2023-24 Academic Catalog

Course Numbering Information

This is an archived copy of the 2023-24 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.msstate.edu.

All course numbers consist of four digits. The first (left) digit indicates the level of preparation required and the fourth (right) digit indicates the number of semester hours. The two middle digits are reserved for the departments to distinguish one course from another. If the fourth digit is zero (0), this means that credit is variable and will be set in consultation with the professor. For example, ACC 4000 Directed Individual Study could be a 2- or 3-hour course.

Courses that are in close sequence, such as two semesters of a survey course or a sequence of numbers for a seminar in a particular field, may be listed with a hyphen (-) between the two four-digit numbers (e.g., AGN 8711-8731 Seminar).

When the same course is offered on both undergraduate and graduate levels, two numbers are used to designate the two levels of credit (e.g., EN 4333/6333 Southern Literature). Students enrolled for graduate credit will be required to complete assignments above and beyond those students enrolled for undergraduate credit. A graduate student who took a split-level course as an undergraduate cannot take the same course for credit on the graduate level.

The following course numbers, 4990, 6990, and 8990, designate Experimental Courses and will be used for no more than two years unless an extension is granted.

Course Numbers Level of Credit
1001-2999 Lower division courses (Undergraduate credit only)
3001-4999 Upper division courses (Undergraduate credit only)
4001 Directed Individual Study (Undergraduate credit only)
5001-5999 Fifth year undergraduate or Professional courses
6011-6999 Courses for graduate credit only
7011-7999 Courses for graduate credit only
8011-8999 Courses for graduate credit only
9011-9999 Courses for graduate credit only
7000 Directed Individual Study (Graduate credit only)
8000 Master's level research and thesis
9000 Doctoral level research and dissertation

See General Requirements of the Graduate School and specific program information for course requirements.