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Lumen Programs Form: Curriculum and Requirements

Overview and guidance for the curriculum and requirements section of the Lumen Program proposal.

Table of Contents

Fields

What percentage of the curriculum, if any, is being proposed to change via this proposal?

  • Select the approximate percentage change the the curriculum.
    • No change to the curriculum
    • Less than 25% of the curriculum will change
    • 25% - 49% of the curriculum will change
    • 50% or more of the curriculum will change
  • DAPIR uses this field to report to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) the annually revisions to our program array.

Examples/Guidance in determining the drop-down value

A table listing the drop-down value, the types of changes that would apply, and practical examples of those types of changes.
Drop-down value Types of changes Examples
No changes to the curriculum
  • Revising a course number or course subject on a course that was changed (not a new/discontinue)
  • Other changes to the program proposal where no editing is done in this section (learning outcomes, accreditation, certification/licensure, etc.)
  • Cosmetically formatting course lists.
  • A A E 215 changed to A A E 101, a revision in the curriculum to modify this course is a cosmetic change.
Less than 25% of the curriculum
  • Course additions/deletions that amount to less than 25% of the total credits and/or major coursework credits
  • Adding a few new courses (less than~5) to an electives list.
  • Removing some discontinued classes.
  • Certificate E is 18 credits comprised of four core courses and two additional breadth courses, each 3 credits. If the program would like to change one of the core courses or one of the breadth courses, that is a 17% change to the curriculum.
  • M.S. Degree F is 30 total credits comprised of three required courses totaling 8 credits, one additional 3-credit course selected from a list of six options, and 9 additional credits. If the program wants to change two of the required courses, which are 3 credits each (i.e., a total of 6 credits), that is 20% of the required 30 credits.
25%-49% of the curriculum will change
  • Course additions/deletions that amount to 25-49% of the total credits and/or major coursework credits.
  • Revisions to the core curriculum.
  • Adding a new section to the curriculum.
  • Revising a lot of courses in the curriculum.
  • Certificate C is 18 total credits comprised of six courses—four 3-credit core courses and two additional breadth courses. If the program is changing two of the four core courses (i.e., 6 credits), that is 33% of the total credits (18 credits).
  • M.S. Degree D is 30 total credits comprised of 11 required courses. If the program would like to switch out a 4-credit course and two 3-credit courses (i.e., 10 credits), that is 30% of the total credits.
50% or more of the curriculum will change
  • Change in total required credits for a degree/major, named option, or certificate
  • Change to a degree requirement, such as the minimum cumulative grade point average
  • Adding or removing the doctoral minor requirement
  • Course additions/deletions that amount to 50% or more of the total credits and/or major coursework credits.
  • Re-imagining how students pursue the curriculum
  • Capstone Certificate A is 18 total credits comprised of six 3-credit core courses. If the program is changing three of the six core courses (i.e., 9 credits), that is 50% or more of the total credits (18 credits).
  • Undergraduate Major B is 120 total credits, 30 of which required credits in the major. The requirements for those 30 major credits feature various required areas of coursework (e.g., seminar) with course lists for each. If the program is making changes to the overall 30-credit course list that totals 15 or more credits, that is 50% or more of the major coursework. 

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: Change
  • Required Field: Yes
  • Question Type: Drop-down List

Provide an explanation of the reasons for such a substantial curricular change, the potential impact on students, availability of courses, and plan for transition. 

Revising more than 50% of the curriculum represents a substantial redirection of an academic program and requires approval beyond the school/college. Provide evidence that these changes would improve the student learning experience, include information on the planned implementation for the changes, and confirm that the courses are offered on a regular basis. Add a note in the summary/abstract box at the top of the form that this proposal includes curriculum changes of more than 50%.

Form logic
  • Proposal Type: Change
  • Question Type: text entry
  • This field has a 500 character limit.
  • Available when the question "What percentage of the curriculum is changing?" is answered with "more than 50% or more of the curriculum is changing".

Which students are eligible for the certificate?

