Curriculum Mapping

Curriculum mapping is a process of visually portraying the relationship between the elements of your programs and the goals of the program.  The elements of the program typically include the courses that students take, but may also include other experiential learning opportunities such as major projects, theses, work or co-op experiences.  A curriculum map is a useful tool to use to demonstrate the alignment of the course complement with the program’s learning outcomes or the university’s degree level expectations. A completed curriculum map can show where attention in the program is heavily focussed and where there are gaps and overlaps. 

Ideally, information to construct a curriculum map should be gathered from a number of sources.  These sources often include course outlines, current and past instructors, and current and past students.  In the sample that follows, you might indicate to what extent the learning outcome is taught (e.g. at an introductory or basic level, at an advanced or mastery level, for reinforcement purposes) and whether it is assessed or not.

	Goal/Outcome #1	Goal/Outcome #2	Goal/Outcome #3	Goal/Outcome #4
Course 1A03
Course 1B03
Course 2A03
Course 2B03
Course 2C03
Course 3A03
Course 3B03
Course 3C03
Course 3D06
Course 4A03
Course 4C09

The Centre for Leadership in Learning can provide assistance tailored to your department’s needs.  We  offer a range of services that can:

1. Provide you with literature and electronic resources that you can use to work through the process of mapping your curriculum on your own
2. Provide your curriculum lead or committee with support and guidance as you collect information for your mapping project
3. Provide you with assistance as you collect information through workshops or retreats

How to get involved:
To schedule a consult and get started with your curriculum mapping project, contact Lori Goff at lgoff@mcmaster.ca or 905-525-92140 ext 24368.