What combining Canvas courses means and when you'd do it
Combining Canvas courses means linking multiple course sections or related courses so you can see assignments, grades, and discussions from all of them in a single dashboard view. Canvas does not merge courses into one—instead, it lets you organize them so you spend less time switching between tabs.
You might combine courses if you're enrolled in multiple sections of the same class, taking related courses that share materials, or managing courses across different terms that you want to track together. The main methods are using course groups, adding courses to your favorites, and using the course card layout to display multiple courses at once.
Canvas does not have a built-in "merge" feature that turns two separate courses into one. What you're actually doing is changing how Canvas displays your courses and making it easier to navigate between them. The courses remain separate in the system—their grades, rosters, and content stay independent.
Key Takeaways
- Canvas lets you star courses as favorites so they appear at the top of your course list, making it faster to jump between related courses.
- You can create course groups in your account settings to organize multiple courses by term, subject, or purpose, then view them together on your dashboard.
- The course card view on your dashboard shows all your courses at once, letting you see assignments and due dates across multiple courses without opening each one.
- If your instructor needs to combine two course sections into one gradebook, they use the course merge feature in their instructor settings—you cannot do this yourself.
- Some institutions use course linking or cross-listing at the system level, which your school's Canvas administrator sets up before the term starts.
Using favorites to keep related courses at the top
The fastest way to organize multiple courses is to mark them as favorites. When you star a course, it moves to the top of your course list and stays there, so you do not have to scroll past other courses to find the ones you use most.
To star a course as a favorite, go to your Courses page and look for the star icon next to each course name. Click the star—it will fill in and turn blue. Starred courses appear in a "Favorites" section at the top of your course list. You can star as many courses as you need. To unstar a course, click the filled star again and it will return to your regular course list.
This method works best if you have three to five courses you want quick access to. If you have more than that, or if you want to organize them by term or subject, course groups are a better choice.
Creating course groups to organize by term or subject
Course groups let you bundle multiple courses together and give them a label. You might create a group called "Fall 2024 Courses," "Math Classes," or "Required for Major"—whatever makes sense for how you study.
To create a course group, click the Account menu (your name in the top right corner) and select Settings. Scroll down to Course Groups and click the plus button. Give your group a name and description, then click Create. Once the group exists, go back to your Courses page, find each course you want to add, click the three-dot menu next to the course name, and select "Add to Group." Choose the group from the dropdown.
After you add courses to a group, you can view them together by clicking on the group name from your Courses page. This shows only the courses in that group, so you see a cleaner list without switching between different views. You can create as many groups as you need, and a single course can belong to more than one group.
Viewing all courses at once with the card layout
Canvas offers a card view on your dashboard that displays all your courses as individual cards in a grid. This layout shows the course name, recent announcements, and upcoming assignments for each course in one place, so you can scan across multiple courses without opening them.
To switch to card view, go to your Dashboard and look for the view options in the top right corner (usually a grid icon or layout selector). Click it and choose "Card View" or "Grid View" depending on your Canvas version. Your dashboard will now show all your courses as cards. You can click any card to open that course, or scroll through to see what's coming up across all your classes.
The card view is useful for spotting due dates and announcements across multiple courses at a glance. If you prefer a list view, you can switch back using the same menu. Canvas remembers your choice, so it will stay on card view the next time you log in.
When your instructor combines course sections (instructor-only feature)
If you are enrolled in two sections of the same course and your instructor wants to combine them into one gradebook and discussion area, your instructor does this—not you. This is called a course merge and only instructors can do it.
Your instructor goes to their course settings, finds the Merge Courses option, and selects which section to merge into which. Once merged, both sections share one gradebook, one set of discussions, and one assignment list. Students from both sections see each other in the roster and can collaborate together.
If your instructor has merged your sections, you will see both section names in your course title, or you may notice that classmates from the other section now appear in your roster. You do not need to do anything—the merge is complete on the instructor's end. If you have questions about whether sections are merged, ask your instructor directly.
Cross-listed courses set up by your school
Some schools use cross-listing, where two or more course sections are linked at the system level before the term starts. Cross-listed courses share a single gradebook and content, similar to a merge, but they are set up by your school's Canvas administrator rather than by individual instructors.
If your courses are cross-listed, you will see them listed together in your course menu, and they may appear as a single course with multiple section numbers. You cannot create or remove cross-listings yourself—this is a system-level setting that your school manages. If you think two of your courses should be cross-listed and they are not, contact your school's Canvas support or your instructor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I merge two courses myself, or does my instructor have to do it?
Only instructors can merge courses. If you are enrolled in two sections of the same course and want them combined, ask your instructor to use the merge feature in their course settings. You cannot merge courses from your student account.
If I star courses as favorites, will my classmates see my favorites list?
No. Your favorites are private to your account. Only you see which courses you have starred. Classmates cannot see your course organization or favorites.
Can I add a course to more than one group?
Yes. A single course can belong to multiple groups. For example, you could add Biology 101 to both a "Fall 2024" group and a "Science Classes" group, and it will appear in both when you view each group.
What happens to my grades if courses are merged?
When courses are merged, grades from both sections combine into one gradebook. Your instructor controls how grades are calculated and weighted. If you have questions about how your grade is calculated after a merge, ask your instructor to explain their grading scheme.
Can I undo a course merge?
Only your instructor can undo a merge. If a merge was done by mistake, ask your instructor to contact Canvas support or your school's Canvas administrator to reverse it. This is not something you can do from your student account.