Select the audience who may pursue the certificate:

Guidance

  • Undergraduate certificates generally should be available to all undergraduate students; this is the default and is what is recommended.
  • If selecting either the specific schools and colleges, you will have to provide more information:
    • Additional process-based questions will appear on the form.
    • Since this is limiting the audience who can complete the certificate, you must articulate in the How to Get in for the certificate those limitations.
  • For more information see the policy on Credit-Bearing Certificates.

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or change
  • Question type: Drop-down
  • Available on undergraduate certificates only

List the specific schools and colleges.

  • Typically undergraduate certificates are available to all undergraduates.
  • If the certificate is available to a select subset of students, list the home school/college(s) of that audience.
  • Use the green plus button to add multiple school/colleges.
  • If all students except for one school or college may declare the certificate, list all the other schools/colleges (i.e. there is no way to say "all students except School of Jurassic Studies students may declare a certificate").

Form logic
  • Proposal Type: New or change
  • Question Type: Multi-part (can add multiple rows)
  • Available on undergraduate certificates where the audience is limited to "Undergraduates in Specific Schools and Colleges"

Provide justification for the limits. 

Explain why enrollment is limited to students in a particular school or college.

Form logic
  • Proposal Type: New or change
  • Question Type: Text entry
  • Available on undergraduate certificates where the audience is limited to "Undergraduates in Specific Schools and Colleges"

Is this certificate available to University Special (non-degree seeking students)? 

Select whether or not this certificate is available to University Special students (drop-down of yes or no).

Undergraduate certificates may be open to University Special (non-degree seeking) students who hold a bachelor’s degree, though it is discouraged because they are resource heavy and the preferred method to meet these students needs is through a Capstone Certificate. If a certificate is available to University Special students, the preferred option is to allow UW-Madison graduates time to complete the certificate without extending their time to degree (articulated in the next question).

  • DARS reports are not available for Special Students seeking an undergraduate certificate and it is the responsibility of the school/college and department to track these students and determine when they should be awarded the certificate.
  • University Special students are the last to enroll in courses, which may be a barrier for certificate completion.
  • Financial aid is not available for these students.
  • For more information see the policy on Credit-Bearing Certificates.

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or change 
  • Question type: Drop-down; default no
  • Available on undergraduate certificates only

Which University Special students are eligible for the certificate?

Select the audience who may pursue the certificate:
A table providing the drop-down values and a practical meaning of what comprises those audiences.
Drop-down value Meaning

Members of the community that hold a bachelor's degree, but have not earned credits towards the certificate while a UW-Madison undergraduate

Any person with a bachelor's degree may apply/declare the certificate and complete the certificate. It is not a requirement to have an affiliation with UW-Madison to apply/declare. These are stand-alone certificates.

Started as an undergraduate at UW-Madison, and graduate before completing the requirements (preferred).

Only available to UW-Madison bachelor's recipients who have started the certificate before graduating. They must complete the certificate within one year of graduation.

The answer to this question determines which Guide shared content must be added in the Requirements tab. See the KB on how to add certificate completion requirements/eligibility.

If the certificate is available as a stand-alone certificate (Members of the community that hold a bachelor's degree, but have not earned credit towards the certificate while a UW-Madison undergraduate), the How to Get in Guide content must articulate what those students need to do to declare the certificate. If courses are required, those students must be admitted as a special student prior to declaring the certificate.

Form logic
  • Proposal Type: New or change
  • Question type: Drop-down
  • This question will display when "Is this certificate available to University Special (non-degree seeking students)?" is answered with "Yes".
  • This is a required field.

Describe certificate program procedures to advise students who do not complete the certificate to notify the program advisor if they re-enroll as a University Special student to complete the certificate.

If a student graduates before completing the certificate, they must be readmitted as a Special Student and re-declared into the special student plan code for the certificate. Explain the process of advising these students in this situation.

Form logic
  • Proposal Type: New or change
  • Question Type: Text entry
  • This question will display when "Is this certificate available to University Special (non-degree seeking students)?" is answered with "Yes".
  • This is a required field.
  • Limited to 500 words.

Describe certificate program procedures to notify Adult Career and Special Student Services (ACSSS) of those University Special students who are formerly unaffiliated with the program who intend to complete a certificate.

