Cohort lifecycle
How a study-program cohort progresses from upcoming through active to completed across semesters — with a worked intake example covering admissions, study plans, planning, and exams.
A cohort is the intake group that follows one study program version and one assigned curriculum version. Over time that group moves through an operational lifecycle: prepared before start, active during study, then completed when the intake window ends — while individual students continue progressing term by term inside it.
This chapter walks through that lifecycle with a worked example. For how to create or edit a cohort, see Create a cohort and Edit a cohort.
Why it matters
Program coordinators and registrars need a shared timeline answer: Where is this intake right now? Admissions needs an open cohort before applications close; planning needs membership and curriculum before term delivery; examination offices need rulesets and study plans while the cohort is active; archives need a clear end state without deleting history.
Understanding the lifecycle prevents two common mistakes: treating the cohort end date as “everyone graduated,” and creating a new program every semester instead of advancing one intake through organization terms.
How it fits
| Phase | Typical work | Handbook links |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare | Program version, curriculum version, cohort record, ruleset links | Create a cohort, Program versions explained |
| Upcoming | Apply opens; early membership; term mappings | Application programs, Add users to cohort |
| Active | Study plans, module/course planning, exams each term | Module planning, Academic rulesets |
| Completed | Intake window closed; archive when no longer operational | Edit a cohort (archive), Archive a study program |
Cohort status reference
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Upcoming | Today is before the cohort Start Date |
| Active | Today falls between Start Date and End Date |
| Completed | Today is after the cohort End Date |
Status is derived from dates — you do not set it as a separate field. Adjusting Duration on the cohort can change which status appears.
Worked example: BBA Winter 2024/25 across six semesters
Institutional offering: Bachelor of Business Administration (program type Bachelor), program version 2024 intake, standard duration six semesters.
1. Prepare (spring 2024)
- Confirm the study program and 2024 intake version exist; Settings include connected curricula and the intended academic ruleset.
- Finalize curriculum version BBA v2024.1 in the Database.
- Create the cohort BBA WS 2024/25 with:
- Start Date 1 October 2024
- End Date 30 September 2027 (six-semester window for this example)
- Curriculum BBA v2024.1
- Optional mappings from curriculum terms (Semester 1–6) to organization terms (WS 2024/25, SS 2025, …)
Until 1 October 2024, the cohort status is Upcoming.
2. Admissions handoff (Upcoming)
- Admissions creates or configures an application program that links the BBA study program and this cohort.
- Applicants apply; staff review in Applicants.
- Accepted candidates are enrolled into BBA WS 2024/25 via Add users to cohort (or your institution’s handoff process).
- Each added user receives a study plan cloned from BBA v2024.1, plus study program version membership. Course access syncs in the background.
3. Active study (semesters 1–6)
From the start date, status becomes Active. Each semester typically looks like:
| Semester focus | CMS activity |
|---|---|
| Term setup | Confirm organization-term mappings; run module planning for modules on this intake’s study plans |
| Teaching | Courses and appointments run in the LMS; cohort remains an Info Hub audience |
| Assessment | Academic rulesets resolve per student (user → cohort → program priority) for attempt limits and grading |
| Progression | Students advance through curriculum study periods; electives and pathways follow the pinned curriculum version |
The same cohort spans all six semesters. You do not create a new cohort each term. New winter starters next year become a new cohort (for example BBA WS 2025/26), often under a new program version if regulations changed.
4. Completed and archive
After the End Date, status becomes Completed. Historical memberships and study plans remain. When staff no longer need the intake in day-to-day lists, Archive the cohort from the row actions menu (prefer archive over delete). If the entire degree is closed to new activity, archive the study program.
Cohort vs semester vs program version
| Concept | Scope | Changes every… |
|---|---|---|
| Organization term | Calendar period for the whole institution | Semester / term |
| Curriculum study period | Structural “Semester 1…n” inside a curriculum version | When the blueprint is redesigned |
| Cohort | One intake’s membership + pinned curriculum | New intake (usually yearly) |
| Program version | Rule snapshot for cohorts under it | Regulation / accreditation cycle |
Optional term mappings on the cohort link curriculum study periods to real organization terms so planning and timelines align with the institutional calendar.
Connection to Apply and exams
| Moment | Apply | Exams / rulesets |
|---|---|---|
| Before start | Application program targets this cohort | Ruleset should already be assigned at program or cohort level |
| During Active | Late admits still enroll into the same cohort if your process allows | Effective ruleset drives attempt tabs and grading schemas |
| After Completed | Do not keep publishing Apply forms aimed at this cohort | Historical attempts remain; new intakes use newer cohorts/versions |
Best practices
- Set Start Date / End Date to the full intended intake span (not a single semester), so status reflects the whole cohort life.
- Map curriculum terms to organization terms early if your institution uses that alignment for planning.
- Keep one cohort per intake; use program versions when the next intake needs different rules.
- Align Apply cohort eligibility with the CMS cohort you will actually enroll into.
- Prefer Archive when an intake leaves daily operations; preserve data for audits and transcripts.
Common pitfalls
| Pitfall | Why it hurts | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Creating a new cohort every semester | Fragments one intake into many memberships | One cohort per intake; advance terms via chronology and planning |
| Ending the cohort on the first semester’s last day | Status flips to Completed while students still study | Set End Date to the planned full duration |
| Mixing regulation years in one cohort | Conflicting curricula and rulesets | New program version + new cohort for reformed intakes |
| Leaving Apply open for a Completed cohort | Applicants enter a closed pathway | Archive or close the linked application program |
FAQ
Does Completed mean every student graduated?
No. Completed means today’s date is after the cohort End Date. Individual graduation and study-plan completion are separate student outcomes.
Can status go back from Completed to Active?
If you extend the End Date through Edit a cohort so that today falls inside the new duration, the computed status can become Active again. Treat end-date changes as deliberate.
Where do students go next year if rules change?
Create a new program version when required, then a new cohort under that version for the new intake. Leave the previous cohort on its original version.
Related pages
Create a cohort
Create the intake with dates and curriculum.
Add users to cohort
Enroll members and generate study plans.
Program versions explained
When the next intake needs a new rule snapshot.
Chronology
Organization terms that cohorts can map to.
Module planning
Plan delivery while the cohort is active.
Academic rulesets
Exam policy for the program or cohort.