New Degrees, Minors* or Graduate Certificate Programs

Approval Flow: Program > Department > AAC > Faculty Assembly > BU’s Provost’s Office and either the Undergraduate Academic Programs and Policies (UAPP) Committee or the Graduate Academic Programs and Policies (GAPP) Committee (depending on program level) > BU Faculty Council

Please note: Minors do not need University approval, but the University’s Undergraduate Academic Programs and Policies (UAPP) Committee needs to be notified that the new minor exists once it is approved by the College’s Academic Affairs Committee. It is important to share the information for accurate inclusion in the University’s Bulletin.

Initial Step: For new degrees, minors, and graduate certificate programs, preliminary discussions should be conducted with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The ADAA will consult with the Dean to determine if the proposal aligns with the College’s strategic plan and Guide Star, and considers both market demand* and budgetary implications. Once given the go-ahead to proceed, the following steps should be followed.

*When proposing a new master’s degree program, the proposer is required to submit a market analysis. The proposer may request a report through BU’s Burning Glass subscription or pay for an independent market analysis to be conducted through the proposer’s school or college.

1. Proposer completes all required New Program Forms that are accessible through the Provost’s Curriculum Portal. These forms include the following:

  • Academic Component
  • Budget
    A proposer may make an appointment with BU Wheelock’s Executive Director of Operations if in need of assistance with creating a detailed budget that is required for graduate programs. If proposing an undergraduate program, a proposer may submit a budget statement as a Word document, because undergraduate programs at BU are centralized. Consider costs associated with new or part-time faculty, field supervision, converting courses to online, increased enrollment over time, and other expenses.
  • Degree Advice
  • Library Impact Statement
    Must be sent to the Wheelock librarian at the Pickering Library. The Pickering staff will complete the statement and return it to the proposer. (It is important to plan for library resources that reflect the new academic program being proposed.)
  • Burning Glass Market & Competitor Analysis Request Form
  • Global Activity Component (Submit only if the proposal has a global component)
  • Distance Education Component (Submit only if the proposal has an online component)
  • Cognate Letters
    Required if the program proposal has an impact or a potential impact on other programs within the College or University. Cognate letters are also important to obtain from the dean of the proposing college and from others in support of the proposal (including community stakeholders). If the proposal depends on courses offered by other BU schools or colleges, a cognate letter from those schools must be included, indicating that seats will be reserved for Wheelock students. The ADAA can assist the proposer in liaising with other administrators across the University to seek cognate letters and inquire about available seats.

    2. Proposer submits completed forms in Word format (rather than PDF, for ease in editing and providing track changes) to the Program Director for review by program faculty. If revisions are needed, revisions should be made promptly and resubmitted for review. If approved by the program,

    3. Program Director submits materials to the Department Chair for review by department faculty. If revisions are needed, revisions should be made promptly and resubmitted for review. If approved by the department,

    4. Department Chair submits proposal and all required documents to the Academic Affairs Committee, at buwedaac@bu.edu. Please note that the proposal and all accompanying materials must be submitted one week before the AAC’s posted meeting dates. If revisions are needed, revisions should be made promptly and resubmitted for review. If approved by the AAC,

    5. AAC Chair sends the proposal to the Faculty Assembly Chair for inclusion in the next meeting for a vote. If approved by the Faculty Assembly,

    6. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs submits the proposal and all related documents to the Provost’s Curriculum Portal on behalf of BU Wheelock.

    7. Proposers may receive feedback from one of the two Faculty Fellows (undergraduate and graduate) regarding their proposal submission; there may be requests for additional information or revision. The Faculty Fellows prepare all of the University’s curriculum proposals for the Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Programs and Policies Committees for review. Passage of a proposal by BU Wheelock’s AAC does not guarantee that a proposal will be passed by UAPP or GAPP Committees at the University levels. There may be requests for revision at this stage.

    8. Proposers and/or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs are often asked to attend a portion of the Undergraduate or Graduate Academic Programs and Policies Committee (referred to as a hearing) to provide a brief overview or justification of the proposed program and to answer any questions the University committee has related to it. If approved by the UAPP or GAPP,

    9. The proposal moves on to BU’s University Council for final approval.