The type of program request determines the levels of review and approval required for approval.  Table 1 presents the level of approval for each proposal type.  The time to final approval is influenced by the individual levels of review required.  Major revisions or new degree programs can take more than 6 months before final approval depending on the timing of BOT meetings and the timing of ODHE reviews.  Please plan accordingly. Please note that revisions may be requested at each level of approval. Such requests may extend the timeline beyond what is presented below.  For programs that include online courses, please review the Online Program Considerations and ensure compliance with those requirements before submitting your proposal.

General review process workflow

1. Degree program approval by the unit (e.g., Department Chair, Graduate Studies Curriculum Committee, Curriculum Committee, College Dean or Academic Dean).
2. Review by relevant college leadership for approval.   A letter of support from the Dean or Associate Dean for Academic Affairs must be included in subsequent reviews.
3. Submission of the proposal by the program, department or college to the Graduate School for GS/CAA review* by one of the following methods:
   1. Submission using the curriculum portal. 
   2. New degree programs should be submitted to curriculum.osu.edu per OAA guidelines. 
   3. We welcome questions regarding curricular processes.  Please submit those to Grad-SchoolCurriculum@osu.edu. 
4. Review and approval by the combined Graduate School – Council on Academic Affairs (GS/CAA) subcommittee
   1. Proposals are typically reviewed within 2 weeks of receipt during AU and SP semesters. 
   2. Proposals must be submitted at least one week in advance of meeting dates. Allow at least 1 month for approval to allow for addressing possible revisions. 

Estimated timeframe for reviews

• Please note that GS/CAA does not meet during SU semesters.
• Review and approval by the Council on Academic Affairs (CAA)
  • Estimate up to 1 month for review.
• Review and approval by Senate 
  • Estimate up to 1 month for review. 
• Review and approval by Board of Trustees 
  • Meets 4 times/year, typically in August, November, February, and May.
• Review and approval by the Chancellor’s Council on Graduate Studies (CCGS) and ODHE 
  • Meets every other month
  • Estimate 2-3 months for review and approval processing

Once a proposal is fully approved at all required levels, further University processing is required.

1. University Registrar builds the program in the Student Information System 
2. Graduate and Professional Admissions builds the admission application.

• Estimate up to 1-2 months. 
• Table 1.  Approval levels required for each type of curricular proposal.

Table 1. Approval Level by each type of curricular proposal

Approval Process Additional Notes

X* Reviewed by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs on ad-hoc submission basis                                                                                                                  

"X**  

CCGS review required:

1. If the certificate requires 21 or more credit hours.
2. If the certificate is for teacher licensure, endorsement, and teacher preparation-continuing programs, then contact the education dean in EHE who will submit an electronic Initial Inquiry form through the ODHE’s online degree tracking proposal system for educator preparation/teacher licensure requests."                                                                                                         

X*** Submitted as part of annual report submitted by the Graduate School, however no formal review is completed                                                                                                                 

X**** Only required for revisions that are over 50% change          

Units that plan to offer graduate level online degree and academic certificate programs should consult with Ohio State Online. Ideally, the unit has engaged Ohio State Online for market research and have had conversations around viability and the structure/design of an effective online program prior to college-level approval, so programs understand the cost, projected enrollments, and resources associated with launching a new online program. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) for programs that include a pathway for students to complete at least 50% of the program online should be initiated once a proposal passes the departmental or college curricular committees. The MOU with Ohio State Online must be included with the proposal when submitting to the Graduate School for review at GS/CAA. 

The Graduate School will be unable to review any proposals for online programs without a completed MOU with Ohio State Online. 

“The Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) has been charged by the General Assembly with the responsibility to approve, approve with stipulations, or disapprove all new degrees and new degree programs to be offered by institutions of higher education in the State of Ohio. As part of the process needed to fulfill this general charge, the Chancellor has delegated the responsibility for the assessment of new graduate degree programs to the Chancellor’s Council on Graduate Studies (CCGS), which is composed of the graduate deans of the Ohio universities. Graduate program evaluation by CCGS leads to a formal recommendation and report from CCGS to the Chancellor. Responsibility for the final program decision, however, rests with the Chancellor. Program assessment and evaluation are based on the criteria provided in the CCGS Guidelines and Procedures for Review and Approval of Graduate Degree Programs.”

