What it does
Prerequisites let you declare that a course depends on other courses being completed first. Each prerequisite is marked Required or Recommended and can optionally carry a minimum grade. The platform checks a learner's record against these rules and reports, per prerequisite, whether it is met.
Who it's for
Program administrators and directors define prerequisites on a course, from the course's Edit sheet. Learners see prerequisite status when browsing courses they can self-enroll in.
How it works
The Prerequisites section. On a course's Edit sheet, it lists current dependencies by course name and code as removable chips. Adding one means picking another course, choosing Required or Recommended, and optionally setting a minimum grade the learner must have earned in it.
Loop checking. The platform walks the full prerequisite graph before saving. If adding a prerequisite would create a loop — course A requires B, which requires A, directly or through a chain — the save is rejected with a clear message. A course also cannot be its own prerequisite.
Learner view. On a self-enrollable course, the platform evaluates each prerequisite against the learner's academic record and shows which are met, including the grade actually earned where a minimum grade applies.
Before you start
Open the course whose prerequisites you want to set, then find the Prerequisites section on its Edit sheet.
The course you want to require must already exist in the catalog — you pick it, you don't type it.
Do this
Open a course and select Edit → the Edit Course sheet opens with a Prerequisites section.
In the Prerequisites section, select Add Prerequisite → an inline row opens with Course, Requirement, and Minimum Grade fields.
Choose the dependent course from the Course field → confirm the course name shows in the field.
Choose Required or Recommended in the Requirement field, and set a Minimum Grade if one applies → confirm the fields show your choices.
Select Add in the row → the new prerequisite appears as a chip in the Prerequisites section, or the save is rejected with a message if it would create a loop.
To remove one, select the × on its chip → confirm the chip disappears from the section.
You're done when
✓ The Prerequisites section lists every course this one depends on, with its requirement type.
✓ A learner viewing the course sees each prerequisite marked met or not met against their own record.
✓ A prerequisite you tried to add that would create a loop was rejected with an explanation, not silently dropped.
Boundaries and limits
Requirement types are limited to two values: required and recommended. There is no "concurrent enrollment" or "either/or" prerequisite type.
Prerequisites are course-to-course only — you cannot set a session, a form, or an external credential as a prerequisite.
Circular prerequisite chains are rejected at save time, including indirect loops through intermediate courses.
Removing a prerequisite is a soft removal; the dependency simply stops applying.
The status check reports met or not met per prerequisite; whether an unmet required prerequisite blocks enrollment is handled by the enrollment flow, not the prerequisite record itself.
Common questions
Q: What happens if I try to make two courses prerequisites of each other? A: The save is blocked. The platform detects circular dependency chains — direct or through intermediate courses — and rejects them.
Q: Can I require a minimum grade in the prerequisite course? A: Yes. Each prerequisite can carry an optional minimum grade, and the learner-facing status check compares it against the grade actually earned.
Q: What is the difference between required and recommended? A: Required prerequisites are dependencies the learner is expected to satisfy; recommended ones are advisory. Both are shown to learners with their met or not-met status.
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