What the course numbers mean
The course numbers contain information about the level of difficulty as well as the subfield using the following conventions:
- 0000 numbers designate courses that are part of the Yale College First-Year Seminar Program.
- 1000 numbers designate introductory courses, most often in lecture format with discussion sections, appropriate for all undergraduate students.
- 2000 numbers designate intermediate courses in a variety of formats (lecture/discussion, small lecture, and others), in most cases appropriate to all undergraduate students without prerequisites.
- 3000 numbers designate intermediate to advanced courses most often in seminar or laboratory format, which often require permission of the instructor to enroll. Because prerequisites vary widely, students are advised to consult Yale Course Search or Canvas for additional information on enrolling in these classes.
- 4000 numbers designate advanced courses and senior-specific courses. Some 4000-level courses also carry Graduate School numbers.
- 5000 numbers designate introductory graduate-level courses.
- 6000 to 8000 numbers designate courses primarily intended for graduate students.
- 9000 numbers designate advanced courses, including directed reading courses and courses related to thesis work.
The hundreds-place in our course numbers designate the subfield, as follows
- x0xx are cross-subfields courses as well as exam prep/independent study in an unspecified subfield.
- x1xx; x2xx; x3xx designate archaeology courses.
- x4xx; x5xx; x6xx designate biological anthropology courses.
- x7xx; x8xx; x9xx designate sociocultural and linguistic courses.
Additionally, the hundreds place indicates which courses are required, recurring or will only be offered one time.
- Required courses are designated by x1xx (for archaeology courses), x4xx (for biological anthropology courses), x7xx (for sociocultural courses).
- Ongoing courses offer are indicated by x2xx, x5xx, and x8xx
- Courses that will only be offered once (generally taught by a graduate student or visiting scholar) are indicated by x3xx, x6xx, x9xx.