As a member of CCGS, Ohio State programs that are creating new programs or significantly revising degree programs (more than 50% change) are required to complete additional steps as part of the statewide review process. Please see the Determining the Scale of Program Revision section of these guidelines for guidance on calculating the percent change for your proposal. 

Academic units that are creating new programs should request the Fiscal Impact Statement Form and CCGS Proposal Template from the Graduate School. Strict adherence to these documents is required for approval at the State level.

Registrar Form

As part of all program submissions through the Graduate School, we ask that programs complete the Curriculum Proposal Checklist for submission to the University Registrar’s Office once the proposal has been fully reviewed. Please contact Curriculum Services in the Graduate School or the University Registrar’s Office if you need a copy of this form.

General Proposal Format

We recommend that proposals follow a general format that includes Cover Material, Introductory Material, Curricular Information, Program Implementation, and in some cases Supporting Material.  Each section includes necessary elements as follows:

General Proposal Template

Cover material

1. A Cover letter/memo to the Vice Provost for Academic Programs that includes:
   1. The academic unit originating the proposal, and one or two paragraphs briefly describing any action requested of the Council on Academic Affairs.
   2. Attachments should be explicitly listed.
   3. Any programs that collaborate with the program or any relevant curricular approval bodies within the college, program, or department from the originating unit should be copied.
2. An executive summary or introductory paragraph describing the action to be initiated.
3. An overview of the committees at the department, college, and university level have reviewed and approved the proposal.
4. Cover letters from the unit’s academic dean or curricular representative verifying that the proposal has been approved at the department and college levels.

Introductory material

1. A section with background information detailing the rationale and describing the events, history, and/or relevant actions that motivated the proposal and the steps taken in its development.
2. Comparative data from other institutions with similar programs if available.
3. A description of the types of interactions with faculty, students, accrediting agencies, alumni, professional organizations, and other interested parties that informed program development. 
   1. OPTIONAL:  It may be useful to include minutes from meetings, faculty vote results, survey results, letters of support, etc. which offer valuable insight into the nature of the consultative process.
   2. OPTIONAL: Any additional supporting documents referred to in the proposal (meeting minutes, or memos).

Curricular information

1. Provide a detailing of the degree under consideration. Include all course prefixes, numbers, and titles used by the University Registrar. In addition, include course modalities.  For reference, these are In Person (P, 0-24% Online), Hybrid (H, 25-74% Online), Distance Enhanced (DH, 75%-99% Online) or Distance Learning (DL, 100% Online). It is recommended these are presented as tables with corresponding titles and headers.
2. Courses in development should state at what level of review they are at the time of program submission and include short form syllabi. 

Program Implementation

1. Describe how students will be informed of the program? 
2. Describe how students will be advised regarding the opportunities and challenges associated with the option? 
3. Describe how the success of the program will be assessed? 
4. Specific actions and any corollary issues (positive and negative) that will arise from implementation.  Frequently addressed issues include but are not limited to the following:
5. How the proposal will affect specific groups/constituencies (faculty, graduate/undergraduate students, staff, alumni, accrediting organizations, etc)?
6. What programmatic changes will take place internally?
7. How the program will affect students, faculty, and staff outside the proposing unit?
8. Does the content of the proposal overlap in scope or substance with the interests of other units?  If so, the concurrence of those units must be sought.
9. A summary of the adequacy and availability of resources including but not limited to fiscal impact statements, commitments of funding from any sources, and memoranda of understanding between collaborating units.

Supplementary Material to be listed in Appendices

1. Advising Sheet(s) for students to use to track their progress through the degree program
2. Any other relevant attachments for this proposal (e.g., PDF of website content such as degree tracks or recommended electives)
3. Letters of concurrence as appropriate

Additional Considerations:

1. If the program is to be delivered with 50% or more of activities occurring online, an MOU with OTDI is necessary. Please see the Online Program Considerations of these guidelines for additional information. 
2. If the program is an international, inter-institutional cooperating degree, please see the International Cooperative Degree Considerations section of these guidelines.

The section below provides guidance on how to develop curricular proposals for new graduate programs.  These are:

1. Combined undergraduate/graduate programs
2. Dual Master’s/Professional Doctorate and PhD Graduate Programs
3. Combined Professional and Graduate Programs
4. PhD or MS degree programs

We strongly recommend using these guidelines to develop new curricular proposals for new Graduate Programs to promote an efficient review and implementation process. 

