How to partially project a child object with many fields in nHibernate

We can indeed use custom transformer. There is one, which I am using for a really very very deep projections (inlcuding dynamic objects – 5.1.13. component, dynamic-component)

• DeepTransformer<TEntity>

Take it (if needed adjust it) and your final query could be like this

// just the last lines are different
var query = session.QueryOver<CourseItem>()
    .JoinAlias(c => c.Teacher, () => teacherAlias)
    .Where(c => c.CourseID.IsInsensitiveLike(strNumber, option))
    .SelectList(list => list
           .Select(c => c.CourseID).WithAlias(() => courseAlias.CourseID)
           .Select(c => c.IsActive).WithAlias(() => courseAlias.IsActive)
           .Select(c => c.CourseDesc).WithAlias(() => courseAlias.CourseDesc)

           // the native WitAlias would not work, it uses expression
           // to extract just the last property
           //.Select(c => c.Teacher.ID).WithAlias(() => courseAlias.Teacher.ID)
           //.Select(c => c.Teacher.Name).WithAlias(() => courseAlias.Teacher.Name))

           // so we can use this way to pass the deep alias
          .Select(Projections.Property(() => teacherAlias.ID).As("Teacher.ID"))
          .Select(Projections.Property(() => teacherAlias.Name).As("Teacher.Name"))

           // instead of this
           // .TransformUsing(Transformers.AliasToBean<CourseItem>())
           // use this
           .TransformUsing(new DeepTransformer<CourseItem>())

And in case, that your aliases do match to property names, that transformer will built the object tree…