Course Descriptions

Course Description: A short paragraph intended to introduce students to your course and entice them to enroll in it. All Course Descriptions should explain to the reader what the class is about and why people should take the course.

We want to have course descriptions that are:

1. Enticing
2. Informative
3. Brief
4. Understandable

We want to avoid course descriptions that are:

1. Dull
2. Repetitive
3. Overly Complex
4. Uninformative

To achieve this, try employing these tips:

• Use Active Language: For example, instead of “Students will be exposed to various scientific theories,” say “Students will learn various scientific theories.” Some good words to use include: Examine, Explore, Gain, Learn, Develop, etc.
• Keep it Simple: Refrain from using complex vocabulary words or acronyms that people may not understand.
• Keep it Short: You can limit yourself to 150 words maximum.
• Try to explain what the students will get out of the class
• Have a good opener: In theory, your first 1-2 sentences should be catchy and intriguing, and the remaining sentences should introduce what the class is about. Some good ideas for openers include: a definition, a question, an interesting fact, a quotation, or the desired result of the course.
• Double Check for Repetition
• Make it Student-Centered: There is no reason to mention yourself, your faculty mentor, or your research (you can put all that in your Biography!).
• Be informal and use second person pronouns (“We will do this,” “You will learn that,” “I expect you to do some third thing”) rather than the third person (“Students will learn X”).
• Limit use of the phrase “in this class…”