课程 (kè chéng) refers to an academic course — a structured series of lessons or study units on a particular subject, typically offered within a school, university, or training program. The character 课 (kè) originally meant 'lesson' or 'class period', while 程 (chéng) means 'course', 'procedure', or 'program'; together, they emphasize a systematic, organized learning path rather than just a single class meeting.

This word is used formally and commonly in educational contexts: students enroll in courses, professors design courses, and institutions list course catalogs. It’s not used for casual learning activities (e.g., watching online tutorials alone), nor for non-academic training like fitness classes — those usually use 课 or 培训 instead. 课程 always implies curriculum, objectives, and often assessment, distinguishing it from the more general term 课, which can mean a single class session.