What Is a Cross-Listed Course?

A cross-listed course is a single course that is listed under two or more department or subject codes. The students, instructor, meeting times and syllabus are shared, but the course appears in the catalog under, for example, both HIST 245 and ENVS 245, so that students from either program can find it and count it toward their requirements.

Why courses are cross-listed

Many topics cross boundaries, such as gender and politics, neuroscience and philosophy, or urban planning and sociology. Cross-listing lets departments share a course, enroll more students and give them a way to meet requirements in their own subject. It also allows interdisciplinary programs, such as global studies or data science, to draw on classes from many departments.

How credit works

You earn credit once, under the listing you registered for, and the course may satisfy different requirements depending on which listing you choose. A cross-listed course might count toward a history major if you take it as HIST, and toward an environmental studies minor if you take it as ENVS. Some colleges allow a course to double count only in limited ways.

Choosing the listing

Check your degree audit and the requirements of your major, minor and general education areas. If two listings both help, pick the one that fits the requirement you most need. If you are unsure, ask your advisor and the department, since switching after the registration deadline may be hard.

Practical points

• Capacity can be shared across the listings, so a seat in one may mean fewer in the other.
• Prerequisites may differ between listings, and you should check both.
• Course numbers and titles are usually the same, though they can be slightly different.
• Transcript shows the code you registered under.

Related terms

See major, minor, general education requirements, degree audit and elective.