Curricula
Build and version academic blueprints that organize modules into study periods and elective groups, then assign them to cohorts for student study plans.
A curriculum is the academic blueprint for a study program: the ordered set of modules (units of study, typically measured in ECTS credit points) that students must or may complete. In FuxamCMS, curricula live in OrgHub → Database → Curricula and are organized into versions, study periods, focuses, and elective groups. When you assign a curriculum version to a cohort, every student in that cohort receives a structured study plan cloned from that blueprint.
Curricula sit at the center of academic structure. Modules define what can be taught; chronology defines when terms run; study programs and cohorts define who follows which path. The curriculum connects those pieces into a coherent program of study.
Why it matters
Universities rarely teach a flat list of courses. Degree programs specify required modules, optional tracks, elective clusters with credit rules, and a semester-by-semester progression. Without a shared blueprint:
- Planning cannot know which modules belong to which intake.
- Students lack a consistent study plan when they join a cohort.
- Program revisions risk overwriting what earlier cohorts already follow.
Versioned curricula solve that: each intake can follow a specific curriculum version while you revise the next version for future cohorts.
How this fits into Fuxam
Curricula are part of the Academic structure (Database) alongside modules, rooms, and chronology. They feed program planning and student study plans.
| Related area | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Modules | Curriculum items reference specific module versions with credit points and placement |
| Chronology / terms | Institution terms drive election windows and planning; curriculum study periods map module slots into the program sequence |
| Study programs and cohorts | Cohorts are assigned a curriculum version; students inherit study plans from it |
| Manage cohort curriculum | Operational place to assign, change, or disconnect a cohort’s curriculum |
Key concepts
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Curriculum | The named program blueprint (the record in Database → Curricula) |
| Curriculum version | A snapshot of structure at a point in time — study periods, focuses, elective groups, and module slots |
| Module | A unit of study (for example, “Introduction to Economics”). Often measured in ECTS credit points — the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System used widely in European higher education, where a full academic year is typically 60 ECTS |
| Module slot / curriculum item | A module version placed in the curriculum with term, focus, elective group, and credit assignments |
| Study period | A division within the curriculum (for example, Semester 1, Year 2) that organizes when modules belong in the program — distinct from dated organization terms in Chronology |
| Focus | An optional track or specialization within the program (fixed mandatory path, or a selectable focus students choose) |
| Elective group | A cluster of optional modules with election rules (credit limits, course counts, unlock conditions) |
| Study plan | The per-student copy of required modules and elective options created when the student belongs to a cohort with an assigned curriculum version |
| Cohort assignment | Linking a curriculum version to a cohort so students receive study plans from that version |
What a curriculum contains
| Layer | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Curriculum version | A snapshot of the program structure at a point in time |
| Study periods | Time divisions within the program (for example, Semester 1, Year 2) |
| Focuses | Optional tracks or specializations within the program |
| Elective groups | Clusters of optional modules with election rules |
| Module slots | Individual module versions placed in the structure with term, focus, and elective assignments |
For a full conceptual walkthrough with a worked credit-point example, see Curriculum structure explained.
Credit points at a glance
| Level | What to review |
|---|---|
| Module slot | Credit Points on each row (should match the module version’s ECTS) |
| Study period | Sum of required credits plus expected elective load for that semester |
| Program / version | Overall target (for example 180 ECTS) via required totals plus elective-group rule amounts — not the size of the elective pool |
| Version settings | Version-level credit metadata on the curriculum version Settings |
From curriculum to student study plan
- Curriculum office builds a version (structure + modules).
- Cohort administration assigns that curriculum and version to a cohort.
- Curriculum study periods are mapped to organization terms for that cohort’s calendar.
- Students added to the cohort receive study-plan entries cloned from the blueprint: required modules as obligations, elective groups as election options.
- Later program changes for new intakes use a new curriculum version; older cohorts keep theirs unless you explicitly change or propagate updates.
In this section
Curriculum structure explained
Study periods, focuses, electives, credits, and a worked bachelor’s example.
Create a curriculum
Add a new curriculum with an initial version from the Curricula table.
Edit a curriculum
Rename a curriculum or adjust its connected study program.
Manage curriculum versions
Create new versions and duplicate structure for program revisions.
Add modules to curriculum
Add module versions as curriculum items with term and elective mapping.
Assign curriculum to cohort
Connect a curriculum version to a cohort for student study plans.
Elective groups
Configure elective clusters and student module election rules.
Roles and responsibilities
| Role | Typical responsibility |
|---|---|
| Curriculum / program office | Own the blueprint: create curricula, define study periods and elective rules, version for each intake cycle |
| Academic leadership | Approve structural changes (required vs elective balance, credit totals, specializations) |
| Cohort / student administration | Assign the correct curriculum version when creating or updating cohorts; map study periods to organization terms |
| Module owners | Keep module versions accurate so curriculum slots reference the right credits and content |
Where to start
A practical build order for a new program:
- Create or update modules that the program will use.
- Ensure terms exist for planning and elections.
- Create a curriculum and define Curriculum Structure (study periods, focuses, elective groups) — see Curriculum structure explained.
- Add modules and map terms, focuses, and elective groups.
- Assign the curriculum version to a cohort so students receive study plans.
- When the program changes for a new intake, create a new curriculum version instead of overwriting the one older cohorts still use.
Open the Curricula page
Go to OrgHub → Database → Curricula. The table lists all curricula in your institution.