Proposing New Graduate Programs - CG

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.