In Stellic, double counting allows a single course to fulfill multiple academic requirements. By default, Stellic does not allow double counting—each course satisfies only one requirement. However, institutions can customize these rules to match their academic policies.
Stellic supports two types of double counting:
Between programs (e.g., a major and a minor).
Within a single program (e.g., fulfilling multiple requirements within a major).
When courses double count between programs, this will be indicated by the linked circle icon found next to the course within the audit. You can hover over this symbol for more information on where the course is counting.
If a course is double counting within the sub-requirements of a program, no icon will appear.
Double Counting Between Programs
What it does: Lets a course fulfill requirements in multiple programs (e.g., a major, minor, or certificate).
Example:
A student pursuing both a Biology major and a Chemistry minor can double count BIO 210 if the institution allows it. In this case, the course satisfies both:
The Biology major’s science requirement
The Chemistry minor’s foundational requirement
How Stellic Handles It:
Institutions set limits on how many courses can double count between each pair of programs (e.g., Biology & Chemistry allow 2 shared courses, but Biology & Environmental Science allow only 1).
When a course double counts between programs, Stellic displays a linked circle icon next to it in the student’s audit. Hovering over the icon reveals where the course is applied.
If different programs have conflicting double-counting rules, Stellic enforces the more restrictive limit.
Pairwise Double Counting
Stellic evaluates each program pair separately, which means students can double count different courses between different pairs.
For example, if the institution allows 1 course per program pair:
BIO 210 double counts between Biology & Chemistry.
CHEM 101 double counts between Chemistry & Environmental Science.
ENV 205 double counts between Environmental Science & Biology.
Each program pair follows its own limit, so a student may end up with multiple double-counted courses across different program pairs.
Double Counting Between Requirements in the Same Program
What it does: Lets a course fulfill multiple requirements inside the same program (e.g., core courses, electives, capstones).
Example:
A Psychology major takes PSYC 100, which fulfills both:
The Core Psychology Courses requirement
The Elective Credits requirement
How Stellic Handles It:
Institutions set a fixed cap on how many courses can double count within the same program (e.g., “A maximum of 2 courses can double count within the Biology major”).
This limit is absolute—once students reach the cap, they cannot double count additional courses.
Courses that double count within a program do not show an icon; instead, they appear under multiple sub-requirements in the audit.
Absolute Double Counting
Unlike between-program double counting, which applies limits per program pair, within-program double counting enforces a strict total limit.
For example, if the Biology major has a 2-course within-program double-counting limit:
BIO 210 fulfills both "Core Courses" and "Lab Requirement."
BIO 310 fulfills both "Capstone" and "Elective."
BIO 450 cannot double count because the student has already reached the limit.
Note: If a course is double counting within the sub-requirements of a program, no icon will appear.
Key Differences Between the Two Types of Double Counting
Double-Counting Type | Where It Applies | How the Limit Works | Audit Indicator? |
Between Programs (Pairwise) | Across multiple programs (e.g., major & minor) | Stellic enforces a limit per program pair, allowing different courses to double count in different pairs. | ✅ Linked circle icon |
Within a Program (Absolute) | Within a single program (e.g., major) | Stellic applies a fixed total cap—once students reach it, no additional courses can double count. | ❌ No icon |
Overriding Double Counting Limits
⚠ Use overrides sparingly! This setting completely ignores double-counting limits set by any other program. Only enable overrides when a program must count all applicable courses without restriction.
When to Use Overrides
Overrides are useful for special cases like total credits General Requirement Programs, which track total credits earned rather than enforce program-specific requirements. Without an override, double-counting limits could prevent courses from counting toward both the General Requirement and a student’s major/minor.
How It Works in Stellic
Overrides allow all courses in the selected program to count freely, ignoring double-counting limits in other programs.
Overrides only apply if unlimited double counting is enabled for that program.
Do NOT use overrides to bypass intentional program-level double-counting restrictions.
Summary of Overriding Double-Counting Limits
Feature | How It Works |
Purpose | Ensures that a program can count all applicable courses, ignoring double-counting limits in other programs. |
Common Use Case | General Requirement Programs that track total credits. |
Requirement to Enable | The program must allow unlimited double counting before enabling overrides. |
Effect on Other Programs | Other programs enforce their own limits, but the overridden program ignores them. |
When to Use | Only when a program must always count all courses (e.g., credit-tracking programs). |
When NOT to Use | To bypass intentional double-counting rules for standard programs (majors, minors, certificates). |
Constraints
There are a number of constraints that permit double counting - without adding a constraint to a program, no requirements will be permitted to double count with other programs or other sub-requirements. For details on double counting constraints, please visit our separate article.