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Policy: International Dual or Sequential Degrees: Establishing a Dual or Sequential Degree Program Between UW–Madison and a Foreign Institution

Policy detailing the guidelines for establishing a dual or sequential degree program between UW-Madison and a foreign institution

International Dual or Sequential Degrees: Establishing a Dual or Sequential Degree Program Between UW–Madison and a Foreign Institution

Policy Number

UW-1017

Responsible Office

Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research

Type

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose

This policy was developed for the purpose of providing faculty and staff with the requirements for the approval, modification, and review of sequential and dual degree programs between UW–Madison and a university in another country1. The policy also provides information about curriculum and governance structures; suggests standards for admission, continuation, and completion for each program; and offers possible models for these sequential and dual degree programs. Thus, this policy is designed to reduce barriers to develop such collaborations.

1 This policy was modeled after a similar set of guidelines produced by Texas A&M.

Policy

Introduction and Overview

There are many modes of collaboration with international universities. Faculty, staff, and administrators who are planning collaborations should consult the companion document “Modes of International Academic Program and Course Collaborations” for details and information about accessing policies that pertain to those approaches.

Some collaborations with international universities do not require the full approval process. For example, a “Letter of Agreement” may be sufficient in some cases, especially when collaborations revolve around a single student or arrangements between faculty members rather than between programs. See the section below entitled “Is a sequential or dual degree agreement necessary?”

Sequential and dual degrees are defined in Table 1. Sequential and dual degrees are most useful for graduate and professional programs. For undergraduate programs, other mechanisms are typically more appropriate (transfer of credit and undergraduate admission, study abroad, and student exchange programs).

Proposals for sequential or dual degree programs will be considered only for programs in robust academic health. If the UW–Madison program was recently established, it must have passed the joint review stage before being eligible. The program should have been reviewed within the past 10 years, have active processes for curricular and program revision, have an active assessment program, and be in good standing with any specialized accreditation agency if relevant. Programs that have outstanding academic issues or that are low‐ enrollment are not candidates for sequential or dual degree arrangements.

Sequential and dual degree arrangements can be resource-intensive and departments will need to be prepared to provide the additional support for students in the program.

Students in a sequential and dual degree program will apply to, be admitted to, and enroll in a formal, named option associated with the degree program. Thus, a component of the approval process will be to request approval for a formal, named option. Academic program review for sequential/dual degree programs will be conducted on a five‐year cycle.

As described in Table 1, new modes of collaboration will, in general, require approval from groups referred to as “program faculty.” The nature of “program faculty” varies widely among different academic programs, in some instances including all of the faculty members in a department, in other instances the Executive Committee of a department, in yet other instances, a subset of faculty in a department, or faculty from more than one department. Consequently, defining the nature of approvals required to demonstrate agreement of “program faculty” will require exploration and consultation. (Consult Faculty Policies and Procedures for more information about faculty roles and responsibilities.)

Table 1. Definitions and Key Features of Sequential and Dual Degrees
Sequential Degrees

Formalized arrangement in which students earn a specified degree at a partner institution and then apply to, enroll in, and complete a second, related program at UW–Madison. Courses from the first program may be used to waive requirements in the UW–Madison program.

Students will still be required to meet all UW– Madison program and degree requirements.

  • Students apply to the UW–Madison program, enroll, and make progress to degree as UW–Madison students. Program admission requirements may require that the student has completed the first degree in the sequence at the partner institution.
  • For systematic sequential degree partnerships in which all students are labeled as participating in an identifiable program, this approach requires approval by the program faculty, school/college dean, institutional governance, provost, and chancellor. System or Regent approval and other approvals may be required in some circumstances.
  • As long as all UW–Madison admission and program/degree requirements are met and the program faculty maintain control of the curriculum and program requirements, then no academic approvals are required by external agencies such as the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
  • In addition to academic approvals, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for signature by the partner institutions and other governing groups is also required.
Dual Degree

Formalized arrangement in which students complete the requirements for two degrees from two institutions, with efficiencies in course-taking. Each institution is primarily responsible for its own degree.

(Use dual degrees for graduate and professional programs. For undergraduate programs, use Transfer of Credit or Study Away or Student Exchange mechanisms)

  • Students apply to UW–Madison, enroll in the UW–Madison program, and make progress to degree as UW–Madison students.
  • Program requirements will specify any conditions for admission to the UW–Madison program associated with completing specific elements of the partner program prior to admission or in tandem with enrollment in good standing at UW–Madison.
  • For systematic dual degree programs in which a specific partnership is established and participating students are to be identified, then approval is required by program faculty, school/college dean, institutional governance groups such as the Graduate Faculty Executive Committee (GFEC) and the University Academic Planning Council (UAPC), the provost and chancellor.
  • If the dual degree program makes use of an existing UW–Madison program authorization, and if all UW–Madison program/degree requirements are met, and the program faculty maintain control of the curriculum and program requirements, then approvals by external agencies such as the Higher Learning Commission may not be required.
  • These programs must be reported to UW System Administration, the Board of Regents, the Higher Learning Commission, and other external agencies so institutional approvals and tracking are required. If the dual degree is developed as a new program, then the process for new program approval is followed.
  • Care must be taken to maintain a “home institution” model in which the faculty and governance responsibility for the UW–Madison program remains with UW–Madison.
  • In addition to academic approvals, an MOU between the partner institutions signed by a representative with signature authority is also required.

Is a Sequential or Dual Degree Agreement Necessary?

Formal agreements for sequential or dual degrees are necessary when a program seeks an arrangement that will result in a regular, predictable flow of students through a program that meets the characteristics of a sequential or dual degree program.

If a faculty member wants to formalize a collaboration with a faculty member at a university in another country for a single student, or if two programs want to formalize a collaboration but expect that there is unlikely to be more than one student at a time involved in the collaboration, then a “letter of agreement” may be sufficient. A letter of agreement would be a letter that describes the details of the arrangement, including the scope and limits of the agreement. The faculty member would work with the department chair and the school/college dean to prepare the letter of agreement. The signatory authority is typically the school/college dean or the department chair. Faculty should consult with their dean’s office, the International Division, and Academic Planning and Institutional Research/Provost’s Office for institutional review of a letter of agreement.

A letter of agreement is not a contract. If a contract is required, consult your dean’s office and the International Division.

A fundamental assumption of dual and sequential degrees is that participating UW–Madison students meet the requirements of the existing UW–Madison degree. If faculty and staff seek to develop a program that is structured in a way that requirements would differ from existing requirements, then the proposal should be developed under guidelines for new academic programs. Consult Academic Planning and Institutional Research/Provost’s Office.

Approval Authority

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Policy Manager

Vice Provost for Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research

Contact

Associate Director, Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research -- Michelle Young, MEYOUNG@WISC.EDU, (608) 262-2143

Effective Date

05-19-2011
Source: View policy UW-1017 in the UW-Madison Policy Library

 



Keywordsdual, sequential, international, foreign, MOU   Doc ID108371
OwnerKaren M.GroupAcademic Planning
Created2021-01-14 15:26:52Updated2024-06-27 12:39:03
SitesAcademic Planning
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