Course Syllabi at UW–Madison

Course syllabi are required for UW–Madison courses and offer instructors the opportunity to communicate with students about course details. Below, you’ll find more information about the following core components of a course syllabus :

You can also find additional related resources.

Downloadable Syllabus Resources

The information on this page can also be downloaded as a MS Word document and used to support the creation of course syllabi.

Download Syllabus Resources

Key Course Offering Information

Instructors must include this component and its elements in their syllabi.

Many elements within this component are governed content.

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General Identifying Information

Institution Name: University of Wisconsin­­–Madison

Course Subject, Number and Title: Special topics title, if applicable.

Credits: Find course credits in Guide.

Course Designations and AttributesFind course designations in Guide (e.g., honors, general education, graduate attribute, etc.), as approved through governance.

Course Description: Find course descriptions in Guide, as approved through governance.

Requisites: Find course requisites in Guide, as approved through governance.

Meeting Time and Location: Also include information on field trips or other special activities, if applicable.

Instructional Modality: In-person, online or hybrid. View the university’s mode of instruction course section descriptors.

Instructor Contact Info: Title, name, office hours and email.

Teaching Assistant Contact Info (if applicable): Name, office hours and email.

Course Learning Outcomes

List course learning outcomes. Most courses have governance-approved course learning outcomes that can be found in Lumen Courses (accessed through the Lumen Tile in the MyUW portal) or in the Course Catalog data visualization, filterable by subject.

How Credit Hours are Met by the Course

Communicate the amount and importance of expected coursework, including work both during and outside of class meetings. Instructors may choose to explain the importance of workload in relation to the credit hour in their own words or select from these recommendations. Review the UW–Madison Credit Hour Policy.

Instructor-to-Student Communication

Instructors are required to provide information on the elements in this component that apply to the course(s) they are teaching.

Instructor-to-student communication is the core of a syllabus and conveys expectations for the instructor(s) and students.

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Course Overview

Instructors may provide additional information not covered in the approved course description noted above. Examples may include: outlining what previous learning experiences are expected of students, or that they may find useful; how students will benefit most from the course; how you welcome, inspire and excite students for course learning; and/or what types of interactions and work is valued in the course.

Course Website and Digital Instructional Tools

  • Provide link to course website (if available).
  • Provide information about the university’s learning management system, Canvas, and other university instructional tools or platforms (e.g., Zoom, MS Teams, WebEx Meetings, etc.) that will be used in the course.

Discussion and/or Laboratory Sessions

Add information specific to discussion and/or lab sections, as appropriate, or attach a separate document.

Required Textbook, Software and Other Course Materials

  • List any required materials such as textbooks, open educational resources and eTexts.
  • List any required course fees including eText fees, if applicable.
  • List any required software or tools, even if available at no additional cost as part of UW-Madison licensing. Include directions on how students can access the software or tools, such as through the Campus Software Library.

Homework and Other Assignments

  • Provide rules and expectations concerning
  • Explain how assignments will be submitted (e.g., Canvas, Box, Google Drive, etc.)

Exams, Quizzes, Papers and Other Major Graded Work

  • List the summary period and the expectations associated with it. View the Summary Period for Academic Semester Policy.
  • Include relevant details such as dates, if the exam or quiz is cumulative, open-book or open-note, whether access to electronic devices is allowed, etc.
  • Note if exams or quizzes will be proctored (see the “General Guidelines for Exam Proctoring” section below).
  • Explain policies for make-up and/or late work.

General Guidelines for Exam Proctoring

Instructors should inform students in advance and include a statement in the course syllabus if proctoring (remote or in person) will be required. Instructors should also clearly state in the syllabus that failure to use the proctoring service assigned will result in specific consequences (e.g., zero on exams, quizzes, etc.). Once the decision to use the proctoring service is made by the instructor and the student has registered for the class, the use of proctoring is a condition of enrollment in the class. This should be stated explicitly in the syllabus. Additionally, it is within the instructor’s discretion to engage the use of a proctoring service, such as Honorlock, during the semester if circumstances result in exams or other testing moving from in-class to online or another virtual option.

Course Schedule/Calendar

Include a course calendar/schedule/grid that outlines the coursework and deadlines. This can help students plan their time accordingly and know what to expect. Demonstrate opportunities for instructor-student interaction where appropriate.

