> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firstrespondershub.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating a cohort

> Step-by-step: name, program offering, dates, capacity, recurring patterns, and instructors.

When you create a new cohort, you choose the program offering, set dates and capacity, define the recurring schedule (patterns), and optionally assign instructors.

## Where to start

Go to [**Program Dashboard → Cohorts**](https://www.firstrespondershub.com/program-dashboard/cohorts) and click **Create New Cohort**, or open [**Create New Cohort**](https://www.firstrespondershub.com/program-dashboard/cohorts/create) directly.

## What you’ll set

### Basic information

* **Cohort name** — e.g. "EMT Basic Fall 2024." This is what you and students see.
* **Program offering** — The offering (program and pricing) this cohort is for. Only active offerings appear.
* **Start date** and **End date** — When the cohort runs.
* **Enrollment deadline** — Optional last date students can enroll. Date-only and interpreted in the cohort location's timezone (defaults to Eastern if no location timezone is set), so a "May 1" deadline closes at 11:59 PM local time on May 1. Once it passes, paid checkout, free enrollment, and application submissions are blocked; existing enrollments are unaffected. Leave it empty to allow enrollment up until the cohort starts or fills. See [Enrollment deadlines](/cohort-management/enrollment-deadlines) for full behavior.
* **Enrollment capacity** — Maximum number of students (optional).

### Schedule (recurring patterns)

You define one or more **recurring patterns** that describe when class meets—for example "Every Monday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM at Main Campus – Lecture." Each pattern has:

* **Day of week** — Monday through Sunday.
* **Name** — Short label (e.g. "Lecture Day").
* **Start time** and **End time**.
* **Location** — A location from your organization, or virtual.
* **Session types** — e.g. Lecture, Skills Lab, Clinical (one or more per pattern).

These patterns don’t create individual sessions yet. After you save the cohort, you open it, go to the **Schedule** tab, and use **Generate schedule** (or similar) to create sessions from the patterns for the cohort’s date range. See [Recurring patterns](/cohort-management/recurring-patterns) and [Schedule and sessions](/cohort-management/schedule-and-sessions).

### Instructors

You can assign instructors to the cohort when creating it. They’ll be available when you assign teaching to sessions later.

## After you create the cohort

Once the cohort is created, you’re taken to its detail page. Next steps:

1. Open the **Schedule** tab and **generate sessions** from your recurring patterns so the calendar is filled.
2. Optionally invite students or open enrollment (via the cohort’s lifecycle state and your program/offering settings).
3. Use the **Waitlist**, **Students**, **Outcomes**, and **Feedback** tabs as the cohort runs.

## See also

* [Recurring patterns](/cohort-management/recurring-patterns) — How to define and edit patterns.
* [Overview and editing](/cohort-management/overview-and-editing) — Change cohort name, dates, capacity, or schedule after creation.
* [Schedule and sessions](/cohort-management/schedule-and-sessions) — Generate and manage the session calendar.