How to Transfer a Course to a New Semester in Canvas

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It’s still the ideal time to be thinking about your courses in Canvas for next semester. If you need to start from scratch, check out our post on Three Tips to Quickly Build a Course in Canvas. But what if you have a course already in Canvas that you want to reuse?

Canvas makes it simple to transfer content from one section (or semester) to another using the Course Import Tool. With this tool, you can transfer all of the content from a course, or you can pick and choose which pieces you want. After you’ve decided what content you want, you can opt to have Canvas shift your dates for you. That’s right. Canvas will update all your dates for the new semester. You should still use the Calendar to double-check the dates, but Canvas does the bulk of the heavy lifting for you.

To use the tool, go to the empty course where you want to add the content. Click on the “import” button on the home page (or go to “settings,” then click “Import course content.”). From there, work through the steps described in Canvas’ “How do I copy content from another Canvas course using the Course Import Tool?” to bring over the content you need.

If you run into snags or sticky spots as you’re transferring your content, you can contact Canvas support! They’re available 24/7 via chat through the “help” menu in Canvas or by calling 937-766-7905 and pressing option 1.

Editor’s note: This post was updated to remove references to Moodle.