Criteria for Adding a Course to the cs-video-courses List

To add a course to the cs-video-courses repository, contributions must be university-level courses with comprehensive lecture material (typically over 10 hours), provide direct video links without registration barriers, include detailed metadata in the URL, follow academic level ordering, and avoid duplicating existing curricula.

The Developer-Y/cs-video-courses repository curates high-quality computer science video lectures from accredited institutions. Understanding the specific criteria for adding a course to this list ensures your contribution meets the maintainers' quality standards and gets merged quickly.

Core Criteria for Adding Courses

University-Level Academic Content

Only full semester or multi-week courses from accredited colleges and universities are accepted. According to CONTRIBUTING.md, small MOOCs, tutorial series, and advertising playlists are explicitly excluded because the list targets "actual college/University level courses" rather than Massive Open Online Courses.

Comprehensive Coverage Standards

Courses must contain sufficient material to cover the subject in depth, typically exceeding 10 hours of lectures. As noted in CONTRIBUTING.md, entries that merely skim a topic with only a few hours of content are rejected to maintain the list's educational rigor.

Direct Video Link Policy

All submissions must point directly to video files or YouTube playlists that users can watch or download immediately. Links requiring registration, sign-up, or waiting for future session openings violate the repository's accessibility standards documented in CONTRIBUTING.md.

Formatting Criteria and Organization Standards

Metadata Standards in URLs

As specified in NOTES.md, contributors should embed useful identifiers directly in the URL or surrounding comment using the format: <Course-Number> <Course-Name> <Year> <Instructor> <University/Platform>. This makes entries searchable and self-documenting.

Example following the standard:

- [CS 225 - Data Structures – Spring 2023 – Prof J. Huang – Stanford University (YouTube Playlist)](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXXXXX)

This format includes:

• CS 225 – course number
• Data Structures – course name
• Spring 2023 – term and year
• Prof J. Huang – instructor name
• Stanford University – institution

Academic Level Ordering

Within each topical section, entries follow a strict hierarchy: undergraduate → upper-level undergraduate → graduate. When adding new entries to README.md, contributors must place them according to this academic progression as defined in CONTRIBUTING.md.

Content Restrictions

Duplicate Course Policy

NOTES.md explicitly states that courses with approximately 80–90% curriculum overlap with existing entries should not be added. Since most courses in a subject area share substantial content, the repository maintains one high-quality representative rather than multiple similar versions.

Promotional Content Restrictions

Links serving primarily to advertise channels, platforms, or unrelated materials are prohibited. The focus remains strictly on educational video content, as implied by the distinction between "video courses" and promotional MOOC listings in CONTRIBUTING.md.

Summary

• University-level only: Accredited institution courses with 10+ hours of content
• Direct access: Video links must work without registration or paywalls
• Rich metadata: Include course number, name, year, instructor, and university in the entry
• Proper ordering: Arrange by undergraduate to graduate level within sections
• No duplicates: Avoid adding courses with 80–90% overlap with existing entries
• No promotions: Exclude advertising or commercial content

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of courses are rejected from cs-video-courses?

Small MOOCs, tutorial series, advertising playlists, and courses requiring registration or sign-up are rejected. The repository exclusively lists comprehensive, university-level video courses with direct access to lecture materials.

How should I format the course metadata in my contribution?

Embed metadata directly in the list entry using the format: Course-Number Course-Name Year Instructor University. For example: CS 225 - Data Structures – Spring 2023 – Prof J. Huang – Stanford University. This standard, documented in NOTES.md, ensures entries remain searchable and self-documenting.

Can I add a course that overlaps significantly with existing content?

No. According to NOTES.md, if a course shares 80–90% of its curriculum with an already-listed entry, it should not be added. The repository prioritizes one comprehensive representative per topic rather than multiple similar courses.

Where are the contribution rules documented?

The primary criteria appear in CONTRIBUTING.md, while specific metadata formatting and duplicate policies are detailed in NOTES.md. The README.md provides overall structural guidance and emphasizes that contributions must be actual college or university level courses.

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