The fastest way to duplicate a course

To copy a course in Blackboard Ultra, go to your course list, click the three-dot menu next to the course you want to copy, and select Copy Course. Blackboard will create a new course shell with the same content, structure, and settings. You then rename it, assign it to the right term, and enroll instructors and students. The whole process takes about five minutes.

This feature saves time when you teach the same course multiple times a year, need to create a backup, or want to build a new section from an existing template. Instead of rebuilding modules, assignments, and grade columns from scratch, you start with everything already in place.

Key Takeaways

  • The Copy Course option appears in the three-dot menu on your course list and creates a complete duplicate including all content, folders, and grade settings.
  • You must rename the copied course and assign it to the correct term before students can see it in their course list.
  • Copied courses do not automatically enroll students or instructors — you add them manually or through your institution's enrollment system.
  • Grade data from the original course does not copy over, so the new course starts with empty grade columns and no student submissions.

Step-by-step: copying your course

Start from your Blackboard Ultra home page. Look for Courses in the left navigation menu and click it. You will see a list of all courses you teach or have access to.

Find the course you want to copy. On the right side of that course's row, click the three vertical dots (the menu icon). A dropdown menu will appear with several options. Click Copy Course. Blackboard will open a dialog box asking you to confirm. Click Copy again to proceed.

Blackboard creates the new course when ready. It will appear at the bottom of your course list with a name like "Copy of [Original Course Name]". The new course contains all the original course's content: modules, assignments, tests, discussion boards, files, and grade columns. Links to external tools and LTI integrations copy as well.

Rename and assign the copied course to a term

The copied course needs a real name and a term assignment before it is ready to use. Click the three-dot menu next to the copied course and select Edit Course. This opens the course settings page.

In the Course Name field, replace "Copy of..." with the actual course name and section number. For example, change "Copy of Biology 101" to "Biology 101 - Section 02 - Spring 2025". In the Term dropdown, select the term when this course will run. If the term does not appear in the list, your institution may not have created it yet — contact your Blackboard administrator.

Scroll down and click Submit. The course now appears under the correct term in your course list and students can find it when they search or browse their available courses.

Add instructors and students to the copied course

The copied course has no enrolled users. You must add instructors and students manually or through your institution's enrollment system. Click into the copied course, then click Course Management in the left menu (or look for a gear icon). Select Users and Groups or Enrollments, depending on your institution's setup.

If you are adding people manually, click the button to add users (often labeled Add User or Enroll User). Enter each person's username or email address, assign their role (Instructor, Teaching Assistant, or Student), and click Submit. Repeat for each person you need to add.

Many institutions use automatic enrollment based on the term and course code. If your school does this, students and instructors will appear in the course automatically once the term starts. Check with your institution's registrar or Blackboard support to confirm how enrollment works at your school.

What copies and what does not

Understanding what the copy includes helps you know what to fix before students see the course. The copied course includes all content folders and modules, all assignments and tests with their settings and point values, all discussion board forums, all grade columns and their weighting, and all course links and external tool integrations.

The copied course does not include any student grades, submissions, or discussion posts from the original course. The grade book starts empty. Any due dates from the original course copy over exactly as they were, so you will need to update them to match the new term's calendar. Roster information does not copy — you add students and instructors separately.

Update dates and content for the new term

Before you open the course to students, review all assignment and test due dates. Click into each module or assignment and update the dates to match your new term's schedule. A course that ran in Fall 2024 will have due dates from September through December — you need to shift them to the new term.

Check any announcements or syllabus content that mention the old term or semester. Update those references so students see current information. Review any links to external resources or videos to make sure they still work. If the original course linked to a specific semester's library database or archived materials, verify those links still point to the right place.

Troubleshooting common issues

If the Copy Course option does not appear in the three-dot menu, you may not have permission to copy courses at your institution. Contact your Blackboard administrator or department chair. Some schools restrict copying to course designers or administrators only.

If the copied course does not show up in your course list after you create it, refresh your browser or log out and back in. Sometimes Blackboard takes a moment to update the display. If it still does not appear after a few minutes, check that you assigned it to a term that actually exists in your institution's system.

If students cannot find the copied course even though you enrolled them, make sure the course is set to Available rather than Unavailable. Click the three-dot menu next to the course and look for a visibility or availability setting. Some institutions also require courses to be published before students can see them — check your course settings for a Publish or Make Available button.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I copy a course that another instructor teaches?

No, you can only copy courses where you have instructor or designer access. If you want to use another instructor's course as a template, ask them to share it with you or contact your Blackboard administrator about copying it on your behalf.

Does copying a course copy the gradebook with student grades?

No. The grade columns and their settings copy over, but all student grades and submissions stay in the original course. The new course's gradebook is empty and ready for a new group of students.

What happens to the original course after I copy it?

The original course stays exactly as it is. Copying does not change or delete anything from the source course. You can copy the same course as many times as you need.

Can I copy a course after the term has already started?

Yes. You can copy a course at any time, even during an active term. Just make sure to assign the copied course to the correct term and update all the due dates before you enroll students.

If I update the original course, do those changes appear in the copied course?

No. Once you copy a course, the two are separate. Changes you make to the original course do not affect the copy, and changes to the copy do not affect the original. They are independent courses from that point forward.