Introduction to Teaching

Syllabi


A syllabus is a summary of what will be covered in a course. It is a good idea to hand out a copy of the syllabus on the first day of class. It will help you and your students agree on what is going to be covered in the class. It helps students to know how much will be covered in the class and what to expect. Your college may have specific guidelines for syllabi.

 

In general, a syllabus should include:

 

  • Class identifying information, such as class title and number.
  • Class meeting times and dates.
  • Goals, objectives and a topical outline of the content for the course.
  • Suggested resources, such as books, web sites, and magazines.
  • Attendance requirements, if relevant.
  • Behavior/discipline requirements.
  • Planned schedule of lectures and activities.
  • Method of evaluating student progress toward, and achievement of course goals and objectives, including method by which the final grade is derived, if relevant.
  • Work experience/intern requirements, where appropriate.
  • Other information, which advises students of requirements, established by the instructor for meeting course objectives.

 

It is helpful to use good instructional design principles when writing a syllabus—for example, state something like "In this course you will learn, …" and then state the objectives as a bulleted list.