diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/split.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/split.py
index bb9aa59016..17976abe78 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/split.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/split_mongo/split.py
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ class SplitMongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreBase):
         """
         return self.get_item(location, depth=depth)
 
-    def get_parent_locations(self, locator, usage_id=None):
+    def get_parent_locations(self, locator, course_id=None):
         '''
         Return the locations (Locators w/ usage_ids) for the parents of this location in this
         course. Could use get_items(location, {'children': usage_id}) but this is slightly faster.
@@ -387,7 +387,6 @@ class SplitMongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreBase):
         :param locator: BlockUsageLocator restricting search scope
         :param usage_id: ignored. Only included for API compatibility. Specify the usage_id within the locator.
         '''
-
         course = self._lookup_course(locator)
         items = []
         for parent_id, value in course['blocks'].iteritems():
@@ -717,7 +716,9 @@ class SplitMongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreBase):
 
     def create_course(
         self, org, prettyid, user_id, id_root=None, fields=None,
-        master_branch='draft', versions_dict=None, root_category='course'):
+        master_branch='draft', versions_dict=None, root_category='course',
+        root_usage_id='course'
+        ):
         """
         Create a new entry in the active courses index which points to an existing or new structure. Returns
         the course root of the resulting entry (the location has the course id)
@@ -749,7 +750,7 @@ class SplitMongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreBase):
         provide any fields overrides, see above). if not provided, will create a mostly empty course
         structure with just a category course root xblock.
         """
-        partitioned_fields = self._partition_fields_by_scope('course', fields)
+        partitioned_fields = self._partition_fields_by_scope(root_category, fields)
         block_fields = partitioned_fields.setdefault(Scope.settings, {})
         if Scope.children in partitioned_fields:
             block_fields.update(partitioned_fields[Scope.children])
@@ -773,13 +774,13 @@ class SplitMongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreBase):
             self.definitions.update({'_id': definition_id}, {'$set': {"edit_info.original_version": definition_id}})
 
             draft_structure = {
-                'root': 'course',
+                'root': root_usage_id,
                 'previous_version': None,
                 'edited_by': user_id,
                 'edited_on': datetime.datetime.now(UTC),
                 'blocks': {
-                    'course': {
-                        'category': 'course',
+                    root_usage_id: {
+                        'category': root_category,
                         'definition': definition_id,
                         'fields': block_fields,
                         'edit_info': {
@@ -794,7 +795,7 @@ class SplitMongoModuleStore(ModuleStoreBase):
             draft_structure['original_version'] = new_id
             self.structures.update({'_id': new_id},
                 {'$set': {"original_version": new_id,
-                    'blocks.course.edit_info.update_version': new_id}})
+                    'blocks.{}.edit_info.update_version'.format(root_usage_id): new_id}})
             if versions_dict is None:
                 versions_dict = {master_branch: new_id}
             else:
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_split_modulestore.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_split_modulestore.py
index b299f56711..832fd2091e 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_split_modulestore.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/test_split_modulestore.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from xmodule.modulestore.inheritance import InheritanceMixin
 from pytz import UTC
 from path import path
 import re
+import random
 
 
 class SplitModuleTest(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -250,7 +251,6 @@ class SplitModuleCourseTests(SplitModuleTest):
         self.assertEqual(str(result.children[0].locator.version_guid), self.GUID_D1)
         self.assertEqual(len(result.children[0].children), 1)
 
-
 class SplitModuleItemTests(SplitModuleTest):
     '''
     Item read tests including inheritance
@@ -967,6 +967,27 @@ class TestCourseCreation(SplitModuleTest):
         course = modulestore().get_course(CourseLocator(course_id=locator.course_id, branch="published"))
         self.assertEqual(str(course.location.version_guid), self.GUID_D1)
 
+    def test_create_with_root(self):
+        """
+        Test create_course with a specified root id and category
+        """
+        user = random.getrandbits(32)
+        new_course = modulestore().create_course(
+            'test_org', 'test_transaction', user,
+            root_usage_id='top', root_category='chapter'
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(new_course.location.usage_id, 'top')
+        self.assertEqual(new_course.category, 'chapter')
+        # look at db to verify
+        db_structure = modulestore().structures.find_one({
+            '_id': new_course.location.as_object_id(new_course.location.version_guid)
+        })
+        self.assertIsNotNone(db_structure, "Didn't find course")
+        self.assertNotIn('course', db_structure['blocks'])
+        self.assertIn('top', db_structure['blocks'])
+        self.assertEqual(db_structure['blocks']['top']['category'], 'chapter')
+
+
 
 class TestInheritance(SplitModuleTest):
     """