Educational institutions often organize academics differently. Some structure courses by subject and grade level, while others organize them by program, semester, department, or academic pathway. To support these different academic models, openSIS uses a flexible hierarchy of Subjects → Courses → Course Sections.

Understanding the difference between a Course and a Course Section is important because scheduling, attendance, grading, teacher assignment, and student enrollment all happen at the Course Section level.

Understanding the Academic Hierarchy

openSIS follows this academic structure:

Subject → Course → Course Section

Subject

A Subject is the broad academic category under which courses are grouped.

Examples:

• Mathematics
• Science
• English
• Computer Science

Subjects help institutions organize courses for easier management and reporting.

Course

A Course represents the academic offering itself.

A course defines:

• The course title
• Course code or short name
• Associated subject
• Program or degree mapping
• Grade level mapping
• Credit hours
• Learning objectives
• Academic standards
• Prerequisites

Examples:

• Algebra I
• Biology
• Introduction to Programming
• Grade 7 Science

A course acts as the academic blueprint of what will be taught.

Course Section

A Course Section is the actual scheduled instance of a course where teaching happens.

This is where:

• Students are enrolled
• Teachers are assigned
• Attendance is taken
• Grades are entered
• Assignments are managed
• Scheduling conflicts are handled

Examples:

• Algebra I – Period 1
• Biology – Fall Semester
• Grade 7 Science – Section A
• Introduction to Programming – Online Batch

Multiple course sections can exist under a single course.

Real-World Example

In this example:

• The academic content remains the same at the Course level.
• Different groups of students are managed separately through Course Sections.

How to Create a Course

To create a course:

1. Go to Courses
2. Open Course Manager
3. Select or create a Subject
4. Click Add New Course

While creating a course, users can configure:

• Course title
• Short name or course code
• Grade level
• Program or degree
• Subject
• Credit hours
• Prerequisite courses
• Academic standards
• Learning objectives
• Course description

Institutions can structure courses based on their own academic model and naming convention.

How to Create a Course Section

Once a course is created, course sections can be added under that course.

Course Sections define the operational and scheduling setup of the class.

While creating a course section, users can configure:

• Section name
• Calendar
• Grade scale
• Attendance category
• Seat capacity
• Credit hours
• Weighted course settings
• Honor roll and class rank settings
• Standards-based grading
• Virtual class settings
• Canvas synchronization
• Scheduling type
• Duration

Course Scheduling Types

openSIS supports multiple scheduling structures for Course Sections, including:

• Fixed Schedule
• Variable Schedule
• Calendar Day Scheduling
• Block or Rotating Schedule

This flexibility helps institutions support different academic scheduling models.

Student and Teacher Scheduling

Teachers and students are scheduled directly into Course Sections.

Once a Course Section is created:

• Teachers can be assigned
• Students can be enrolled
• Attendance can begin
• Grading workflows become active

The Course Section acts as the live instructional environment for the class.

Attendance and Grading Dependency

Many academic operations in openSIS depend on Course Sections.

These include:

• Attendance tracking
• Assignment grading
• Final grade calculation
• GPA calculation
• Report cards
• Progress reports
• Transcripts

Because of this, students and teachers must be properly scheduled into Course Sections before academic activities can begin.

Relationship Between Course Sections and Marking Periods

Course Sections may run:

• For a Full Year
• For a Semester
• For a Quarter
• For a Custom Date Range

These durations are connected to the institution’s marking period structure and academic calendar.

Administrators may also configure grade posting dates through marking periods to control when final grades can be submitted.

Important Difference to Remember

Best Practice Recommendation

A good approach is:

1. Create Subjects first
2. Create Courses under Subjects
3. Create Course Sections under Courses
4. Schedule teachers
5. Schedule students
6. Begin attendance and grading workflows

This structure helps institutions maintain organized academic records and smoother scheduling management.

Conclusion

In openSIS, Courses and Course Sections work together to support academic planning and classroom operations.

• Courses define what is taught.
• Course Sections define where, when, and to whom it is taught.

Understanding this distinction helps institutions correctly manage scheduling, grading, attendance, and academic reporting throughout the school year.