Bulletins: Programs Section Guidelines
The Programs section contains two levels:
- Programs landing page (i.e., hyperlinked list of Programs)
- Individual Program pages
Also submit to Creative Services:
- Links to other sections or sites
Programs Section Landing Page
- Include appropriate subheads (see next four bullets) that apply to your school and bulleted list of programs/information categories in alphabetical order (each linking to its second-level page).
- The General Information subhead includes subject matter aimed at the widest possible audience. These should be arranged in the order that students should read the information. (With few exceptions, everything else is alphabetical.)
- The Regular Programs subhead includes all regular programs, followed by degrees awarded in parentheses.
- The Dual Degrees Programs subhead include all cross-college or cross-university programs, followed by degrees awarded in parentheses.
- The Other Programs subhead includes all special programs that do not belong in the other three categories.
Individual Program Pages
Individual Program pages describe necessary details about a specific program or programs (for which different degrees are offered). Here are some tips on creating an Individual Program page:
- Think scannability and ease for the reader. Arrange information in bulleted lists when possible, and use subheads, etc. to create easy-to-digest chunks of information.
- Arrange courses in bulleted lists in order that they should be taken. Where order is not an issue, arrange alphabetically.
- Include credits after courses in parentheses with credits abbreviated cr.
- Where appropriate use first- and second-level subheads.
- Be consistent in your terminology and treatment of various programs (for example, if you lead a page with Requirements on one Program, follow suit in the others).
What information is appropriate to include on the Individual Program page?
| Do Include |
Do NOT Include |
| A paragraph or two of introduction, e.g., overview of the major/program, what the major/program prepares students for, what kind of job most graduates get, special opportunites (opportunities to publish) etc. but keep it short. | Complete explanation of a Program and its opportunites, attractions, relevance to the modern world, and so on (these belong on your school website) |
| Contact sidebar (if necessary) | “Marketing copy” (e.g., “Why study at?”) for the major/program (this belongs on your school website) |
| Application/admissions information (if necessary) | General policy information (this belongs in the Policy section) |
| Requirements for the Program (if necessary) | General grade information (this belongs in the Policy section) |
| Grade requirements (info specific to a particular Program belongs in Program section; general detailed info belongs in Policies) | |
| Other policies specific to this program (if necessary) | |
| Lincensure information (if necessary) | |
| Special examinations relating to the Program | |
| Other academic information specific to the Program (as necessary) |
Links to Other Sections or Sites
Submit to Creative Services links to all information not appropriate for the Bulletin section you are editing but that is contained elsewhere–for example, the Why Study At…?, specific policies or programs—in brackets near the spot where such information is mentioned with short, descriptive “titles” for the links. These links will be collected and shown in Link Box (an inline sidebar), making it easy for readers to navigate to another area of interest.
