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Courses

PBS Knowledge provides comprehensive course information for the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, including current offerings, historical data, and enrollment information.

Course Browser​

Browsing Courses​

Navigate to Courses from the main menu to explore:

  • All PBS courses (PSYC, COGS prefixes)
  • Filter by term, level, or instructor
  • Search by course code or title
  • View course history

Course Information​

Each course displays:

FieldDescription
Course CodeDepartment prefix and number (e.g., PSYC 1)
TitleOfficial course title
CreditsCredit hours
DescriptionCatalog description
PrerequisitesRequired prior courses
DistributiveDistribution requirements satisfied
OfferedTerms typically offered

Course Levels​

PBS courses are numbered by level:

  • 1-9: Introductory courses
  • 10-29: Intermediate courses
  • 30-49: Advanced undergraduate
  • 50-59: Graduate seminars
  • 80-89: Research courses (independent study, thesis)
  • 90-99: Special topics

Course Sections​

Understanding Sections​

Each course offering is a section with specific:

  • Term (e.g., 25W for Winter 2025)
  • Instructor(s)
  • Meeting times
  • Room location
  • Enrollment limits

Section Types​

TypeDescription
LectureMain course meetings
DiscussionSmall group discussions
LabLaboratory sessions
X-hourExtra meeting time

Cross-Listed Courses​

Some courses are offered under multiple department codes:

PSYC 28 = COGS 28 (Cognitive Neuroscience)
PSYC 50 = LING 50 (Language & the Brain)

Cross-listed sections share:

  • Same meeting times
  • Same instructor
  • Combined enrollment
  • Linked materials

Enrollment Information​

Current Term​

For current term courses:

  • Enrolled: Current enrollment count
  • Capacity: Maximum enrollment
  • Waitlist: Students waiting for spots
  • Status: Open, Closed, or Waitlisted

Historical Enrollment​

View enrollment trends:

  • Average enrollment by course
  • Enrollment patterns over time
  • Comparison across terms

For Students​

Finding Courses​

Students can:

  1. Browse all PBS courses
  2. Filter by:
    • Term
    • Level (intro, intermediate, advanced)
    • Distributive requirements
    • Time slots
  3. Search by keyword
  4. View course descriptions and prerequisites

Course Requirements​

For each course, see:

  • Prerequisites (prior courses needed)
  • Co-requisites (concurrent courses)
  • Major/minor requirements it satisfies
  • Distribution requirements

Viewing Syllabi​

When available, access:

  • Current term syllabus
  • Past syllabi (archived)
  • Textbook information

For Faculty​

Your Courses​

Faculty members see:

  • Current term teaching assignments
  • Student rosters
  • Enrollment statistics
  • Historical teaching record

Managing Course Content​

Upload and manage:

  • Syllabi
  • Textbook lists
  • Course materials

See the Faculty Courses Guide for detailed instructions.

Data Sources​

Registrar Integration​

Course data is synchronized from:

  • Dartmouth Registrar: Official course catalog
  • ORC: Course descriptions and requirements
  • Banner: Enrollment and scheduling

Sync Schedule​

Data TypeFrequency
Course catalogQuarterly
Section offeringsWeekly
EnrollmentsDaily
Instructor assignmentsWeekly

Data Accuracy​

  • Official data comes from the Registrar
  • Local changes don't override official records
  • Contact Registrar for corrections to official data

Type in the search box to find:

  • Course codes (e.g., "PSYC 1")
  • Keywords in titles (e.g., "memory")
  • Instructor names

Advanced Filters​

Combine filters:

Term: 25W
Level: Intermediate (10-29)
Distributive: SOC
Days: MWF

Saving Searches​

Bookmark filtered views to quickly return to:

  • Courses in your major
  • Courses by favorite instructors
  • Courses fitting your schedule

Course History​

Historical Records​

PBS Knowledge maintains records of:

  • All courses offered since 2010
  • Enrollment history
  • Instructor assignments
  • Syllabus archives (when available)

Accessing History​

  1. Navigate to Courses
  2. Select All Terms in the term filter
  3. Search or browse historical offerings

API Access​

Programmatic Access​

Access course data via API:

# Get all courses
curl https://dartmouthpbs.org/api/courses \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_key_here"

# Get specific course
curl https://dartmouthpbs.org/api/courses/PSYC-1 \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_key_here"

# Get sections for a term
curl "https://dartmouthpbs.org/api/sections?term=25W" \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_key_here"

Course Data Structure​

{
  "course_code": "PSYC 1",
  "title": "Introduction to Psychological Science",
  "credits": 1,
  "description": "A survey of psychology...",
  "prerequisites": [],
  "distributive": ["SOC", "SCI"],
  "sections": [
    {
      "term": "25W",
      "instructor": "Dr. Smith",
      "enrollment": 45,
      "capacity": 50
    }
  ]
}

See the API Keys guide for setting up API access.