The stages of development and approval are additive, with various points of emphasis at each stage in the process. In addition to reviewing the content on this page, proposers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Office of the Provost Academic Plan Review website.
Program development
When developing a new undergraduate program, it is recommended to reach out to the Office of Undergraduate Education for assistance. When developing a new graduate program, it is recommended to reach out to the Graduate School’s Educational Policy Office and EVPP for assistance. New academic program proposals must articulate:
- Admission and Degree requirements
- Need and demand of the program
- Efficiency and effectiveness of degree completion
- Support and resources for students
- Statement of mission
- Support and resources for students
- Statement of mission
Departments can use the Coursedog Program Proposal Worksheet to guide the organization of this information.
Early consultation
Consultation is essential within the college, among other colleges, with institutional units, and across campus.
The Campus Curriculum Committee reviews new Undergraduate programs on the Twin Cities campus.
- Bachelor’s programs
- Minor programs when disciplinary overlap has been identified and not resolved
New Graduate programs on the Twin Cities campus are reviewed by either the Graduate Research Associate Deans (GrAD) and/or the Professional Education Council. For more information, please reach out to the Graduate Educational Policy Office and EVPP.
Note: It is recommended that for major program changes (e.g., discontinuation or name change of a program or department), key curricular contacts and college coordinators consult with their college’s Lead Development Officer (LDO) to identify whether the program is supported by any existing endowments which might require an MOU adjustment or other consultation. The college’s LDO should collaborate with UMF on the content and modality of any potential messaging.
Consultation Process Guidance
Adding or Changing Academic Plans
Establishing new academic plans – and revising existing plans – involves a process designed to identify stakeholders and provide them the opportunity to review and provide feedback.
Procedures for the development, review, and recommended action on proposals for new or changed academic plans are the responsibility of departments, colleges, and campus systems. Proposals must be fully vetted at the local level(s), based on those procedures, prior to the proposal and recommended action are forwarded to the Executive Vice President and Provost (EVPP) for review.
Early consultation within the college, among other departments and colleges, with institutional units, and across campus is strongly recommended. The EVPP staff also are available to provide guidance throughout the process.
Why do we need to consult with other colleges and units?
- Consultation fosters cross-campus communication and collaboration, ensures cross-college and institutional support, and identifies and addresses concerns of overlap between academic plans.
- EVPP-level review includes an assessment to identify areas where consultation among units is or may be necessary, and the decision to recommend approval is dependent upon evidence of support.
What does consultation involve?
- Consultation is advised even if units believe that the content of the proposed academic plan falls squarely within their mission and expertise.
- Units proposing a new or revised academic plan(s) should consult with other units to determine whether the University already offers a substantially similar plan.
- When a proposal lists coursework from other colleges, consultation should include assurance that the proposed courses are active, are expected to be taught in future, and do not restrict enrollment (or will be available by permission).
- When the faculty of the proposed academic plan span colleges, consultation should include the discussions about the expected impact on faculty workload (e.g., teaching and advising responsibilities), faculty members willing to be involved, and department/college approval for their involvement.
- If the name of the new academic plan is similar or may be perceived duplicative, the college of that academic plan should be consulted.
How does consultation take place?
- Consultation takes different forms and depends on the communication that exists between and among units. Early conversations and/or email exchanges among collegiate and campus leaders in the early stages of program development can assist in garnering official evidence of consultation (letters or emails of support) once the academic plan is in the final review and approval stages.
- For new undergraduate major program proposals on the Twin Cities campus, in addition to early consultation among colleges and units as described, the Campus Curriculum Committee (CCC) will review proposals once they make their way to the EVPP-level review phase. Cross college consultation must take place prior to sending a new course to the Campus Curriculum Committee. Steps in consultation should include:
- The collegiate approver sends new program proposals to all undergraduate associate deans on the Twin Cities Campus.
- After receiving responses from the associate deans, copy the compiled responses to Coursedog in the New Program Details: Evidence of Consultation. If the text is too large for Coursedog, it may be sent as a PDF with the proposal to the CCC.
- The CCC will review all letters of support and evidence of consultation as part of their process.
- For new graduate program proposals on the Twin Cities campus, in addition to early consultation among colleges and units as described, the Graduate Research Associate Deans (GrAD) and/or Professional Education Council will review proposals submitted for consultation prior to submission in Coursedog. If programs fail to seek early consultation, they will need to do so once their proposal reaches the EVPP-level review phase. Late consultation may result in delay in approval. All letters of support and evidence of consultation will be reviewed as part of this process.
- To submit graduate/research proposals for GrAD, please contact [email protected].
- To submit graduate/professional proposals for the Professional Education Council, please contact [email protected].
Letters or emails of support should include at minimum
- The specific name of the proposed academic plan.
- Indication that the proposal was reviewed by a specified leader on behalf of the collegiate unit. It must be clearly stated that the leader communicated with specified individuals in the college and is communicating support on behalf of the college.
- A clear statement of support from the collegiate unit.
Please contact Anne Barnes ([email protected]) in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost for questions or assistance related to new program consultation.
Evidence of Need and Demand
New academic programs need to submit an analysis of the need and demand for the new academic program. The analysis report must be included in the Coursedog Proposal as an uploaded document in the "Evidence of Consultation" section of Coursedog. This analysis must include:
- Societal needs and expectations
- Employment needs, job data, employer consultation (must include employment data from organizations such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, MN DEED, etc.).
- Enrollment data for similar programs
- Data reflecting student interest, demand, or benefit (short- and long-term)
Process for new programs
Academic department and college approve the new program proposal in Coursedog and submit the sample plan(s) by the deadlines listed.
