Recommended Course Sequence

Important Update (July 2026)

Compliance with recommended course sequence (RCS) reporting has shifted to an online certification form that must be submitted every five years, beginning on September 1, 2027. Institutions are no longer required to submit course sequencing documents for each degree program to the Coordinating Board’s Data Management & Research team.

A webinar will be held in August 2026 regarding the changes to this requirement. The registration link will be sent out via gov delivery and will be available on this webpage once it is scheduled.

Institutions must submit the certification via an online form on the agency’s Institutional Certification & Compliance webpage. Part of the certification requires providing a link to where RCS are located on the institution’s website (this can be a catalog, webpage, etc).

While the reporting mechanism for RCS has changed, institutions must still comply with the RCS statutory requirements (Texas Education Code 51.9682). THECB administrative rules (Chapter 4, Subchapter U, Section 4.365) were revised in April 2026 to implement the updated reporting requirements.

Background

Passed by the 86th Texas Legislature, Senate Bill 25 (SB 25, codified as Texas Education Code, Section 51.96852) requires each public institution to establish at least one recommended course sequence for each undergraduate certificate or degree. A recommended course sequence is a list of courses by semester, term, or enrollment period that satisfy the requirement for a student to complete an undergraduate certificate or degree program without exceeding the semester credit hours required for the degree program.

Benefits

Easily accessible information about recommended course sequences benefits students and families, institutions of higher education, policymakers, researchers, and others:

• Students and families
  Recommended course sequences provide clarity and transparency by identifying at least one efficient, timely path for completing a higher education credential.
• Institutions
  Recommended course sequences provide actionable data to facilitate student success and target advising efforts.
• Statewide
  The THECB works with institutions and other stakeholders to better understand the impacts of transfer policies and practices.