How to make students finish Module 1 before Module 2 in Canvas
Short answer: in Canvas, go to Modules, click the Options icon (⋮) on a module, choose Edit, click Add Prerequisite, pick the earlier module, and click Save. Or open Course++ in your course and type: “Lock each module until the one before it is finished, from Module 1 through Module 8.”
The problem
Eight modules means eight trips through the same editor.
Canvas sets requirements and prerequisites one module at a time. For each module you open the editor, pick a rule for every item, then choose the module that must come first.
one editor per modulea rule for every item
The fix
Say the order you want. Course++ sets the rules.
It reads your modules, sets each prerequisite, and checks that Canvas saved it. Say which items count as finished (view, submit, or a minimum score) and it sets those too.
1 sentenceall 8 modules
Prompts you can copy
Open your Canvas course, open Course++ beside it, and paste one of these. Change the names and numbers to match your course.
Lock each module until the one before it is finished, from Module 1 through Module 8.
For a course that must be taken in order.In every module, require students to view each page, submit each assignment, and score at least 8 on each quiz.
Sets the completion rules across the whole course in one request.Make Module 5 require students to finish Modules 3 and 4 first.
When one module needs more than one thing done before it opens.Which modules don’t have a prerequisite or any completion requirements yet? List them in order.
A quick check after you finish. It only reads; nothing changes.
How to set module prerequisites and requirements in Canvas by hand
- In Course Navigation, click Modules.
- Make sure the module already has its items. Canvas can’t add requirements to an empty module.
- Click the Options icon (three dots) beside the module name and choose Edit.
- Click Add Requirement, pick an item, and choose its rule: View the item, Mark as done, Submit the assignment, Score at least, or Contribute to the page.
- Choose Complete all or Complete one. You can also tick the box to make students move through items in order.
- Click Add Prerequisite and pick the earlier module, so this module stays locked until that one is complete.
- Click Save, then repeat for the next module.
Good to know
- Prerequisites and requirements are different. A prerequisite locks a whole module. A requirement is what counts as finishing it. Give the earlier module at least one requirement so Canvas knows when it is finished.
- “Score at least” waits for a posted grade. The student can’t move on until the grade is posted, so an item you grade by hand can hold them up until you grade it.
- Test it first. Check the result with Student View before you publish. Quizzes that check understanding pair well with this; see self-check quizzes for each module.
Questions teachers ask
Can I lock Module 2 until Module 1 is done in Canvas?
Yes. Edit Module 2 and add Module 1 as a prerequisite. Give Module 1 at least one completion requirement so Canvas knows when it is done.
What does “Score at least” mean in a Canvas module?
The student must earn at least the score you enter before that item counts as complete. It works on graded items, and the grade must be posted before the student can move on.
Can students finish just one item in a module instead of all of them?
Yes. When you edit the module, choose Complete one instead of Complete all. The choice applies to the items you list as requirements.
Can Course++ set requirements on every module at once?
Yes. Describe the rule once and it applies it to each module and reads each one back to confirm Canvas saved it.
250 FREE credits to try it. No credit card.
Canvas steps checked against Instructure’s own Canvas guides in October 2026. Canvas changes its screens from time to time, and schools turn features on and off, so a button may be named a little differently in yours.