Proposal Type Effective Term Undergraduate Graduate BoR Review Fall* January 1 January 1 BoR Review Spring May 1 May 1 Updates Fall* March 1 March 1 Updates Spring October 1 October 1 *Program updates with a fall effective term are preferred. Significant changes effective spring term should be avoided. - Office of Undergraduate Education review
- CCC Review
- Send evidence of consultation and any relevant documents to the CCC to Jessica Kuecker Grotjohn at [email protected].
- CCC reviews new programs and responds within two weeks.
- Board of Regents Review
- APAS development
Note: It is recommended that, following a major program change (e.g., discontinuation or name change of a program or department), key curricular contacts and college coordinators consult with their college’s alumni relations contact to determine whether a communication to graduates of the program, would be appropriate and, if so, how that should happen. The college alumni relations leader should then collaborate with UMAA on the content of the message, which might include addressing potential concerns about practical and relational issues.
Undergraduate Degrees at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities:
Descriptions of undergraduate degrees were developed by the Twin Cities Campus Curriculum Committee to assist in our review of new program proposals on the Twin Cities Campus. The degrees could be offered by any college and the descriptions are intended to provide direction for faculty and units when considering the development of a new undergraduate academic program.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
B.A. degrees provide coursework within a specific discipline but also allow for breadth of coursework across diverse areas. Through program elective courses, students are encouraged to explore interdisciplinary connections. B.A. degrees often include a second language requirement.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
B.S. degrees provide coursework within a specific discipline and also allow for depth of coursework within the sciences. Coursework exposes students to analytical, quantitative, or investigative methods. B.S. degrees also may have an applied or professional component. Program elective courses are often specified to provide more depth in the discipline.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
B.F.A. degrees generally are highly specialized and provide coursework for students who plan to pursue a professional career in the visual arts, design, or the performing arts. Program elective courses are often specified to provide more depth in the field.
Disciplinary Named Degrees
These degrees are titled Bachelors of [Discipline] and provide coursework in the specific discipline. Program elective courses are often specified to provide more depth in the discipline.
Postbaccalaureate Degrees at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities:
Descriptions of postbaccalaureate degrees were developed by the Graduate School and Provost’s Office to assist in our review of new program proposals. The degrees can be offered by any college and the descriptions are intended to provide direction for faculty and units when considering the development of a new graduate academic program. Programs can be designated as either research or professional, but not both.
Graduate degree plans span traditional, research-based programs as well as focused training programs aligned with professional practice and may be offered as Master’s, Ph.D., or Profession-specific Doctoral degrees.
Graduate Degree Definitions
Research Degrees: Focus on contributing to academia and discovery through the generation of new knowledge and theory.
Professional Degrees: Prepare individuals for specialization and licensure within an industry. The emphasis is on expanding and improving existing knowledge and skills within professional disciplines.
Master of Arts (M.A.)
M.A. degrees provide coursework within a specific discipline and allow for breadth of training across diverse areas including, but not limited to the arts, humanities, and social sciences. M.A. degrees generally include a research component that may culminate in a master’s thesis at the time of degree completion. Traditionally considered a graduate research degree, programs with only a Plan C offering may best align with a professional education classification.
Master of Science (M.S.)
M.S. degrees provide coursework within a specific discipline and allow for depth of coursework within the sciences or social sciences. Coursework exposes students to analytical, quantitative, qualitative, or investigative methods. While a major portion of an M.S. degree program involves research or creative activity and original scholarship, they may also have applied or professional components. Program elective courses are often specified to provide more depth in the discipline.
Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
M.F.A. degrees generally are highly specialized and provide coursework for students who plan to pursue a professional career in the visual arts, design, or the performing arts. Program elective courses are often specified to provide more depth in the field. Degree plans emphasizing artistic research are considered graduate degrees, while programs offering Plan C M.F.A. degrees could be considered professional in nature.
Master’s Plan Types:
- Plan A is intended to be a research-based degree program in which students complete a master’s thesis based on original research.
- Plan B is intended to be an applied research-based degree program in which students complete a final project or paper at the end of their degree program.
- Plan C is intended to be a coursework-only degree program in which students focus on mastery of their subject matter through rigorous coursework requirements.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
A Ph.D. is a terminal academic degree focused on original research, with requirements including advanced coursework, a preliminary exam, and a dissertation or thesis that makes a novel empirical or theoretical contribution to the field. The program structure, coursework, and research focus vary. All programs are designed for careers in research, teaching, or a related professional role.
Disciplinary Named Degrees
These degrees carry the naming convention Master of [Discipline] or Doctor of [Discipline] and provide coursework in a specific discipline with a focus on applied or professional components (e.g. M.Ed., J.D. PharmD, etc.). Some professional doctorates do require a culminating thesis component, however, many disciplinary degrees do not culminate in research or original scholarship. Program elective courses are often specified to provide more depth in the discipline. Restricted degree category for professional, non-research graduate degrees.
Those programs offering master’s degrees that are not an M.A., M.S., or M.F.A. may emphasize applied or professional coursework rather than original research.
Characteristics of a graduate degree program often include:
- A major portion of the degree program involves research or creative activity and original scholarship.
- A master’s degree option that requires a thesis comprising original scholarship conducted by the students (Plan A or Plan B).
- Offering a Ph.D. degree option.
- A master’s degree option that requires an examination committee comprising graduate education faculty to assess a student’s readiness for degree completion.
- A master’s degree option that requires the completion of a research paper or a report of a research project.
Characteristics of a professional degree program often include:
- A major portion of the degree program focuses on profession-specific topics and skills.
- A requirement for specialty program external accreditation.
- A period of focused training at a location external to a University Campus (i.e., healthcare facility, business, or classroom).
- Professional licensure for practice pre- or post-degree completion.
- A master’s degree option (Plan C).
- Offering a professional Doctorate in a specified field.