Academic Program and Unit Proposals

Proposals for new academic programs or organizational units go through extensive internal and external review procedures, managed by Academic Affairs, after department/school and college-level approvals.

Use the CourseLeaf Program Form to create or change academic programs, including degrees, majors, certificates, concentrations, and minors. The CourseLeaf Program Form should be used to request name changes, discontinue a program and/or to change the delivery mode to an online program. 

Creation and changes to organizational units are exempt from using the CourseLeaf Program Form. 

Learn more about the specific proposal guidelines and the review procedures for the following types of proposals: 

Organizational Unit
Degrees & Majors
Certificates
Minor & Concentration

New Organizational Units

Proposals for the creation of a new academic unit such as a College, Department, School, Center, or Institute - as well as any significant changes to an existing academic unit (merging of two units into one or splitting one unit into multiple units) undergo extensive internal and external review. 

Once the proposal is submitted to Academic Affairs, it takes approximately one year to go through the approval process. 

Please note that organizational unit proposals do not go through the CourseLeaf Program Form. Please email Keristiena S. Dodge with the following required documentation:

Required Documents

To establish a new organizational unit or to make significant changes to an existing unit, please submit the following documents:

Review & Approval Process

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Degrees & Majors

Proposals for the creation of a new degree or majors require internal and external review. Please use the CourseLeaf Program Form to create a new major or degree. 

Majors share the following elements:

• Majors consist of a minimum of 30 hours of undergraduate or graduate coursework;
  • Majors are discipline and content specific with a coherent plan of study;
    (Ensure that the program of study follows the appropriate undergraduate or graduate academic guidelines)
  • Majors have limited overlap with other majors;
  • Majors provide both depth and breadth within a specific-content area; and
  • Majors are not printed on diplomas, but recognized on transcripts.

To create a new degree or major, please submit the following:

Review & Approval Process

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New Certificates

Proposals for the creation of an undergraduate or graduate certificate require internal and external review. Please use the CourseLeaf Program Form to create a new certificate. 

Certificates share the following elements:

• Certificates generally consist of 12-18 hours of coursework;
  (Ensure that the program of study follows the appropriate undergraduate or graduate academic guidelines)
• Certificates provide an opportunity for a recognized specific set of skills and knowledge;
• With departmental approval, the certificate coursework may be applied to a graduate or undergraduate degree program; and
• Certificates provide an independent or professional credential that is awarded in addition to, or independently from, a graduate or undergraduate degree.

To establish a new certificate, please submit the following:

Review & Approval Process

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New Minors & Concentration

Minors share the following elements:

• Minors generally consist of 12-18 hours of undergraduate coursework, or 9 hours of graduate coursework;
• Minors provide an opportunity for a secondary set of skills and knowledge in addition to a major; 
• Minors cover an area outside of the major; and
• Minors are recognized on transcripts.

Concentrations share the following elements:

• Concentrations are a subset of a major with a limited number of hours required;
• Concentrations generally consist of 12-18 undergraduate credit hours or at least 9 graduate credit hours. The BMS concentrations have 30 hours of coursework;
• Concentrations share a core set of requirements for the major;
• Concentrations may overlap with other concentrations within a major; 
• Concentrations have some distinct or unique requirements that differentiate from other concentrations or within the major; and
• Concentrations are recognized on transcripts.

Please use the CourseLeaf Program Form to create a minor or concentration. Please submit the following:

Review & Approval Process

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