New Combined Undergraduate and Graduate Program

The purpose of combined programs is to give outstanding undergraduate students an opportunity to pursue two degrees simultaneously thereby reducing the time required to complete both sets of degree requirements. Students in combined Bachelor’s and Master’s programs are enrolled concurrently in the Graduate School and an undergraduate college or school. The Graduate School Handbook (Section 8.1) provides information about combined programs.

In addition to the general proposal template, curricular proposals for new combined undergraduate and graduate programs should include the following in the relevant sections:

Curricular information

1. Provide the following Bachelor’s Degree Information:
   1. College
   2. Department 
   3. Title of Bachelor’s Degree
   4. Name of Primary Contact
   5. Email of Primary Contact
2. Provide the following Master’s Degree Information:
   1. College
   2. Department
   3. Title of Master’s Degree
   4. Master’s Degree Option (Thesis, Non-Thesis, or Course Based)
   5. Name of Primary Contact
   6. Email of Primary Contact
3. Provide the following Combined Program Information:
   1. Bachelor’s Degree Minimum Credit Hours (before double counting)
   2. Master’s Degree Minimum Credit Hours (before double counting)
   3. Credit Hours with double counting toward the Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree (maximum double counting is 9 credit hours)
   4. Unique combined program credit hours ((Bachelor’s Degree Minimum Credit hours + Master’s Degree Minimum Credit hours) – Credit Hours with double counting toward the Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree)

Program Implementation

1. Describe how the program will ensure that students meet the expected baccalaureate program outcomes before the baccalaureate degree is awarded?
2. Describe how the success of the combined program will be monitored? 
3. Describe the options available for students who wish to leave the combined program with a bachelor’s degree before finishing the graduate level work.

New Dual Master’s/Professional Doctorate and PhD Graduate Program

A dual degree program is the concurrent pursuit of a Master’s degree and any other graduate degree (Master’s, PhD, or a Professional Doctorate). Dual program proposals must include currently existing degree programs only. 

If one of the dual programs is a new degree program, please reference the guidelines for proposing new degrees in these guidelines. In such circumstances, a new dual degree proposal may be submitted after successful approval of the new program.

Any students that participate in a dual Master’s/Professional Doctorate and PhD Graduate Program are enrolled concurrently in the Graduate School and in a Professional school. The dual program does not apply to students pursuing a master’s and a PhD in the same graduate program. Students cannot pursue two PhD programs concurrently at Ohio State. 

In addition to the general proposal template, curricular proposals for new dual Master’s/Professional Doctorate and PhD Graduate Program should include the following in the relevant sections:

Introductory material

1. A description of the admission process and criteria (see Graduate School Handbook, Section 8.2 and/or online information about Applying for a Dual Degree). 
2. A description of how students will be assigned advisors and the role of the advisor. 

Curricular material

1. Provide the following Master’s/Professional Doctorate/PhD Degree Information:
   1. College
   2. Department 
   3. Master’s/Professional Doctorate/PhD Degree 
   4. If Master’s Degree, List Option (Thesis, Non-Thesis, or Course Based)
   5. Name of Primary Contact
   6. Email of Primary Contact
2. Provide the following Master’s/Professional Doctorate Degree Information:
   1. College
   2. Department
   3. Master’s/Professional Doctorate Degree 
   4. If Master’s Degree, List Option (Thesis, Non-Thesis, or Course Based)
   5. Name of Primary Contact
   6. Email of Primary Contact
3. Provide the following Dual Degree Program Information:
   1. Master’s/Professional Doctorate/PhD Degree Minimum Credit Hours (before double counting)
   2. Master’s/Professional Doctorate Degree Minimum Credit Hours (before double counting)
   3. Credit Hours with double counting toward the dual degree program
4. A minimum of 50 percent of the hours counted toward the credit hour requirement for each degree must be unique to that degree and cannot be used for dual credit. The Graduate Studies Committee of either program may establish a minimum higher than 50 percent.
5. Provide a detailing of the Master’s/Professional Doctorate/PhD degree only, the Master’s/Professional Doctorate degree only, and the overlapping credits only. Each of these should include all course prefixes, numbers, and titles used by the University Registrar. Additionally, identify any course that is offered as In Person (P, 0-24% Online), Hybrid (H, 25-74% Online), Distance Enhanced (DH, 75%-99% Online) or Distance Learning (DL, 100% Online). It is recommended these are presented as tables with corresponding titles and headers. 

