Cross-listing Canvas Courses

Table of Contents

• Introduction 
• Solution Steps
• Pros and Cons of Cross-Listing 
• Canvas Dashboard Display After Cross-Listing 
• Common Issues & Troubleshooting 
• Additional Resources / Related Articles 
• Contact / Escalation Information

Introduction 

This article explains how faculty memebrs can cross-list courses in Canvas, combining enrollments from multiple courses into a single primary course for easier management. 

Use this guide if you want to: 

• Combine enrollments from two or more courses in Canvas  
• Manage content and student data in a single course  
• Understand the benefits and limitations of cross-listing  

Before requesting cross-listing, ensure that: 

• Courses are not published  
• No student submissions or grades exist in secondary courses  
• Content from secondary courses is backed up or copied if needed  

Solution Steps 

Step 1: Determine Primary and Secondary Courses 

1. Decide which course will be the Primary Course  
2. Identify courses to be cross listed as secondary  

Step 2: Submit a Cross-Listing Request 

1. Contact Kean IT Canvas support team to process the cross-listing  
2. Ensure requests are made before publishing courses or adding content  

Step 3: After Cross-Listing 

1. Secondary courses are merged into primary courses  
2. You will no longer have access to the secondary course spaces  
3. Any content from secondary courses must be added manually if needed  
4. Student enrollments from all sections appear in the primary course  

Pros and Cons of Cross-Listing 

Pros: 

• One place to create and update content for all sections  
• Complete student roster in a single Gradebook and People list  
• Filter by section: Click View → Filters → Sections  
• Section-specific or course-wide assignments, quizzes, and discussions possible  

Cons: 

• Cannot reverse if courses are published; student submissions and grades will be lost  
• Creating section-specific content may require using student groups  
• Exporting the Gradebook will include all sections by default (can filter in Canvas)  

Canvas Dashboard Display After Cross-Listing 

• Secondary courses will disappear from the Dashboard and Courses list  

To manually view all courses:  

1. Log in to Canvas  
2. Click Courses on the left-hand menu  
3. Scroll down and click All Courses  
4. Select the courses you want to appear on your Dashboard  

Common Issues & Troubleshooting 

Cannot separate courses after cross-listing  

• It is only possible if courses are unpublished; otherwise, student submissions and grades are lost  

Content missing from secondary courses  

• Copy necessary content to the primary course after cross-listing 

Grades appear for all sections  

• Use Gradebook filters to view grades by specific section 

7. Additional Resources / Related Articles 

• Canvas Instructor Guide: https://community.instructure.com/en/kb/canvas-lms-instructor-guide  
• Publishing a Course in Canvas: https://community.instructure.com/en/kb/articles/660767-how-do-i-publish-a-course  
• Kean IT Canvas Support: https://helpdesk.kean.edu/support/catalog/items  

8. Contact / Escalation Information 

Kean IT Canvas Support: https://helpdesk.kean.edu/support/catalog/items