The first two numbers of each course designates the department in which the course is offered. The next number, following the period, indicates the level of the course. Undergraduate courses within each department are numbered from 090-499. Graduate courses are numbered 800 and above. Courses numbered below 090 are not applicable toward a degree at Dana.

Generally speaking, courses numbered 090-299 are freshman-and-sophomore-level courses but in some cases may be taken by juniors and seniors. Courses numbered 300-499 are designed especially for juniors and seniors. (Example: 10.101 indicates that the course is offered by the accounting department and the course is a "100 level" course, appropriate for a freshman or sophomore.)

Some courses are offered one or both semesters and some are on an alternate year schedule. Such alternation is indicated in the course description. A course listed as "offered as needed" will not be offered unless the department feels that it is a necessity and there are at least five students who will register for it. The College reserves the right to cancel any class for which fewer than five students have registered.

The amount of work expected is expressed in semester hours or credits. Each semester credit requires, on the average, three hours a week of a student's time; that is, one class period plus two hours of preparation or three hours of laboratory work.