Little Rock, AR – Contributed – The Arkansas State University System has completed a new common course numbering system to align with statewide higher education goals and simplify transfer processes for students.
Identification numbers for more than 7,000 individual courses across the ASU System’s seven institutions are changing effective in fall 2026 as part of a statewide comprehensive index of subject codes and course numbers for all Arkansas public postsecondary institutions. All courses have been renumbered using a five-digit number with some subject codes also changing.
Work began in January 2025 to align course subject area disciplines across ASU System institutions, said Eric Atchison, vice president for institutional research, who coordinated efforts with the campuses. The renumbering and updating of administrative records were completed in early February 2026.
Atchison said the new numbering system will maximize credit mobility for students across institutions, strengthen equitable transfer pathways between campuses and simplify administrative processes, including transcript evaluation.
The project was supported by the passage of the ACCESS Act of 2025, which expands the statewide common course numbering system beyond the lower division general education courses within the Arkansas Course Transfer System.
“Our campuses did a terrific job of working through this complex process over the past year,” said Dr. Robin Myers, ASU System interim president. “We know this will help high school students and their guidance counselors better navigate higher education options. This course consistency will also make transfers within the ASU System and beyond a simpler and much more straightforward process.”
Courses are currently being scheduled for the fall 2026 term using the new common course numbering system. While course numbers will change for all ASU System institutions, each course will still use the first digit to indicate the course level and the last digit to represent the course credit hours. Courses that have more than nine credit hours will show a ‘1’ or ‘2’ in the fourth character. Honors courses and other special codes will be designated in the fourth character (e.g., BIOL 101H4).
“Teams across the seven ASU System institutions worked collaboratively and deliberately to ensure alignment across all subject areas would enhance transparency for students,” Atchison said. “Common course numbering creates clear pathways, giving students confidence that their credits support their success.”
Through a collaborative effort, course numbers for fall 2026 are now consistent among all institutions in the ASU System and University of Arkansas System, which combined represent 70% of all students enrolled in public colleges and universities. Independent universities and colleges are also working to transition to common course numbering for statewide consistency.
More information on the new numbering system can be found by viewing the Course Alignment Search Tool available on the ASU System website. Users can search by subject area, course number, or title to find a comparison of current and future courses. Additional resources will be provided by institutions as the fall registration period approaches.
ASU System institutions include Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, ASU-Beebe, ASU-Mountain Home, ASU-Newport, ASU Mid-South in West Memphis and ASU Three Rivers in Malvern.
