The Course Numbering System at Iowa
Iowa's course numbering system is easy to learn and remember. Each course is assigned a nine-digit number such as 113:013:A80.

• First three digits=Department number. The first three digits represent the University department offering the course.
• Middle three digits=Course number. The second three digits refer to the specific course in that department. Courses numbered 001-099 are generally introductory courses. Courses numbered 100-199 are considered more challenging and are often taken by upper-level students. Courses numbered 200 and above are graduate-level courses.
• Last three digits=Lecture/Lab/Discussion/Section. Many classes will have multiple offerings in terms of times to attend lab or discussion sections to complement the course's main lecture. The last three digits reflect the lecture (e.g.: AAA), discussion (e.g.: A21) or section (e.g.:080) you are choosing. Courses without multiple discussion sections have a section number of 000.

Illustration
For example, 113:013:A80 is the course number for the Human Origins class that offers a discussion section at 9:30 a.m. on Mondays and which corresponds to the AAA lecture.

• 113 represents the UI Department of Anthropology, which offers the course.
• 013 represents the Human Origins class itself.
• A80 represents one of the specific discussion sections offered for students taking the Human Origins class.