Program Implementation

1. Include a statement of whether learning goals, program objectives, and/or the assessment plan will change for the dual degree program or each degree program. 
   1. If there are no changes for the dual degree program or each degree program, please state in the proposal. 
   2. If there are changes, the plan should be focused on the program rather than the level of individual students or courses. The subcommittee recommends contacting the Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning (DITL) for assistance with developing an assessment program. 
      1. Indirect Measures, including: Number of applications to the program, Quality of the applicant pool (cGPA, diversity), Admissions to the program (% admitted, % matriculated), Student surveys (program satisfaction during enrollment), Student evaluations of instruction (Course satisfaction), Retention rates, Graduation rates, Cumulative student GPAs, Time-to-Certificate, Exit surveys at graduation, Alumni surveys (applicable employment, use of certificate). 
      2. Direct Measures, including: Specific student evaluations to assess attainment of each specialized program association (SPA) competency, e.g., proportion of students exceeding and meeting expectations associated with each of the SPAs (this can be collected as a set of numbers that can be compared over years of the program to measure student success and make targeted changes to increase it), cumulative course performance.

New Combined Professional and Graduate Program

Students in combined programs are enrolled concurrently in the Graduate School and in a professional college or school. The purpose of combined programs is to give outstanding students an opportunity to pursue, simultaneously, two degrees in different colleges or schools by reducing the amount of time required to complete both sets of degree requirements. 

In addition to the general proposal template, curricular proposals for new combined professional and graduate programs should include the following in the relevant sections:

Introductory Material

1. A description of the admission process and criteria (see Graduate School Handbook, Section 8.1.4 and/or information about Applying for a Combined Degree). 
2. A description of how students will be assigned advisors and the role of the advisor. 

Curricular Material

1. Provide the following Professional Degree Information:
   1. College
   2. Department 
   3. Professional Degree 
   4. Name of Primary Contact
   5. Email of Primary Contact
2. Provide the following Graduate Degree Information:
   1. College
   2. Department
   3. Graduate Degree 
   4. If Master’s Degree, List Option (Thesis, Non-Thesis, or Course Based)
   5. Name of Primary Contact
   6. Email of Primary Contact
3. Provide the following Combined Degree Program Information:
   1. Professional Degree Minimum Credit Hours (before double counting)
   2. Graduate Degree Minimum Credit Hours (before double counting)
   3. Credit Hours with double counting toward the combined degree program
      1. For a professional/master’s combined program, then a minimum of 50% of the credits for a master’s program must be unique to the master’s degree only. For example: 
      2. If a master’s program requires a minimum of 30 credit hours, then at least 15 credit hours must be unique to graduate coursework completed toward fulfillment of the master’s degree.
      3. For a professional/doctoral combined program, then a maximum of 15 credit hours taken in the professional program can be applied toward fulfillment of the 80 credit hours required for the doctoral degree.
4. Provide a detailing of the Master’s/Professional Doctorate/PhD degree only, the Master’s/Professional Doctorate degree only, and the overlapping credits only. Each of these should include all course prefixes, numbers, and titles used by the University Registrar. Additionally, identify any course that is offered as In Person (P, 0-24% Online), Hybrid (H, 25-74% Online), Distance Enhanced (DH, 75%-99% Online) or Distance Learning (DL, 100% Online). It is recommended these are presented as tables with corresponding titles and headers. 

Program Implementation

1. Attach the existing (or revised) learning goals and assessment plans for each degree program. The assessment plan should be focused at the program rather than at the level of individual students or courses. The subcommittee recommends contacting the Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning (DITL) for assistance with developing an assessment program. 
   1. Indirect Measures, including: Number of applications to the program, Quality of the applicant pool (cGPA, diversity), Admissions to the program (% admitted, % matriculated), Student surveys (program satisfaction during enrollment), Student evaluations of instruction (Course satisfaction), Retention rates, Graduation rates, Cumulative student GPAs, Time-to-Certificate, Exit surveys at graduation, Alumni surveys (applicable employment, use of certificate). 
   2. Direct Measures, including: Specific student evaluations to assess attainment of each specialized program association (SPA) competency, e.g., proportion of students exceeding and meeting expectations associated with each of the SPAs (this can be collected as a set of numbers that can be compared over years of the program to measure student success and make targeted changes to increase it), cumulative course performance.

