Course Equivalencies

How to Set Up Course Equivalencies

What Are Course Equivalencies?

Course Equivalencies allow you to link courses together so that completing one course automatically satisfies the requirement for another.  A common situation where you might use an equivalency is when you have an hour long instructor course, but there are a number of smaller e-learning courses that cover the same content — and you want completion of either set to count toward a learner's requirements.

There are two rules that govern how equivalencies work:

• When the master course is completed, the equivalent courses are also marked complete.
• When any of the equivalent courses are completed, the master course is also marked complete.

Equivalencies are managed globally in Global Settings, not on individual course pages.

How to Access Course Equivalencies

1. In InstructorSite, click your name in the top navigation menu.
2. Choose Global Settings from the dropdown.
3. Under the Courses section, click Course Equivalencies.

You will see a list of all existing equivalency groups, each showing a master course and its linked equivalent

courses.

How to Create a New Course Equivalency

1. From the Course Equivalencies page, click New Equivalency (top right).
2. In the Master Course field, type to search for and select the primary course.
3. Under Equivalent Courses, click Add Course Requirement to add one or more equivalent courses.
4. Optionally set an Effective Date — this determines when the equivalency takes effect. If left blank it defaults to the current date and time.
5. Click Save Equivalency.

How to Edit an Existing Course Equivalency

1. From the Course Equivalencies list, find the equivalency group you want to modify.
2. Click the Edit button to the right of the master course name.
3. Add or remove equivalent courses as needed using the Add Course Requirement button or the × button next to any course you want to remove.
4. Click Save Equivalency when done.

Tips

• A course can only appear as the master course in one equivalency group.
• You can link multiple equivalent courses to a single master course — there is no limit.
• Equivalencies are not backwards compatible. Only completions recorded on or after the Effective Date will trigger the equivalency.
• This setting affects Learning Plan completion tracking — a learner receives completion "credit" by either completing the master course (which marks all equivalent courses complete), or by completing all of the equivalent courses (which marks the master course complete)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the master course and an equivalent course?

The master course is the primary course in the group. The equivalent courses are the alternatives. Functionally they work both ways — completing either the master or any equivalent satisfies all of them.

Will existing completions be affected when I create a new equivalency?

No. Course equivalencies are not backwards compatible. The Effective Date determines the date after which equivalencies will trigger — completions recorded before that date will not be affected.

Where do I go if I don't see Course Equivalencies in Global Settings?

This feature must be enabled for your site. Contact UniversitySite support if the option is not visible in your Global Settings menu.