What are the convention rules for enumerating university courses like MATH101, Mktg310, PS 555, etc?

Question by Valed: What are the convention rules for enumerating university courses like MATH101, Mktg310, PS 555, etc?
I’ve noticed many uncommon ways for writing course acronym/abbreviation and the digit associated with it. Usually the larger the digit the higher the course level is, but is there a upper limit for the course digit and how and who decides in this area the letters before the digit.

Can you please clarify.

Best answer:

Answer by iSpeakTheTruth
Well in your system numbering usually the 100-200 level courses are introductory, lower division courses, although some 200 level courses may have prerequisites. 300-400 level courses are upper division types, which are suitable for students majoring in the field; some of these courses may be restricted to majors only. 500 level is typically reserved for professional schools such as health check, law. 600 level is grad level which are masters but also be doctoral required courses. 700 level is doctoral seminar and thesis. Also, courses less than 100 level are vocational-tech at community colleges, or might be remedial courses in English and math. Typically sub 100 level courses are not creditable for bachelor levels work. As for the letters, they are just shortcuts for the whole name; it makes more sense to know this if you realize computers used for registration systems way back then needed to abbreviate stuff to save reminiscence. Not really the case anymore obviously but it’s still convenient just to abbreviate.

Of course, there are other numbering system but this system is pretty commonplace among schools out there.

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