Master courses are developed to provide a cohesive and comprehensive approach to course content, learning activities, and assessments for classes taught by multiple instructors. In addition to developing the course content, a subject matter expert helps develop a master course instructor guide to be used by any instructor subsequently assigned to teach a section of the course.

The combination of the master course content and instructor guide makes it easier for instructors to ensure student achievement of learning outcomes. It also provides a consistent quality of teaching and learning experiences across multiple sections and semesters.

Master courses may be developed for either fully online or hybrid courses. Ideally, a master course may be developed to be agile.

The UNLV Office of Online Education defines a master course as meeting the following criteria:

• The developer of the course is a departmental faculty member or part-time instructor with a terminal degree and department chair approval. Courses developed by graduate assistants without the supervision of a departmental faculty member are not considered master courses.
• The course objectives align with degree program outcomes established by the department.
• Faculty/instructor developers know that the course may be used by other UNLV instructors approved by the department to teach the course.
• Faculty/instructors intending to use course material outside of the NSHE system must contact the Office of Online Education so that any proprietary content provided by third-party sources with whom UNLV has contracted can be removed.