How do I Cross-List (Combine) Multiple Canvas Course Sections?

Cross-listing courses in Canvas is a useful feature that allows instructors to combine multiple course sections into a single "parent" course. In Canvas, cross-listing is performed by the instructor. This article discusses what a cross-listed course is, who can cross-list courses, and provides step-by-step instructions on how to cross-list courses in Canvas.

Quick Links: | Prerequisites | Instructions | Cross-Listing Sections With Different Instructors |

Cross-listing in Canvas allows instructors to combine multiple course sections into a single "parent" course shell. This feature simplifies course management by allowing instructors to manage content and student interactions in one centralized location. Cross-listing is particularly useful when teaching multiple sections of the same course or when multiple instructors need to manage shared content across different courses.

Prerequisites

• Instructor-level access to the courses you want to cross-list.
• Understanding of Canvas course structures.
• Ensure that the courses have not been published yet, as cross-listing a published course can lead to loss of student data, including submissions and grades.

How to Combine Courses in Canvas

To combine multiple courses in Canvas into one, do the following:

1. Choose your parent section: Write down the course you want to use as the parent section. This course will be the name that displays to students, so it may be advantageous to choose the section with the most students.

2. Open the child course section:

   • From Global Navigation, select Courses.

   • Select the child course (the course you want to hide). In this example, DEMO-101-01 will be the parent course. DEMO-101-02 and DEMO-101-03 are the child courses.

     Be Careful: The course(s) you choose as the child section(s) will be hidden from view. All content in the child course(s) will be lost. Select the course page you DO NOT want to teach from.

      
3. Access the course settings
   1. From the child course shell, select Settings [1]
   2. Open the Sections tab [2].
   3. Choose the first (and only) section listed [3].
       
4. From the section settings screen, select Cross-List this Section.

5. Search for the parent course

   1. In the Search for Course field [1], type the name of the parent course section (the course you want to keep visible).

   2. Confirm the parent course details in the Selected Course field [2]. Important: make sure the parent course is in the same term as the child. Combining courses in different terms will lead to unintuitive and potentially unstable behavior.

   3. Select Cross-List This Section [3].

      Tip: Got a lot of courses? Start by typing the term code into the search box. For example, to only see courses in fall 2024 search "2248-".

      
       
6. The cross-listed section should now appear in the parent course. The course breadcrumb will reflect the parent course code and the child course code.
   
7. If you have more courses to combine, repeat this guide from step 2. Make sure to continue using the same parent section to ensure all sections are correctly combined.

How to Combine Courses with Different Instructors

Cross-listing courses in Canvas can also be useful when multiple instructors want to share a course shell. Here are the steps for two instructors to cross-list their courses:

1. Nominate one instructor to manage the cross-listing process.
2. Contact the department and request that instructor be added to the other class(es) as a Secondary Instructor.
3. The instructor should then perform the cross-listing process by following the same steps as outlined in the previous section.