A course syllabus is more than an outline of course content, assignments, and deadlines. It is an important communication and learning tool that introduces students to the course, clarifies expectations, and provides a roadmap for their learning. A thoughtfully designed syllabus can also establish a welcoming learning environment, foster a sense of belonging, and help students understand how to succeed in the course.
At the University of Toronto, syllabus content and format may vary by faculty, division, department, and teaching context. Instructors should consult their division or department for specific requirements, policies, and available templates or examples.
This resource provides practical guidance for developing or revising a course syllabus, including essential information, inclusive and accessible design considerations, and strategies for encouraging students to engage with the syllabus throughout the course.
For a more in-depth exploration, the Syllabus Design Foundations (SDF) self-paced learning program offers three modules on syllabus design in the U of T context, embedding inclusive practices, and creating an accessible and usable syllabus.
Before You Begin
Before developing or revising your course syllabus, consider the institutional requirements, available resources, and supports that may inform your decisions.
- Review divisional and departmental requirements. Consult your faculty, division, or department to identify applicable policies, syllabus requirements, and formatting guidelines. Some divisions provide syllabus templates, sample syllabi, academic handbooks, or instructor guides. Certain divisions also require syllabi to be uploaded to the Course Information System (CIS).
- Plan access to course readings and materials. Consult University of Toronto Libraries for assistance with identifying, selecting, and arranging access to course readings. The Libraries’ course readings and syllabus services can help instructors make materials available to students while considering copyright requirements and existing University licensing agreements.
- Plan for accessibility from the outset. Design your syllabus so that students can access, navigate, and use the information it contains. This includes using accessible document formats, clear headings, descriptive hyperlinks, and readable layouts. Consult CTSI’s Accessibility Guidelines for Teaching and Learning for additional guidance.
- Identify relevant course policies and statements. Determine which institutional and divisional policies must be communicated to students, including requirements related to academic integrity, accommodations, assessment, and recording course activities, as applicable. Consult CTSI’s Sample Statements for Your Course Syllabi for institutional statements and examples you can adapt for your course.
- Clarify expectations for generative AI use. Consider how generative AI tools may or may not be used in your course, particularly for assignments and assessments. Communicate these expectations clearly to students, including any permitted uses, restrictions, and requirements for acknowledging AI-generated content. Consult the Office of the Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning’s Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom: FAQ’s for institutional guidance and sample syllabus statements.
These preparations can help ensure that your syllabus meets applicable requirements while providing students with clear, accessible, and useful information about their learning experience.
Essential Syllabus Information
Course syllabi vary in length, format, content, and style depending on the discipline, course structure, and teaching context. At the University of Toronto, certain information must be included in all course syllabi, while other elements may be required or recommended by individual faculties, divisions, or departments.
The following guidance distinguishes required information from additional content that can help students understand course expectations, navigate their learning, and access relevant supports.
Required Syllabus Information
All U of T course syllabi must include the following information, with certain requirements applying only in specific circumstances:
- Course contact information: Instructor name, email address, office hours, and course website.
- Marking scheme: Methods of evaluation, assessment weightings, and due dates.
- Plagiarism detection tool statement: The University’s prescribed statement, included without modification if the plagiarism detection tool will be used.
- Late penalty policy: Information about penalties for late submissions, if applicable.
- Notification of recorded course meetings: Inform students when course meetings will be recorded, if applicable, using the appropriate notification statement.
Instructors should also review their divisional and departmental requirements, as additional information or specific wording may be required.
Special Statements
Depending on divisional requirements and course activities, instructors may need to include statements addressing:
- Academic integrity and expectations for academic conduct
- Permitted, restricted, or prohibited uses of generative AI in coursework
- Academic accommodations, including disability-related accommodations, religious observances, and family care responsibilities
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Use of third-party educational technologies
- Student recording of classes, including permissions and expectations for using or sharing recordings
Consult CTSI’s Sample Statements for Your Course Syllabi for institutional statements and adaptable examples. Where specific wording is prescribed, instructors should reproduce it without modification.
Additional Syllabus Information
Beyond required elements, a syllabus can provide students with an overview of the course and a practical reference throughout the term. Depending on their teaching context, instructors may wish to include the following information. Some elements may also be required by their division or department.
- Course details: Course title, code, location, delivery format, scheduled meeting times, and relevant prerequisites or course requirements.
- Course description and learning outcomes: An overview of the course’s central topics, themes, learning outcomes, and relevance to the discipline or program. Clearly articulated learning outcomes help students understand what they are expected to know or be able to do by the end of the course.
- Teaching team information: Names, contact details, office hours, and responsibilities of teaching assistants or other members of the teaching team.
- Course schedule: A week-by-week outline of topics, readings, learning activities, assessments, and important dates. Where possible, communicate anticipated workload and opportunities for feedback.
- Assessment information: Descriptions of assignments, tests, examinations, and other assessments, including expectations, grading criteria, rubrics, and participation requirements where applicable.
- Required readings and materials: Textbooks, articles, equipment, software, and other course materials, including information about how to access them and any associated costs.
- Course policies and expectations: Information about attendance, participation, assignment submissions, missed assessments, extensions, requests for regrading, and communication expectations. Where relevant, clarify how students should use course technologies, participate in online activities, and contact the teaching team.
- Student learning and support services: Information about academic, accessibility, and personal supports, such as writing centres, learning strategy supports, University of Toronto Libraries, Accessibility Services, and health and wellness services. Consult CTSI’s U of T Resources to Support Teaching and Learning for additional University services and supports.