If a certificate is available to declare by community members who have not started the certificate as a UW-Madison student who already hold a bachelor's degree (i.e. no previous affiliation with UW-Madison), departments must communicate with the Division of Continuing Studies about special students intending to complete this certificate. Consult with them early especially if there are pre-requisites to declaring a certificate.

Form logic
  • Proposal Type: New or change
  • Question Type: Text entry
  • This question will display when "Is this certificate available to University Special (non-degree seeking students)?" is answered with "Yes".
  • This is a required field.
  • Limited to 500 words.

Describe the communication procedures for reporting to the Office of the Registrar when a University Special student has completed the certificate.

SIS eDeclaration and DARS are not available for University Special students.

To report University Special students completing certificates, you must email degreeaudit@em.wisc.edu an Excel spreadsheet containing the names, campus IDs, completion term and SIS certificate code (plan code) for University Special students who have completed the undergraduate certificate program.

Form logic
  • Proposal Type: New or change
  • Question Type: Text entry
  • This question will display when "Is this certificate available to University Special (non-degree seeking students)?" is answered with "Yes".
  • This is a required field.
  • Limited to 500 words.

Parent Plan Admissions/How to Get in Requirements

This field displays the parent/plan information. Content is not editable at the subplan (track or named option). Changing content that displays here requires a separate change proposal for the parent/major.

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change
  • Question Type: Guide Integration Point

Guide Admissions/How to Get In tab

Articulate admissions or how to declare information in this field. Content displays in Guide exactly as written in this field. Content must meet the standard guidelines for the University, Graduate School, and specific school/college guidelines.

  • Undergraduate named options must adhere to How to Get in requirements for the parent major.
  • Changing the admitting status of a Master's program must adhere to the policy.
  • Undergraduate declaration must adhere to the policy.

For help on how to format content reference these KBs:

For more information regarding undergraduate major declaration, see the policy and procedures on Major Declaration for Schools/Colleges that Enroll Undergraduates.

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change
  • Required Field: Yes
  • Question Type: Guide Integration Point
  • Available for degree/majors, graduate/undergraduate certificates, capstone certificates, graduate named options, and tracks (not available for undergraduate named options).

List majors and certificates that may not be earned in combination with this program.

If a program determines there is a similar enough program where the student should not be completing both programs, you must list those exclusions here (i.e. Business: Accounting BBA and an Accounting undergraduate certificate). You must also list this information in the How to Get in Guide integration point.

  • Select each program from the drop-down. Utilize the green plus button if there are more than one program that should not be completed with this program.
  • The filed pulls from all transcript titles in Lumen programs, so there are multiple for each degree level (i.e. French BA, French MA, French PHD); the degree does not display. It does not matter which you select.

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change undergraduate degree/major or certificate. Disabled when less than 50% change proposal.
  • Required Field: Yes
  • Question Type: Drop-down List

Describe plans for recruiting students to this program.

Form logic

  • Proposal type: new program (degree/major, named option, capstone)
  • Question type: Text entry
  • No character/word limit.

What is the recruiting and admissions strategy for underrepresented students?

Form logic

  • Proposal type: new program (capstone, certificate, degree/major)
  • Question type: Text entry
  • No character/word limit.

Will students be declared in an intended major while completing the admission requirements?

An intended major code is used to track students who are interested in a limited enrollment major but have not yet met the requirements to declare the major. The program must provide student services to the students who have been declared in the intended major.

Select Yes from the drop-down if the major is a limited enrollment major and you need a code to track this grouping of students.

Form logic

  • Proposal type: New or change (greater than 50% change) undergraduate degree/majors
  • Question type: drop-down
  • Default: no

Describe how the students will be advised and the transition to other degree granting program if they are not admitted.

For students who will not be admitted to a limited enrollment program, provide information on how these students are advised and transitioned out of the intended major code. You must provide sufficient advising and support for students in the intended major who do not proceed to the degree granting major.

Form logic

  • Proposal type: New or change (greater than 50% change) undergraduate degree/majors
  • Question type: Text entry
  • Required field.
  • No character/word limit.
  • This field will display when the question "Will students be declared in an intended major while completing the admission requirements?" is answered "Yes".

