How to Use the University Catalog

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 21:00:28 +0000

How to Use the University Catalog Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/09/2020 - 15:00

Michael Shernick M.Arch

CU Boulder keeps a website called the University Catalog. This site is the "source of truth" on all colleges, degrees, majors, minors, courses, etc. It is date-specific; policies, requirements and offerings can and do change. There is an archive if you need to find a prior year's catalog.

Use the Catalog to Explore Majors, Minors, and Certificates

You can use the Catalog to find detailed information about any major, minor, or certificate. The Catalog refers to these as "Programs". There is an A-Z list. On the left side of the page, use the filters to limit the tiles as needed.

Choose a program and the resulting page will have multiple tabs. You can generally expect the following:

Overview
Requirements
Plan(s) of Study
Learning Outcomes

The "Overview" tells you how the department approaches their academic discipline. It helps you decide if their approach to the subject fits you well.

The "Requirements" tab shows you the specific requirements for the major, minor, or certificates offered by the department. (Note: minors and certificates are not offered in all disciplines or departments.) The requirements can change from year to year and depend on when you declare the program. Meet with your Academic Advisor and use the Degree Audit tool to know exactly which requirements you are being held to.

The "Plan(s) of Study" tab shows you idealized pathways to get through each major or program. These are suggestions, not requirements. For example, you could have an alteration to a plan due to AP credits you bring, or due to taking time for study abroad or an internship. These are good rules of thumb, and help you map out the sequencing of all the requirements. The department faculty have developed these plans based on how the courses build upon each other.

The "Learning Outcomes" tab shows you just that: what you can expect to learn from that discipline. Again, this helps you determine if it's a good fit.

Use the Catalog to Explore Courses

You'll notice on the "Requirements" and "Plan(s) of Study" tabs, any courses listed are hyperlinked to that course's description. You can also use the Courses A-Z tab at the top of the Catalog page to search for all courses offered by a department.

Read the course descriptions to get a feel whether a major or minor is a good fit for you.

The Catalog lists all courses a department could possibly offer. To know which courses are being offered in a specific semester, use the Class Search page, classes.colorado.edu, instead.

Use the Catalog to Plan for Registration

You can start your planning for next semester's course registration by using the following in the Catalog:

Check your major/minor/certificate "Plan(s) of Study" and "Requirements" tabs. See what required courses are still needed and what the most likely sequence is
Read about each course in the descriptions
Compare the Catalog requirements to your Degree Audit; prepare questions for your Academic Advisor to clear up any uncertainties
Explore other possible programs for double-major options, minors or certificates that you might be able to declare

Confirm your next semester registration plans with your Academic Advisor.

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