When deciding what to include, consider how students will use the syllabus. Information about assessments, deadlines, learning expectations, and available supports should be easy to locate and understand. Where appropriate, explain how course activities and assessments connect to the learning outcomes so that students can see how the different elements of the course contribute to their learning.
Designing an Inclusive, Accessible, and Usable Syllabus
The language, organization, and presentation of your syllabus can influence how students understand course expectations, access information, and engage with their learning. Beyond meeting institutional requirements, consider how your syllabus can create a welcoming learning environment and support students with diverse experiences and needs.
Inclusive Syllabus Design
An inclusive syllabus communicates clear expectations while fostering respect, belonging, and student engagement. Consider using welcoming language, explaining the purpose of course policies, clarifying unfamiliar terminology, and highlighting relevant learning supports. Your syllabus can also communicate how different perspectives and ways of knowing are represented in the course.
Explore Module 2: Embedding Inclusive Practices in Your Syllabus in CTSI’s Syllabus Design Foundations (SDF) self-paced learning program for practical strategies and examples related to instructor identity, classroom culture, learning expectations, and diverse course content.
Accessible and Usable Syllabus Design
An accessible syllabus helps students locate, understand, and interact with course information. Use clear headings, descriptive hyperlinks, readable formatting, and accessible documents. Consider how students will access the syllabus across different devices and formats, including Microsoft Word, PDF, and Quercus.
Make the syllabus easy to find and maintain a consistent version throughout the course. When updates are necessary, follow applicable divisional requirements and communicate changes clearly to students.
Explore Module 3: Creating an Accessible and Usable Syllabus in SDF for detailed guidance on document accessibility, formatting, sharing your syllabus through Quercus, and encouraging students to engage with it.
Using Your Syllabus as a Learning Tool
Your syllabus can be an important source of information about the course material and about learning in your field. Moving beyond a document that lists policies, assignments, and deadlines, it can serve as a course guide that invites students into the subject area, communicates the value of what they will learn, and helps them make connections across course activities and assessments.
Helping Students Understand the Course and Their Learning
Consider how your syllabus can introduce students to the intellectual work of the course and help them understand how its different components fit together.
- Highlight the course’s central ideas and questions. Introduce the key concepts, themes, or disciplinary questions students will explore. Consider explaining why these topics matter and how they connect to broader academic, professional, or real-world contexts.
- Connect learning outcomes, activities, and assessments. Help students understand what they will learn, how they will develop their knowledge and skills, and how different assessments provide opportunities to demonstrate their learning.
- Introduce disciplinary ways of thinking. Explain how information is organized, evaluated, debated, or applied in your field. For example, you might describe how students will engage with particular types of evidence, interpret disciplinary texts, or approach problems and questions.
- Communicate expectations for successful learning. Describe what meaningful preparation, participation, and engagement look like in your course. Where appropriate, provide guidance on managing coursework, using feedback, and seeking additional support.
- Make the course structure visible. Use a weekly schedule, course map, or other accessible organizational approach to help students understand how topics and activities build on one another over time.
Together, these elements can help students see the syllabus as a roadmap for learning rather than simply a reference for course requirements.
Encouraging Students to Engage with the Syllabus
Students may initially consult the syllabus to find assessment deadlines, grading information, and course policies. Creating opportunities to engage with its broader content can help them understand course expectations and make more purposeful use of the syllabus.
At the beginning of the course, consider incorporating one or more of the following activities:
- Syllabus scavenger hunt: Invite students to locate important information, such as learning outcomes, assessment requirements, office hours, and academic supports. Students can complete the activity individually or collaboratively.
- Learning outcomes mapping: Ask students to examine a course learning outcome and identify how it connects to particular assignments, activities, or topics. Discuss these connections to clarify the purpose of different course components.
- Semester planning: Encourage students to review assessment deadlines and important dates, add them to a calendar, and consider how they will manage their coursework throughout the term.
- Discussing course expectations: Invite students to examine selected course policies or participation expectations and discuss how these support learning and a respectful classroom environment.
- Syllabus annotations: Provide opportunities for students to ask questions or comment on sections of the syllabus, such as through an accessible collaborative document or a Quercus discussion.
These activities can be adapted for different class sizes, disciplines, and teaching formats. They can also help instructors identify areas where students may need additional clarification.
Revisiting the Syllabus Throughout the Course
The syllabus can continue to support learning after the first week of classes. Rather than assuming students will independently return to it, consider referring to relevant sections at meaningful points throughout the term.
For example, you might:
- Revisit learning outcomes when introducing a new topic, assignment, or assessment.
- Refer to the course schedule to help students understand connections between previous and upcoming learning activities.
- Highlight relevant academic supports and learning strategies before major assignments or examinations.
- Encourage students to review assessment expectations and plan their work using the course schedule.
- Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the learning outcomes and identify areas where they may need additional support.
As you prepare for future iterations of the course, consider what you have learned about how students use the syllabus. Student questions, feedback, and your own reflections can help identify information that needs clarification, sections that could be reorganized, or opportunities to make the syllabus more useful.
Before sharing your syllabus, review the following questions: Can students easily identify what they will learn, how their learning will be assessed, where to find important information, and how to access support? Have you addressed applicable institutional and divisional requirements, and is the syllabus accessible and easy to navigate?
For a more in-depth review, use the Syllabus Design Foundations (SDF) Reflection Checklist to identify opportunities to strengthen your syllabus.