New Degree Program

If you are proposing a new Master’s or PhD degree program, please be sure to review the Ohio Department of Higher Education considerations section of these guidelines as there are additional requirements. Additionally, please contact the Graduate School at Grad-SchoolCurriculum@osu.edu for the CCGS Proposal Template and the ODHE Fiscal Impact Statement).  Adherence to these documents facilitates approval at the State level.

In addition to the general proposal template, curricular proposals for new graduate degree programs should include the following in the relevant sections:

Introductory Material

1. If proposing to develop a separate new master’s degree program from a currently offered and previously approved doctoral program, the narrative should address the following: 
   1. Explain whether the program will be advertised for new students to be recruited to the program, or whether it is only for doctoral students who are not continuing or planning to defend their dissertation. 
   2. Explain if new students will (or will not) be recruited directly into the new master’s program. 
   3. Explain the retention rates of the program and how often the program anticipates that existing doctoral students will seek the master’s degree because they are not continuing or planning to defend their dissertation. 
2. Basic characteristics of the proposed educational program as indicated below
   1. The full name of the proposed program and designation, rationale for that designation, definition of the focus of the program, and a brief description of its disciplinary purpose and significance. 
   2. Total minimum semester hours required for completion of the program. 
   3. Normal or typical length of time for students to complete the program. 
   4. Proposed initial date for the implementation of the program. 
   5. Primary target audience for the program (e.g., full-time, part-time, traditional college age, working adults, transfer students, military personnel).
3. State whether the degree will be offered in person, or if it will be offered 50% or more as a distance program (online or blended). 
4. Explain whether students will begin and matriculate through the degree as a cohort or self-paced. 
5. Indicate whether the program will limit enrollment to a given number of students and whether it will be possible for domestic and international students to enroll in the program. 
6. Special efforts to enroll and retain underrepresented groups in the given discipline:
   1. Plan to ensure recruitment, retention, and graduation of groups underrepresented within the discipline. 
   2. Provide as a background a general assessment of: (a) Institutional and departmental profiles of total enrollment and graduate student enrollment of underrepresented groups within the discipline, and (b) Compare underrepresented groups degree recipients from the department and university at all levels to national norms. Supply data by group where available. 
7. For entry level graduate degree programs, the narrative should address the following questions: 
   1. How is the program distinctly different, both conceptually and qualitatively, from undergraduate degree programs in the same or related discipline? 
   2. How does the program emphasize the theoretical basis of the discipline as expressed in the methods of inquiry and ways of knowing in the discipline? 
   3. How does the program place emphasis on professional decision making and teach the use of critical analysis in problem solving? 
   4. How is the program designed to educate students broadly so that they understand the major issues and concerns in the discipline or professional area? 
   5. How does the program curriculum offer what students need to know for competence at the expected level of professional expertise? 
   6. What plans have been made to address standards and guidelines for professional accreditation, if applicable?
8. For research graduate degree programs such as the Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), the proposal narrative must explain how the degree program involves preparation to carry out significant research and to discover new knowledge, regardless of whether the particular field of learning is pure or applied. 
9. For professional graduate degree programs such as Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Social Work (MSW) or Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), the narrative must address the following questions:
   1. What admission criteria, in addition to the traditionally required transcripts, standardized test scores, letter of recommendation, and personal statements of purpose, are relevant to assess the potential for academic and professional success of prospective students? Will there be special consideration of student experience and extant practice skills within the admission process? If so, please elaborate. 
   2. Is field/clinical experience subsumed within the academic experience? If so, how does that experience relate to the academic and professional success of prospective students? Will there be special consideration of student experience and extant practical skills within the admission process? If so, please elaborate. 
   3. Are the faculty qualifications associated with the professional graduate degree program appropriate for such faculty? Provide the qualifications for such faculty. 
   4. How does accreditation by the appropriate professional organization relate to the academic curriculum and experience outlined in the program plan? Describe the specific aspects of the program plan, if any, that are necessary to achieve professional accreditation. Is completion of the degree program required for professional accreditation in the field? 
   5. How are theory and practice integrated within the curriculum? 
   6. What is the national credit hour norm for this degree program in your field? How was this norm derived? Is the number of credit hours required for graduation influenced by mandated professional experiences? If so, how? 
   7. Describe the required culminating academic experience and how it will contribute to the enhancement of the student’s professional preparation.

