Degree Program Proposal Outline

Use the following outline to develop a proposal for a new degree program.

1. Resource Allocation: Have all new faculty, staff, equipment, and other support services referenced in the Intent to Plan been given budgetary approval? Have these resources been allocated to the new program already? If not, what is the timeline to allocate these resources?
2. Pre-requisites or required courses from other academic units: Does the new program have required courses or pre-requisites that are taught by another academic unit? If so, attach a letter of support from that unit’s chair and from that unit’s dean’s office.
3. Impact on existing academic programs and/or units: Describe the potential impact on programs and units that are supporting the new program. What courses and faculty will be shared and what instructional capacity do the supporting units have to offer seats, courses, and/or faculty for the new program? Conversely, what existing programs and units may see an negative impact on enrollment in their program or courses?
4. Alternative ways to meet the goals of the new program: What other ways could the program have been delivered? Have all potential partnerships been discussed? Why is the proposed curriculum and model the best for students? What is the cost of the lost opportunity if the institution decides not to approve this new program?
5. Admissions standards:  What are the new program’s admission standards? If they differ significantly from institutional norms for the degree level and type, how and why do they differ? Is there evidence from other programs at peer institutions that the different standards are typical for this kind of program?
6. Performance standards:  How are students expected to perform to remain in good standing and make progress towards degree completion in the new program? These standards can include GPA standards, benchmarks, timeline to completion of major components like comprehensive exams or dissertation elements, integrity or professionalism standards, etc.
7. Assessment plan:  Upload the assessment plan for the new program. What kinds of direct evidence will be gathered to assess the program learning outcomes, in what courses, and at what frequency? Undergraduate and course-based master’s programs should include a curriculum map within their assessment plan.
8. Curriculum map:  If the proposed program is to be offered at the undergraduate or master’s level then attach a curriculum map that shows how the learning outcomes will be met.
9. Staffing plan and course rotation plan: Upload the approved faculty staffing plan and course rotation plan. Faculty staffing plans should include the workload assignments for all faculty who will teach in the new program and a three-year schedule of the courses each faculty member will teach to meet workload requirements (including in other programs). Course rotation plans should include a three-year plan of which courses will be offered in which terms and how many sections of each will be necessary to ensure timely degree completion for all students.
10. Requirements and catalog information: New program initiators must work with the Office of the University Registrar to ensure that all program requirements and curriculum requirements are entered and adhere to institutional policies and best practices. Total required credit hours for new associate’s programs should generally not exceed 60 credit hours, new bachelor’s programs should generally not exceed 120 credit hours, and new master’s program should generally not exceed 30 credit hours. All undergraduate and master’s programs must include a proposed plan of study.
11. Program learning outcomes: Program learning outcomes should be clear, specific, and suited to the level and type of the degree. Program learning outcomes are those which all students who will complete the program will learn and gain during the program and which will be assessed by direct evidence in the assessment plan.