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 two weeks 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 7 times/year. Please note that new degree programs cannot start the CCGS review process without Board of Trustees approval.
  • Estimate 2-3 months for review and Chancellor approval.

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 request.                                                                               

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 General Assembly charged the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) 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. The Chancellor of the ODHE has delegated the responsibility for the assessment of new graduate degree programs and substantial changes to existing graduate degree programs to the Chancellor’s Council on Graduate Studies (CCGS), which is composed of the Graduate Deans (or designee) of the Ohio public universities and two private institutions. See Appendix A for a list of CCGS member institutions. Graduate program evaluation by CCGS leads to a formal recommendation and report from CCGS to the Chancellor of the ODHE. Responsibility for the final program decision rests with the Chancellor. The Chancellor of ODHE charges CCGS to provide the guidance and the criteria for program assessment and evaluation, which are included in this document.” (CCGS Guidelines, Introduction, Pg. 3, 2019)[KL1] [MM2] 

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).
4. Evidence of Workforce Relevance. Describe the primary target audience, and how the program meets or enhances skilled workforce development across the state and nationally.  Ohio State Online routinely offers market analyses for online programs.  The Graduate School can help with obtaining a market analysis for in-person programs.

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.
3. Total credit hours required for program completion.
4. Normal/typical length of time for students to complete the program requirements and earn the degree.
5. Proposed initial start date of the program.

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/constituents (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
      1. 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. 

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 qualifying 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. 

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. 

Important Note as of AU 2025:  ODHE is revising requirements for New Degree Programs. If proposing a New Degree program, please reach out to the Graduate School directly at: grad-schoolcurriculum@osu.edu to receive the most up-to-date requirements for New Degree Programs.

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 proposal following the guidelines must submitted to CCGS.  Please contact Grad-SchoolCurriculum@osu.edu for the most recent proposal requirements.
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 full proposal must be submitted to CCGS. Please contact Grad-SchoolCurriculum@osu.edu for the most recent proposal requirements.
   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 endorsement 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.

New or Existing Degree Specializations

A specialization differs from a graduate interdisciplinary specialization as it is housed within the student’s program rather than within an external program. Both types of specialization are different from a track as they appear on a student transcript and have additional documentation. Tracks within a degree consist of a specific series of courses or other degree requirements that may be selected by students to acquire more depth in an area. Tracks are not documented in a student transcript Refer to the Graduate School Handbook Section 8.5 for more information). All new specializations must be reviewed at CCGS for endorsement with any curricular changes totaling 50% or greater requiring review and approval.

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, where the total curriculum percent change is 50% or more, a new degree proposal must be submitted to the graduate school with subsequent review and approval by CCGS.  Please contact Grad-SchoolCurriculum@osu.edu for the most recent proposal requirements.

If a program seeks to create a new designation for an existing track or create a new specialization within an existing degree that falls within 10-50% of curricular change then a degree revision can be submitted to the graduate school and to CCGS for endorsement. In addition to the revision template, the proposal should include:

1. Curricular review memos from college curricular dean and related college/unit review bodies.
2. Narrative rationale for the specialization.
3. A breakdown of the required courses and electives within the specialization.
4. A description of how students will be informed of the specialization.
5. A description of how student advising needs will be addressed with included advising sheets.
6. Concurrence from other programs as needed.

Once the proposal has been submitted and moved through reviews, please reach out to grad-schoolcurriculum@osu.edu for confirmation of CCGS endorsement or questions regarding this process.
 

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. If a program is suspended for more than one year the Chancellor’s Staff and members of CCGS must be informed via the submission of a Suspension and Discontinuation CR form. The standard timeline for suspension of admissions is five years; a program can be reactivated within this five-year period but not afterwards.

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 reactivate 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 

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.

Reactivate A Graduate Program

The reactivation of a degree program should follow the same procedures and guidelines as the establishment of a new degree when within the five-year window of suspension. When the university has approved program reactivation, a ‘Reactivation of Admissions into a Graduate Program’ form must be submitted with the supervision of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to the Graduate School for endorsement by CCGS and ODHE. It is the responsibility of the Associate Dean to determine whether or not changes in program since admissions were suspended warrant concurrent submission of a “Curriculum Modification” form to ODHE and CCGS. If admission into a graduate degree program is not reactivated within five years, the program will be discontinued. If at a subsequent date after the five-year period the program plans to reactivate a discontinued graduate degree program, the university must seek formal approval from the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, through CCGS, in the same manner as required for approval of a new graduate degree program. (OAA Handbook, pg 58)

Suspending or Discontinuing an Existing Certificate of Study

 A unit requesting a suspension of admissions or discontinuation must distinguish if the program is to be suspended or discontinued. Discontinuation is the final step that removes the program from the possibility of future reactivation. A suspension of admissions indicates that program is held in abeyance until reactivation becomes feasible. Suspension of an existing certificate of study must be reviewed and approved by the same bodies that approved its creation (unit(s), college(s), CAA). The proposal must include information on how the suspension or discontinuation impacts any enrolled students, a plan for such students to complete their degree, and justification for the suspension or discontinuation. Forms must be submitted for the permanent elimination of any courses necessitated by the suspension or discontinuation of the certificate.

Reinstating or Reactivating a Certificate of Study 

The reinstatement or reactivation of a certificate of study must follow the same procedures and guidelines as the establishment of a new certificate. (OAA Handbook, pg 64)

Please use the Graduate School's online submission portal in Qualtrics to submit your proposal ensuring that it is in accordance with the curricular guidelines for the program type that will be reviewed

Submit your proposal online

For any issues or immediate questions please contact grad-schoolcurriculum@osu.edu.