Curricular material

1. A detailing of the proposed curriculum, with all course numbers listed with the precise prefixes, numbers, and titles as used by the University Registrar. It is recommended these are presented as tables with corresponding titles and headers.
   1. Include the requirements students must fulfill to complete the program successfully (including specific courses, course options, and any other requirements)? 
   2. Identify any course that will be In Person (P, 0-24% Online), Hybrid (H, 25-74% Online), Distance Enhanced (DH, 75%-99% Online) or Distance Learning (DL, 100% Online).
   3. Identify courses that exist versus those that have or will be proposed. 
   4. Describe any specialization(s) intended to appear on the student transcript. 
2. Include information about the required culminating, or integrated learning, assessment for the degree (e.g., thesis, non-thesis exam, capstone project, candidacy exam, dissertation, etc.).

Program Implementation

1. Describe institutional planning for the program including:
   1. What are the physical facilities and equipment and staff needed to support the program? Indicate the impact that the proposed program will have on the physical resources and laboratories that currently accommodate existing programs and services or identify new laboratory and preceptor needs. If new staffing is needed to support these facilities or if new staff are needed for the program, please discuss. 
   2. What is the evidence that a market for the new program exists? How has estimated program demand been factor into realistic enrollment projections? How has this evidence been used in planning and budgeting processes to develop a quality program that can be sustained? 
      1. Provide evidence of need for the new degree program, including the opportunities for employment of graduates. Examples of potential metrics of program need include:
         1. Student interest and demand – Potential enrollment; Ability to maintain the critical mass of students. 
         2. Institutional need – Plan for overall development of graduate programs at the proposing institution.
         3. Societal demand – Intellectual development; Advancement of the discipline; Employment opportunities. 
         4. Scope – Local, regional, and national needs; International need.
   3. Statewide alternatives for the degree
2. Programs available in other OH institutions and how they may differ from the program being proposed; 
3. Appropriateness of specific locale for the program; and 
4. Opportunities for inter-institutional collaboration.
5. Anticipated growth of the program:
6. E.g., if the program request is approved, what future growth do you anticipate (e.g., in the next six months, three years) and how do you plan to manage this growth?
7. Institutional staffing, faculty, and student support
   1. How many and what types of faculty (full-time and part-time) will be employed in the program? Why is the number and type of faculty sufficient to support the program? How many, if any, new faculty will be hired for the program? 
   2. What are the administrative arrangements for the proposed program: department and school or college involved? 
   3. In addition to the 2-page CV of the program’s faculty, please complete the faculty matrix provided in the CCGS Proposal Template and embed it in the Proposal. 
8. Learning goals and an assessment plan for all program objectives. The plan should be focused at the program rather than at the level of individual students or courses. The subcommittee recommends contacting the Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning (DITL) for assistance with developing an assessment program. 

Supplementary Material

1. Completed Fiscal Impact Statement Form
2. Completed CCGS Proposal Template 

Type of Revision

When revising degree programs there are different considerations you should take as you prepare your proposal. These considerations include:

Degree Title Change

A degree title change involves changing the degree program from a traditional graduate program to tagged or terminal degree program without making curricular revisions. For example, this could include changing a Master of Dental Hygiene to a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene. These changes require the completion of a change request form for a ‘Degree Title Change.’  This form states why the title change is proposed and contains sufficient information to justify the change. The Chancellor’s Office and the members of CCGS review the request. Although replacing a disciplinary degree (e.g., Ph.D. in Psychology) with a sub-disciplinary degree (e.g., Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology) may constitute a title change, replacing a sub-disciplinary degree with a disciplinary degree does not.

Curricular proposals for the degree title change should use the general proposal template with the following additional elements:

  Program implementation

1. Describe the impact of the revision on students currently in the program
2. Provide a transition plan that ensures no negative outcomes for current students arising from the title change
3. Present any financial impacts to the program
4. If applicable, share if accreditation agencies have been informed of the revisions and any impacts on accreditation.

Degree Name Change

A degree name change is adjusting the name of a degree program at the same level (e.g. Master of Arts to Master of Science). For example, this could be updating a degree program from a Master of Science in Computer Science to a Master of Science in Computer Science and Technology. These requests require a full proposal as for a new degree program and review by CCGS. 

