required course vs course

required course and course both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
required course	Yes	No	No	No
course	Yes	No	Yes	Yes

As nouns, course is a hypernym of required course; that is, course is a word with a broader meaning than required course:

Other hypernyms of required course include class, course of instruction, course of study.

required course (noun)	course (noun)
a course that all students are required to take	a mode of action
	education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
	facility consisting of a circumscribed area of land or water laid out for a sport
	(construction) a layer of masonry
	part of a meal served at one time
	a connected series of events or actions or developments
	a body of students who are taught together
	general line of orientation
	a line or route along which something travels or moves

required course (adverb)	course (adverb)
	as might be expected