This article is about the unit of teaching. For other meanings of course, including in particular a course of study, see course (disambiguation). The word course has several meanings: course is the direction of travel in navigation in sailing, a course is the principal sail on a mast a course (US) is a unit of instruction in one subject lasting one academic term a course (UK) or course of study is a program...

In U.S. education, a course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term, is led by one or more instructors (teachers or professors), has a fixed roster of students, and gives each student a grade and academic credit. An academic term is a division of a school year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. ... In education, teachers are those who teach students or pupils, often a course of study, lesson plan, or a practical skill, including learning and thinking skills. ... A professor (Latin: one who claims publicly to be an expert) (prof for short) is a senior teacher, lecturer and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... Students attending a lecture at the Helsinki University of Technology Etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation verb stŭdērĕ, which means to direct ones zeal at; hence a student is one who directs zeal at a subject. ... A grade in education can mean either a teachers evaluation of a students work or a students level of educational progress, usually one grade per year (often denoted by an ordinal number, such as the 3rd Grade or the 12th Grade). This article is about evaluation of... The term credit can have several meanings in different contexts. ...

The original meaning—a course of instruction, the unit of instruction embodied by a course—is also used, so textbooks may be entitled, e.g., A Course in Modern Physics. Two textbooks A textbook is a manual of instruction or a standard book in any branch of study. ...

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

There are different formats of course in universities:

• the lecture course, where the instructor gives lectures with minimal interaction;
• the seminar, where students prepare and present their original written work for discussion and critique;
• the colloquium or reading course, where the instructor assigns readings for each session which are then discussed by the members;
• the tutorial 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 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. Laboratory courses often combine lectures, discussion sections, and laboratory sessions. A lecture on linear algebra at the Helsinki University of Technology A lecture is a presentation on a particular subject given in order to teach people about that subject, for example by a university or college teacher. ... A seminar is a form of academic teaching, normally at a university in small groups where students are requested to actively participate during meetings. ... Colloquium is the annual technical symposium conducted by the Department of Mathematics of the [[College of Engineering, Guindy == ]], located in Chennai, India. ... A tutorial may simply refer to a list of instructions or tips for how to do any of a wide variety of tasks. ... Recitation means a discussion carried by a Teaching Assistant to supplement a lecture given by a senior faculty at an academic institution. ... A teaching assistant (TA) is a junior scholar employed on a temporary contract by a college or university for the purpose of assisting a professor by teaching students in recitation or discussion sessions, holding office hours, grading homework or exams, supervising labs (in science and engineering courses), and other duties. ...

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.
• Discussing material they have read.
• Writing short and long papers based on assigned reading and their own library research.
• Completing homework or problem sets.
• Completing laboratory exercises.
• Taking quizzes and examinations.

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. Syllabus (plural syllabi or syllabuses) is a document with an outline and summary of topics to be covered in a course. ... To examine somebody or something is to inspect it closely, hence an examination is a detailed inspection or analysis of an object or person. ...

See also

• Credit (education)