Note that it is common for programs to wish to accomplish more than one type of degree revision when proposing degree name changes, so it is important to include all revisions in the proposal. 

If you are proposing to revise a degree program that result in 50% or more change, please be sure to review the Ohio Department of Higher Education considerations section of these guidelines as there are additional requirements. Additionally, please contact the Graduate School at Grad-SchoolCurriculum@osu.edu for the CCGS Proposal Template and the ODHE Fiscal Impact Statement.

Degree Curricular Change

A degree curricular change involves revising the curriculum. These are the most common types of degree revisions. For example, this can include adjust the course offerings, updating course title, updating elective courses, or making more significant curricular revisions such as moving a program to online or hybrid delivery or significantly revising the required courses of the program.   These revisions require further considerations presented below.

Determining the Scale of a Program Revision

As stated in the OAA Handbook “it is understood that there is subjectivity to whether or when a program meets the threshold requiring CAA review and approval.”  A ‘small-scale’ revision of a program occurs when a program is changed by a maximum of 10% of curricular components.  The threshold is determined by whichever is the greater number of credits. For a 60-credit program, the threshold would be the 10% or by six credit hours.  For a 15-credit certificate program, the threshold would be 1.5 credits. CAA review and approval is required when the 10% threshold is met or exceeded.  Revisions that are <10% can be submitted to the Graduate School and subsequently to CAA as an informational item.

Percent change is defined by changing one or more of three criteria: 

1. Changing the meaning of expected learning outcomes (ELOs). Please note that the Academic Organization, Curriculum, and Assessment Handbook Page 40 states ‒ If the wording or grammar of an ELO changes, but its meaning and intent do not, the ELO is not changed by this criterion and would not count towards the 10% change. 
2. Adding a course to a program, removing a course from a program, or changing a course from ‘required’ to ‘elective’ or ‘elective’ to ‘required’ within the curriculum. 
3. Changing the mode of delivery of a course (50% or more of formalized instruction is provided in a different delivery mode than what was originally approved). This includes adding a section or sections delivered by different delivery modes (e.g., adding a section of hybrid (HY), distance enhanced (DH), or distance learning (DL) to an approved in-person (P) course). Current modes of delivery can be found on the Registrar’s website.

Programs are responsible for monitoring courses, particularly for changes to online delivery. As stated above, the decision to bring program revisions to CAA are made by the Vice Provost for Academic Programs, and the final decision is made at this person’s discretion. However, when an item is presented to CAA as an informational item by the Vice Provost for Academic Programs, acting as vice chair of CAA, CAA has the authority to determine that a subcommittee review and vote are needed.  If a proposal is brought to CAA as informational item and CAA determines a full review and vote is needed, the proposal will be entered into the subcommittee review process for an eventual vote for approval by CAA.

Examples of programmatic revisions: 

Example 1: A graduate program that consists of 60 credits makes significant adjustments to the ELOs of two courses that total 5 credits.  Because it does not exceed 10%, this does not trigger a mandatory review by CAA and can be communicated to the Graduate School and CAA as an informational item at the discretion of the Vice Provost for Academic Programs.

Example 2: The same 60-credit program replaces three courses in its curriculum (9 credits), adds a new required course that had previously been an elective, lowered the number of elective credits from 12 to 9 to keep the total credits at 60. This exceeds the 10% threshold and requires GS/CAA and CAA review. 

Example 3: A five-course, 15-credit certificate program replaces one required 3-credit course with a new required course. This represents a 20% change, but it is a change to only one course. Therefore, this does not trigger a mandatory review by CAA, and can be delivered to the Graduate School and CAA as an informational item at the discretion of the Vice Provost for Academic Programs. 

Large-scale program revisions 

Programs undergoing a 50% or greater change will require review and approval by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) by submitting a Curriculum Modification change request form to CCGS.  This form is available from the Graduate School. To determine whether a change counts toward the 50% threshold, the same three criteria described above are applied. The expectation from CAA is that the unit initiating the programmatic changes identify when the 50% threshold has been reached.  However, if during the CAA review and approval process, there is a question raised regarding exceeding the 50%, CAA leadership will review the changes and make the final determination and communicate their decision to the submitting unit and colleges.

