Syllabus Design Tips

How to make a syllabus easy to use

"highly effective syllabi are characterized by completeness of information (identifying information, course description, course goals, assignments, schedule, and so on), motivational comments, and a style of communication that engages students as effective collaborators in the learning process."  (Slattery & Carlson. 2005)

Purpose of a syllabus

A syllabus is a list of expectations and an agreement between instructors and students on how those expectations will be met. Syllabi are not technically legal agreements or contracts (cite case), but they can go a long way to help students understand what is expected in order to be successful in a class. 

General principles for syllabus design

  • Approach the syllabus as a user manual for the course. (Not a dense software user agreement full of all caps legalese.)
  • Write clearly and plainly.
  • Format for easy skimming: use headers, bullet lists, and break up blocks of text.
  • Highlight, summarize, and repeat important information.
  • Make learning objectives clear and relate them to the work to be done.
  • Make the schedule and structure clear, so that it is obvious what to do when.
  • Clearly articulate your expectations and evaluation standards clear, so that students can anticipate and self-evaluate.
  • Use language that is encouraging, welcoming, and that displays confidence in your students' ability to do the work and learn the material.
  • Use language that is inclusive of many backgrounds, identities, and abilities.
  • Build in flexibility wherever possible, and be forthcoming on how students should contact you if they need to ask for adjustments or extensions. 

See Slattery & Carlson (2005) or the Center for Teaching's page "How Do I Get Started in Creating a Syllabus" for more details about creating a useable, effective syllabus.  Even more resources on syllabus design can be found at the bottom of this page.    

UMass Amherst Syllabus Policies and Guidelines  

The UMass Amherst Faculty Senate Syllabus Guidelines page describes a set of required elements to be included in any syllabus as well as a set of recommendations and general guidelines what to include in a syllabus. Other than these required elements, the design of a syllabus is up to the instructor.

Required elements for a syllabus  

  • Course number and title
  • Number of credits
  • Delivery Mode (in-person, online, flex, etc.)
  • Number of instructional contact hours per week for in-person and live online classes
  • Name and Contact Information of Instructor
  • Name and Contact Information of Teaching Assistant(s) (if any)
  • Appointment Hours + location (office, zoom) and how to schedule
  • Course Description
  • Student Learning Objectives
  • Course materials - especially those requiring purchase or registration
  • Individual course requirements and grade weights (e.g., participation, homework, projects, assessments, assignment)
  • Grading scale
  • Course Schedule
  • Attendance policy
  • Late or make-up work policies
Required Policy Statements

Faculty senate requires that certain policy statements be included in a syllabus. 

  • Academic Honesty Statement
  • Accommodation Statement
  • Title IX Statement

The Faculty Senate page "Required Syllabus Statements for Non-Responsible Employees" contains text for the required policy statements that most faculty need to use. Instructors can copy the text from this page to use in their syllabus, or link to this page from their syllabus. (Note: Instructors who are mandatory title IX reporters (IYKYK) need to use the text from ,or link to, the Responsible Employee statements page.) 

Syllabus Templates

There is no one required format for a syllabus at UMass Amherst. You can design your own, or use one of these as a starting point: