Course syllabi provide students and faculty with a road map for successfully navigating a course including details about content, requirements, assignments, assessments, policies, resources, schedule, expectations, and responsibilities. In addition, syllabi act as an agreement (invitation) between the faculty and students about how the course will function including promises of what students will learn during the course and how they will demonstrate learning. Syllabi should be valuable, succinct, and accessible to your students.
Last Reviewed:
March 27, 2025
First Published:
April 22, 2022
Top Tips
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When creating your syllabus ask yourself these questions: what do the students need to know?; what do you want the students to know about the course?; in what way will the syllabus be useful to the students?; and what information and tools can you provide for your students to promote learning and intellectual development?
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When writing your syllabus be explicit and transparent about expectations.
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To encourage students to read the syllabus, hide an “easter egg” in the syllabus, e.g., somewhere in the syllabus ask the students to send you a picture of a specific cartoon character or offer to buy lunch to the student who emails you first.
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When writing the syllabus, use a positive, respectful, and inviting tone to address the students.
Resources
- UTHSC TLC Course Syllabus Guide
- Cornell University, Create a student-centered syllabus
- Fulkerson Dikuua, K.J. (2023). Using Qualtrics to create an interactive syllabus. TLC Impact, 6(1).
- Gannon, K. (2018). How to create a syllabus: Advice guide. The Chronicle of Higher Education
- Harrington, C. & Thomas, M. (2018). Designing a motivational syllabus: Creating a learning path for student engagement. Stylus Publishing.
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