How Do I Change the Canvas Course Nickname?

Summary

Canvas allows you to customize how courses appear in your dashboard by changing the course nickname. This feature is helpful for organizing multiple courses or making course names more recognizable. Changing the nickname only affects your personal view—it does not change the official course title or what students see.

Content

Learn how to personalize your course list in Canvas by changing the course nickname. This quick update helps you identify courses more easily without affecting official course titles or student views.

Step 1: Log in to Canvas

1. Navigate to your institution’s Canvas login page.
2. Enter your credentials and access your dashboard.

Step 2: Open the Course Settings

1. From the Dashboard, locate the course you want to rename.
2. Click the three dots (Options) in the course card’s upper-right corner.

Step 3: Edit the Nickname

1. In the pop-up menu, find the Nickname field.
2. Type your preferred nickname for the course.

Step 4: Save Changes

1. Click Apply or Save.
2. Your dashboard will now display the updated nickname.

Additional Resources

• Document: Changing the Course Nick Name: Student Instructions (also applies to Instructors)
• Interactive Lesson: Changing the Canvas Course Nickname

Need Additional Help? 

On behalf of OIT’s Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) team, we hope this tutorial is useful. If you encounter any difficulties or have questions related to this procedure, please contact our colleagues in OIT’s Support Center to have a help ticket created and assigned to the IDT team. You may contact the Support Center via email (supportcenter@uhcl.edu) or by telephone (281.283.2828). Once we receive your inquiry, a member of the IDT team will contact you as quickly as resources permit.