What cross-listing means and when you need it

Cross-listing in Canvas means linking two or more course sections together so they share the same content, assignments, grades, and roster. When you cross-list courses, students from multiple sections see one combined gradebook and one set of materials, even though they may meet at different times or have different instructors.

You cross-list courses when you want sections to work as a single class — for instance, a lecture section and a lab section that must stay synchronized, or multiple sections of the same course taught by different instructors who want to use identical assignments and due dates. Without cross-listing, each section is completely separate in Canvas, with its own gradebook and content.

Cross-listing happens at the institution level, not within Canvas itself. Your school's registrar or course administration office creates the link in the system that feeds into Canvas. Canvas then recognizes the connection and merges the sections automatically.

Key Takeaways

  • Cross-listing is set up by your registrar or course administration office, not by individual instructors inside Canvas.
  • Once your institution cross-lists sections in the registration system, Canvas automatically combines their rosters and gradebooks within 24 hours.
  • You can view which courses are cross-listed by checking the course settings or asking your Canvas administrator.
  • If sections are cross-listed but you want them to remain separate in Canvas, contact your Canvas administrator to request an override.

How to request cross-listing from your registrar

Start by contacting your registrar's office or the department that manages course scheduling at your school. Tell them which course sections you want to cross-list — provide the course number, section numbers, and term. Some schools have a form for this request; others handle it by email or through a course management portal.

The registrar will confirm that the sections meet the requirements for cross-listing (usually that they are the same course number or approved variants, and that they are in the same term). Once approved, they update the registration system to mark the sections as cross-listed.

Canvas pulls this information from your school's student information system (often called the SIS) and automatically combines the sections. This sync usually happens overnight, though it can take up to 24 hours. You do not need to do anything in Canvas itself — the merge happens automatically.

How to check if your courses are cross-listed in Canvas

Open the course in Canvas. Click Settings in the left navigation menu. Scroll down to the section labeled Course Details. Look for a field that says Cross-listed Courses or Linked Sections. If courses are cross-listed, you will see the other section numbers listed there.

If you do not see this field, or if it is empty when you expected cross-listing to be active, the sync from your registrar may not have completed yet. Wait 24 hours and check again. If it still does not appear, contact your Canvas administrator or registrar to confirm the cross-listing request was processed.

You can also check by looking at your People page. If courses are cross-listed, the roster will show students from all linked sections in a single list, rather than separate rosters for each section.

What happens to grades and assignments when courses are cross-listed

All grades are recorded in a single gradebook. When you enter a grade for a student in one section, it appears in the gradebook for all cross-listed sections. This means you grade once, and the record applies across all linked courses.

Assignments, quizzes, and other content are also shared. If you create an assignment in one cross-listed section, it appears in all of them. If you change a due date or edit the assignment, the change applies everywhere. This keeps all sections synchronized and prevents confusion when students from different sections compare notes.

Announcements, discussion boards, and files are also shared by default. If you want certain content to be section-specific, you will need to use the Restrict Access feature to limit visibility to one section only.

How to separate courses if they were cross-listed by mistake

If two sections are cross-listed but should not be, contact your Canvas administrator or registrar. The administrator can request that your school's student information system remove the cross-listing, or they can override the cross-listing within Canvas itself so the sections remain separate even though the registrar still has them linked.

Do not try to manually separate courses by deleting students or content — this will cause data loss and confusion. The proper fix is always through your administrator or registrar.

If you separate courses after grades have already been entered, ask your administrator how grades will be handled. Some systems preserve the grades in both sections; others may require manual adjustment.

Using section-specific content in cross-listed courses

Even when courses are cross-listed, you can create content that appears only to one section. Open the assignment, quiz, or discussion you want to restrict. Click Restrict Access (or Assign To, depending on your Canvas version). Select the specific section or sections that should see this item.

This is useful when you have a lecture section and a lab section cross-listed together but need to assign different work to each. The lecture might have one set of readings; the lab might have a different assignment. Both appear in the shared gradebook, but students only see the work assigned to their own section.

Be careful with due dates when using section-specific content. If the lecture section has a different due date than the lab section, make sure both are clearly labeled so students do not miss important date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cross-list courses that have different instructors?

Yes. When courses are cross-listed, all instructors can see and edit the same content and gradebook. Make sure all instructors agree on this before requesting cross-listing, since changes one instructor makes will affect what the other sees.

What if my school uses a different name for cross-listing?

Some schools call it "linked sections," "combined sections," or "merged sections." The function is the same — multiple sections share one Canvas course. Ask your registrar or Canvas administrator what term your school uses.

Do students see that they are in a cross-listed course?

Students see the combined roster and shared gradebook, so they know other sections are included. Canvas does not label it as "cross-listed," but the merged People page and shared content make it obvious.

Can I cross-list courses from different terms?

No. Cross-listing only works within the same term. If you need to link courses across terms, that is a different process — ask your Canvas administrator about course templates or content import instead.

What happens to cross-listed courses at the end of the term?

Cross-listing remains active even after the term ends. If you teach the same sections again next term, you can request that the registrar cross-list them again, or you can create new cross-listed sections from scratch.