you can select the new subject code and see what they used to be called. 

The online version of UM's catalog includes the new numbers and titles in all curricula as the course numbers are revised.  Courses revisions effective for Academic Year 2011-2012 appear in the 2011-2012 Catalog.  Revisions effective for Academic Year 2012-2013 will appear in the 2012-2013 catalog, and can be viewed in February 2012 via the translation guide link.

Changes at a Glance

All courses that have been converted may be viewed via the New Course Number Translation Guide.