Revising a Degree Program 

Curricular proposals for revising graduate programs have the same structure as those for creating a new program (please refer to the appropriate program type) but require the following additional information:

Curricular information

1. Provide the percent change of program curriculum resulting from the revision
   1. If the percent change is <10%, the revision may be presented as an  informational item.
   2. If the percent change is >=50%, a Curriculum Modification Request must be submitted to CCGS.
2. Provide a detailed listing of the current curriculum and the proposed curriculum using tracked changes

Program implementation

1. Describe the impact of the revision on students currently in the program
2. Provide a transition plan that ensures no negative financial or time-to-degree outcomes for current students arising from program revisions
3. Present any financial impacts to the program
4. If applicable, share if accreditation agencies have been informed of the revisions and any impacts on accreditation.

Special categories of revision

Revising a Graduate Track

Programs may wish to add or revise existing tracks within a degree.  Proposals for these revisions should use the template for a  new degree program with the following additional elements:

Curricular information

1. Provide the percent change of program curriculum resulting from the revision
   1. If the percent change is <10%, the revision may be presented as an  informational item.
   2. If the percent change is >=50%, a Curriculum Modification Request must be submitted to CCGS.
   3. If the percent change is <50%, CCGS will be advised of the change, but a Curriculum Modification Request is not required.
2. Provide a detailed listing of the current curriculum and the proposed curriculum using tracked changes

Program implementation

1. Describe the impact of the revision on students currently in the program
2. Provide a transition plan that ensures no negative financial or time-to-degree outcomes for current students arising from program revisions
3. Present any financial impacts to the program
4. If applicable, share if accreditation agencies have been informed of the revisions and any impacts on accreditation.

Degree Specialization Change

If a program seeks to create a new degree designation for a track currently offered in an existing degree, with or without eliminating the original degree, a new degree proposal must be submitted to the graduate school with subsequent review and approval by CCGS. 

Revising an International Cooperative Degree Program

Please reach out to the Graduate School for consultation on revisions to an International Cooperative Degree Program.

Informational Item

Informational items are used to advise the Graduate School and the Office of Academic Affairs of minor curricular revisions to a graduate program. For a curricular revision to be considered an informational item, the revisions must result in a less than 10% change to the curriculum. More information about calculating percent change is outlined in the initial part of these guidelines as well as the OAA handbook. 

Please attach a letter or memo from the unit (e.g., Dean or Associate Dean, College Curriculum Committee, or Graduate Studies Curriculum Committee if from an interdisciplinary program). 

• Letter should be addressed as follows:

Vice Provost for Academic Programs
Council on Academic Affairs
Office of Academic Affairs
203 Bricker Hall
190 North Oval Mall
Columbus, OH 43210

• The letter should indicate the academic unit originating the item and contain one or two paragraphs briefly describing proposed revisions, the rationale for these revisions, and any action requested of the Council on Academic Affairs.
• If applicable, curricular changes should be clearly listed, preferably in a table.
• Interested parties from the originating unit should be copied.
• To submit your informational item after all internal review processes have been completed, please send an email to the Graduate School’s Associate Dean for Academic Excellence.

Suspension of a graduate program refers to a program discontinuing admissions into a graduate degree program while there are students actively enrolled in the program. A program may not be discontinued if there are students actively enrolled in a degree program. The standard timeline for suspension of admissions is five years; a program can be reactivated within this five year period.

Discontinuation of a graduate program refers to a program 1) discontinuing admissions into a graduate program with no students currently enrolled in the graduate program, or 2) expiring a suspended program that has entered a time period beyond the five-year period for reactivation. 

If within the five-year period the program elects to reactivate the degree program, a proposal to reactive the degree program should be submitted to the Graduate School once approved by the college. However, if the program is outside of the five-year period, formal approval from the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, through CCGS must be sought in the same manner as required for approval of a new graduate degree program. 

Proposals to Discontinue/Reactivate/Suspend a Graduate Program

Under most circumstances, program suspension or reactivation can be communicated as an informational item.  These should include information in accordance with ODHE’s Suspension of Admissions into a Graduate Program form, which can be obtained by request.  This is especially true for describing the support for students currently in the program

Proposals to discontinue a program should follow the same format as for a program revision. 

Deactivating/Discontinuing an International Cooperative Degree Program

Please reach out to the Graduate School for consultation on suspending, deactivating or discontinuing an International Cooperative Degree Program.