Grading

  • Indicate how the course is graded and relative weights of assessments.
  • Provide linkage between weights and letter scores, if possible.
  • Indicate whether the final grades are curved.
  • Indicate whether attendance and/or participation is part of the grading. Sample syllabi used for course proposals must indicate how students will be evaluated when more than 10% of the grade is tied to participation/attendance. View Course Proposal Sample Syllabus Requirements.
  • Provide separate grading requirements for graduate students, if applicable. View Policy on Graduate Level Course Attributes.

Academic Policies and Statements

Instructors are strongly encouraged to copy and paste these policies and statements into their course syllabi.

These policies and statements are reviewed and updated annually, as needed. This section can also be used to clearly communicate course-specific policies such as expectations related to group work, missing class, communication policies, etc.

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Academic Calendar & Religious Observances

View the full academic calendar in addition to information about religious and election day observances. Students are responsible for notifying instructors within the first two weeks of classes about any need for flexibility due to religious observances.

Establishment of the academic calendar for the University of Wisconsin–Madison falls within the authority of the faculty as set forth in Faculty Policies and Procedures. Construction of the academic calendar is subject to various rules and laws prescribed by the Board of Regents, the Faculty Senate, State of Wisconsin and the federal government. Find additional dates and deadlines for students on the Office of the Registrar website.

Academic Integrity

By virtue of enrollment, each student agrees to uphold the high academic standards of the University of Wisconsin–Madison; academic misconduct is behavior that negatively impacts the integrity of the institution. Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration and helping others commit these previously listed acts are examples of misconduct which may result in disciplinary action. Examples of disciplinary sanctions include, but are not limited to, failure on the assignment/course, written reprimand, disciplinary probation, suspension or expulsion.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

The University of Wisconsin–Madison supports the right of all enrolled students to a full and equal educational opportunity. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Wisconsin State Statute (36.12) and UW–Madison policy (UW-855) require the university to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities to access and participate in its academic programs and educational services. Faculty and students share responsibility in the accommodation process. Students are expected to inform faculty of their need for instructional accommodations during the beginning of the semester, or as soon as possible after being approved for accommodations. Faculty will work either directly with the student or in coordination with the McBurney Disability Resource Center to provide reasonable instructional and course-related accommodations. Disability information, including instructional accommodations as part of a student’s educational record, is confidential and protected under FERPA.

Course Evaluations

Students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have the opportunity to evaluate their learning experiences and the courses they are enrolled in through course evaluations. Many instructors use a digital course evaluation tool to collect feedback from students. Students typically receive notifications two weeks prior to the end of the semester requesting that they complete course evaluations. Student participation is an integral component of course development, and confidential feedback is important. UW–Madison strongly encourages student participation in course evaluations.

Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for the University of Wisconsin–Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. UW–Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background – people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

Mental Health & Well-Being

Students often experience stressors that can impact both their academic experience and personal well-being. These may include mental health concerns, substance misuse, sexual or relationship violence, family circumstances, campus climate, financial matters, among others.

UW–Madison students are encouraged to learn about and utilize the university’s mental health services and/or other resources as needed. Student can visit uhs.wisc.edu or call University Health Services at (608) 265-5600 to learn more.

Privacy of Student Records & Use of Audio Recorded Lectures

Lecture materials and recordings for this course are protected intellectual property at UW–Madison. Students enrolled in this course may use the materials and recordings for their personal use related to participation in the course. Students may also take notes solely for their personal use. If a lecture is not already recorded, students are not authorized to record lectures without permission unless they are considered by the university to be a qualified student with a disability who has an approved accommodation that includes recording. [Regent Policy Document 4-1] Students may not copy or have lecture materials and recordings outside of class, including posting on internet sites or selling to commercial entities, with the exception of sharing copies of personal notes as a notetaker through the McBurney Disability Resource Center. Students are otherwise prohibited from providing or selling their personal notes to anyone else or being paid for taking notes by any person or commercial firm without the instructor’s express written permission. Unauthorized use of these copyrighted lecture materials and recordings constitutes copyright infringement and may be addressed under the university’s policies, UWS Chapters 14 and 17, governing student academic and non-academic misconduct. View more information about FERPA.

Students' Rules, Rights & Responsibilities

View more information about student rules, rights and responsibilities such as student privacy rights, sharing of academic record information, academic integrity and grievances.

Teaching & Learning Data Transparency

The privacy and security of faculty, staff and students’ personal information is a top priority for UW–Madison. The university carefully reviews and vets all campus-supported digital tools used for teaching and learning, including those that support data empowered educational practices and proctoring. View more information about teaching and learning data transparency at UW–Madison.