Create a cohort
Add an intake cohort under a study program version with a display name, intake dates, curriculum version, and optional term mappings so enrolled students receive a shared study plan.
A cohort is a group of students admitted and progressing together under one study program version. They share the same intake window and follow one assigned curriculum version. Creating a cohort is how you turn a degree offering into an operational intake — the container that drives enrollment, study plans, audience targeting, and much of day-to-day planning.
Create cohorts only when Has Cohorts is enabled on the study program. If that setting is off, students enroll under the program without cohort groups; see Create a study program.
Why it matters
Universities rarely run a degree as a single undifferentiated pool of students. Each intake year (or semester) needs its own start and end dates, often its own curriculum version, and a clear membership list for communication and reporting. Without cohorts, staff cannot reliably answer: Who started in Winter 2026? Which curriculum do they follow? Who should receive this announcement?
In FuxamCMS, cohorts are central because they:
- Define the intake period used in enrollment timing and flows that reference the cohort (including applicant and reporting contexts)
- Pin students to a curriculum version, which becomes the blueprint for each user’s study plan
- Provide a stable audience for Info Hub targeting, calendar appointments, and related operations
- Keep successive intakes independent when program rules or curricula change
- Carry computed status (Upcoming, Active, Completed) from dates — see Cohort lifecycle
- Are the usual handoff target from Apply after admissions decisions
Getting the name, dates, and curriculum right at creation saves disruptive curriculum changes later.
How it fits
A cohort always belongs to exactly one program version. The typical setup order is: create the study program (with Has Cohorts on) → ensure the correct program version is selected → prepare the curriculum version in the Database → create the cohort → add users (or receive them from Apply).
| Related area | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Study programs and cohorts | Section home for programs, versions, and cohorts |
| Create a study program | Enables Has Cohorts and creates the parent program |
| Manage program versions | Confirm you create the cohort under the right version |
| Cohort lifecycle | How the intake progresses across semesters |
| Assign curriculum to cohort | Conceptual bridge from Database curricula to cohort study plans |
| Manage cohort curriculum | Change or disconnect curriculum after creation |
| Add users to cohort | Enroll students once the cohort exists |
| Chronology | Organization terms for optional term mappings |
| User Management | Users must exist (or be created) before enrollment |
| Info Hub targeting | Cohorts are a targeting source for announcements |
| Apply | Admissions programs and intakes often map onto CMS cohorts downstream |
| Academic rulesets | Cohort-level exam policy can override program defaults |
Key concepts
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cohort | Intake group under one program version with shared dates and curriculum |
| Program version | Snapshot of program rules; cohorts stay on the version they were created under |
| Curriculum version | Academic blueprint (modules, terms, electives) cloned into student study plans |
| Intake period | The cohort Start Date and End Date — not the same as individual course dates |
| Study plan | Per-user module obligations generated from the cohort’s curriculum version |
| Term mapping | Optional link from curriculum terms to organization terms, with default user statuses |
| Status | Upcoming, Active, or Completed — computed from start/end dates |
Before you start
- Confirm the study program has Has Cohorts enabled.
- Select the correct program version in the version selector — the new cohort is linked to the version currently selected.
- Have a curriculum and curriculum version ready in the Database. Assignment at creation is required.
- Agree on a naming pattern for cohorts (for example, degree short name + season + year) so staff can find intakes quickly across Programs, Info Hub, and Apply-related reporting.
- Decide the full intake span for Start/End dates (often the whole planned duration, not a single semester) — see Cohort lifecycle.
How to create a cohort
Open the create form
Go to OrgHub → Management → Programs and open a study program.
Use the version selector to choose the program version the cohort should belong to.
Open the Cohorts tab.
Select Cohort to open the Create Cohort panel.
Fill in the form
Enter Study Program Name — the cohort’s display name (for example, “BBA Winter 2024”). Despite the field label, this is the name of the cohort, not a rename of the parent study program.
Set Duration — choose a Start Date and End Date for the intake period. The start date cannot be after the end date, and the two dates cannot be identical.
Under Curriculum, select a curriculum from the Database, then choose a Curriculum Version.
Optionally map curriculum terms to organization terms and default user statuses for each term.
Select Create to save the cohort.
The cohort is linked to the currently selected program version. Students added to this cohort receive a study plan based on the assigned curriculum version.
Field reference
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Study Program Name | Yes | Display name for the cohort (for example, “BBA Winter 2024”) |
| Start Date / End Date | Yes | Start cannot be after end; dates cannot be identical |
| Curriculum + Curriculum Version | Yes | Source of the study-plan blueprint |
| Term mappings and default user statuses | No | Align curriculum terms with org chronology when your institution uses that mapping |
Worked example: winter bachelor intake
For Bachelor of Business Administration, version 2024 intake:
- Select version 2024 intake in the header.
- Create cohort BBA WS 2024/25 with start 1 October 2024 and end 30 September 2027.
- Assign curriculum BBA v2024.1.
- Optionally map Semester 1 → WS 2024/25, Semester 2 → SS 2025, and so on in Chronology.
- Hand the cohort to admissions so the application program lists this intake.
- After accepts, add users and follow the group across semesters — Cohort lifecycle.
Best practices
- Create the cohort before mass enrollment so every added user inherits the correct curriculum version immediately.
- Prefer a stable naming convention across years so filters and Info Hub audiences remain recognizable.
- Pin the intake to the curriculum version that matches that year’s examination regulations — use a newer version for the next cohort instead of rewriting an older one mid-flight.
- After creation, verify the Curriculum tab on the cohort overview before adding users; fixing assignments is cheaper before study plans exist.
- Coordinate with admissions staff working in Apply so accepted applicants land in the intended CMS cohort, not a lookalike intake under the wrong program version.
- Set dates for the full intake span so status reflects the whole cohort life, not a single semester.
Common pitfalls
- Creating the cohort under the wrong program version — always check the version selector first.
- Using identical start and end dates, or reversing them — the form rejects invalid duration ranges.
- Leaving curriculum unfinished in the Database — incomplete versions still assign, but study plans will miss modules you intended to include.
- Confusing the cohort display name field (Study Program Name) with editing the parent program — parent program edits live on the study program settings, not here.
- Creating a new cohort every semester instead of advancing one intake through terms — see Cohort lifecycle.
FAQ
Can I create a cohort without assigning a curriculum?
No. Curriculum and curriculum version are selected in the create form and are required. Students need that assignment to receive study plans when they are added.
What if Has Cohorts is disabled on the program?
Cohorts are only available when Has Cohorts is enabled on the study program. Ensure that setting is enabled on the program (it is configured when you create a study program), then return to the Cohorts tab.
Does creating a cohort enroll any students?
No. Creation only defines the intake container. Enroll students afterward via Add users to cohort or bulk assignment from the Programs Users tab.
Can I change the curriculum later?
Yes — see Manage cohort curriculum. Prefer getting the version right at creation if students will already have active study plans.
Related pages
Cohort lifecycle
Follow an intake from upcoming through completed.
Manage cohort curriculum
Change or disconnect curriculum after the cohort exists.
Add users to cohort
Enroll students and generate study plans.
Assign curriculum to cohort
How curriculum versions become study-plan blueprints.
Manage program versions
Confirm you create under the correct program version.
Target your audience
Use cohorts as Info Hub announcement audiences.