Forms
Forms
Special Topics Course Approval Process
Overview of Special Topics Courses
Special Topics courses are designed to allow departments to add specific section titles to the course registration schedule for each term or semester in which the course is offered. These courses provide flexibility to address current trends or specialized areas of study within a discipline.
Approval Requirements Starting Summer 2026
Beginning in the summer of 2026, any course seeking approval to add a section title must undergo a formal review process. This process includes the submission of both the proposed topic and the course content for evaluation and approval. All courses designated as special topics on the course inventory will be monitored to ensure that section titles have been submitted. The approval process will require submission of a course syllabus along with the proposal.
Examples include:
- Course: CHEM 6333 Special Topics in Chemistry, Section Title: Polymer Re& Upcycling
- Course: CIVE 4300 Topics in Civil Engineering, Section Title: Land Development Engineering
- Course: ENGL 4359 Special Topics in Creative Writing, Section Title: Flash Fiction and Genre
- Course: PSYC 4383 Special Problems, Section Title: Primate Behavior Research
To seek approval, please submit the form below. This approval is for one term only. Approval must be requested at least one month prior to the start of the term.
Important Note on Cross‑Listing or Leveling Special Topics Courses
Before a Special Topics course can be cross‑listed or leveled, the course topic must first be submitted and approved through the Special Topics Course Form.
Cross‑listing/leveling requests cannot be submitted or approved until the topic approval process is completed.
Cross-listed Approval Process
Overview of Cross-listed
Cross-listed is an umbrella term that refers to putting two or more course sections together on the schedule to allow them to occur at the same time, location, with the same instructor to be offered as a group. The are three main types of cross-listed courses:
- Equivalent courses
- Similar but not equivalent courses at the same level
Equivalent Courses
Equivalent courses have the same or very similar course title, course description, but different prefixes and may also have the same course numbers. These courses need no special approval to be cross-listed on the schedule.
Examples include:
- ANTH 4304 Indians of North America and HIST 3326 Indians of North America
- HIST 3338 United States-Mexico Borderlands after 1821 and MASC 3337 United States-Mexico Borderlands after 1821
Similar Courses - Same Level
With approval, courses from the same level may be cross listed on the schedule for one term. The courses must have similar content, title, description, learning objectives, prerequisite and other course attributes.
Examples include:
- BMEE 6350 Topics in Engineering: Cardiovascular Fluid Mechanics & MECE 6399 Topics in Engineering: Cardiovascular Fluid Mechanics
- POLS 3310 State & Local Government & PAFF 4305 American State & Local Government
To seek approval, please submit the form below. This approval is for one term only. Approval must be requested at least one month prior to the start of the term.
Cross Listing Courses Request Form
Similar Courses - Different Level
With approval, courses from different levels may be cross listed on the schedule for one term. Courses have similar learning objectives but expectations for students at each level should be different. Titles are identical or similar and one or more in the pair is often special topics.
- EECE 4375 Intro to VLSI and EECE 6375 VLSI System Design
- PHYS 4380 Advanced Quantum Mechanics I and PHYS 5340 Quantum Mechanics I
- EECE 4333 Special Topics: Deep Machine Learning and EECE 6334 Deep Machine Learning
To seek approval, please submit the form below. This approval is for one term only. Approval must be requested at least one month prior to the start of the term.
Interactive Television (ITV)
Interactive Television (ITV) Courses
Interactive Television (ITV) courses are offered simultaneously across multiple UTRGV campuses using real-time video conferencing technology. These courses allow students at different locations to participate together in a single class, with live interaction between students and faculty.
Instructors will be expected to be available to students at all campus locations during the semester. Faculty will be required to travel to spend 50% of their class meeting times on each campus throughout the semester to deliver the course and to hold office hours.
Approval Requirements Starting Fall 2026
Beginning in Fall 2026, courses proposing to offer instruction via Interactive Television (ITV) are required to undergo a formal review and approval process to ensure instructional readiness, academic quality, and compliance with institutional standards before an ITV section may be scheduled.
To seek approval, please submit the form below. This approval is for one term only. Approval must be requested at least one month prior to the start of the term. The approval process will require submission of a course syllabus that includes a tentative campus schedule specifying the campus at which the instructor will teach each class meeting.