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Creating a New Course in MCB

  1. First, please review current course offerings to be certain another similar course is not in the catalog. Go to: http://bulletin.berkeley.edu/courses/mcellbi/
     
  2. Please create a syllabus using the information below as a guideline.

    Syllabus - For every new course, or for any request to substantially change an existing course, a syllabus is required. The Committee on Courses of Instruction (COCI) expects certain components to be included in each syllabus.

    • The requirements for the course (what students will be expected to do to pass the class), and the relative weight of each requirement toward the final grade (usually expressed as percentages)
    • Requirements for undergraduate courses must include a comprehensive final examination, unless an alternative method of final assessment has been indicated on the form and explained in the syllabus.
    • A chronological schedule of topics, usually in a week-by-week format (14 weeks)
    • A list of required readings

    An example of a fully developed syllabus can be found at the website of the Office of Educational Development (PDF: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/sites/teaching.berkeley.edu/files/SyllabusComponents_0.pdf)
     

  3. In addition, please provide the following information along with the syllabus to Stephanie Lim at sj_lim@berkeley.edu. She will submit the new or revised course to the appropriate division for approval, request approval from the UAC or GAC, obtain the approval of the CCDH and then send to the COCI for final approval.
    1. Graduate Course or Undergraduate Course
    2. MCB Division
    3. Cross-listed course? If so, which other department?
      If MCB is not the “Department in Charge” of the course, that department should create the course approval and send it to me to obtain the appropriate approval and signatures.
    4. Course number, if you have one
    5. Course title
    6. Course description, which cannot exceed 500 characters
    7. Grading: Letter, P/NP, S/U, IP
    8. Number of units (one unit equals 3 hours of work per week for 15 weeks)
      Three units might equal 3 hours of lecture plus one hour of discussion per week [plus 5 hours of homework]
    9. Course format, three hours of LECTURE and one hour of DISCUSSION, or LAB, per week
    10. Semester offered, e.g. fall, spring or summer
    11. Courses that will restrict credit, including number of restricted units, e.g. MCB 102 has 100B as a course that will restrict 3 of the 4 units of credit
    12. Instructor(s)
    13. Prerequisites
    14. Repeatable for credit?
      If yes, what is the circumstance that this course could be repeated for credit?
    15. Enrollment restrictions, e.g. to a division, the department, a plan, undergraduates, graduates
      Minimum enrollment limits are set by Systemwide policy:
      • Lower division: 12 students
      • Upper division: 8 students
      • Graduate level: 4 students
    16. Room and time request, e.g. days, times from and to
    17. Expected enrollment

Please contact Stephanie Lim at sj_lim@berkeley or 510-643-9446 if you have any questions.