Projected Annual Enrollment

Enter the projected annual enrollment for the first five years of the program. Select a year from the drop down menu under 'Year' and then estimated annual enrollment in the 'Projected Enrollment' field.  Clicking the green plus in the upper right will add a new row.

The numbers should be realistic and demonstrate a sustainable level of demand.

Form logic

  • Proposal type: New program
  • Question type: multi-part; drop-down and text entry

Those who are not familiar with using the html editor fields may upload a document with information about the curriculum for use by those who will format and edit the content that will appear in the Guide. 

This upload field is for departmental editors/approvers who may not be familiar with how to edit Guide content. If the school/college academic planner/Dean's office contacts prefer to build requirements, this is the field to use to communicate requirements via Word doc or PDF. By including a document instead of editing the content that displays in Guide does not guarantee the person making the changes interprets the document as written (i.e. if the changes are not made in the Guide content areas, it's the responsibility of the department to ensure the requirements entered meet their expectations). If end users are uploading their curriculum, they must reach out to their school/college academic planner and review the requirements once updated before signing off.

Form logic

  • Proposal type: New or change
  • Question type: upload
  • Optional field.

Select the school or college degree requirements that will be used.  

Every undergraduate degree/major must list the associated school/college degree requirements associated with the major either by:

  1. Selecting the correct school/college degree requirements from the drop-down (example: College of Letters & Sciences Breadth & Degree Requirements, BA/BS).
  2. Selecting "All requirements are in the requirements listed below" (example: Engineering, or Human Ecology).

If neither of these are appropriate, such as when creating new college/degree majors that will become a shared content block, follow these instructions:

  1. Leave the drop down as "Select..."
  2. Build the degree requirements into a identifiable section (i.e. School of Human Ecology Degree Requirements, then Major Requirements...)
  3. Contact Data, Academic Planning & Institutional research (lumen@provost.wisc.edu) for shared content creation/consultation.

Academic planning guidance

  1. School/college degree requirements are a grouping of curricular-based elements that meet the degree requirements across multiple majors. All students must complete these regardless the major they have declared. These are distinct between school/colleges. 
  2. Historically, there hasn't been a consistent approach/definition to what school/college requirements are, which is why some programs have the degree requirements built into the major.  Programs that build the degree requirements into the major are more difficult for students to change majors, if they determine they no longer want to/capable of successfully completing the major.

It is preferred to have a distinct set of degree requirements at the school/college level which allows:

  • Students to clearly define what the major requirements are in case they ever needed to or wanted to switch majors.
  • A meaningful definition of the specific degree.

Note: If the school/college requirements need to be updated, see the Lumen Structures form.

Form logic

  • Proposal type: New or change (greater than 50% change) undergraduate degree/majors
  • Question type: drop-down
  • No default

Will this plan have Honors in the Major? 

Select yes or no from the drop-down. The default is no.

Honors in the major is an advanced course of study typically culminating in a senior-year experience in which students are exposed to the cutting edge of that particular field.

  • Honors in the major is noted on the transcript.
  • Honors in the major are distinct from Honors in the Liberal Arts or school/college-wide honors programs.
  • Not all school/colleges offer honors in the major.

If yes, articulate requirements for honors in the major in the "Guide Requirements tab" section after the Major Requirements.

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change undergraduate degree/major. Disabled when less than 50% change proposal.
  • Question Type: drop-down

Parent Requirements  

This field displays the parent/plan information. Content is not editable at the subplan. It only appears on named option proposals.

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change
  • Question Type: Guide Integration point
  • Display only

Guide Requirements tab  

Add/edit all program/curriculum requirements in this field. A clear, consistent curriculum is critical for students so that they know what is needed to graduate. Include:

  • required courses
  • approved electives
  • credit and GPA requirements
  • any courses required via requisites (cannot embed additional requirements by requisite)
  • required shared content (graduate school delivery mode, undergraduate certificate completion requirements, capstone minimum requirements, etc.)

Guidance

  • Changes are effective a fall term, published in the June Guide.
  • Only in limited situations will changes be allowed off-cycle (mid-cycle updates).
  • No changes will be made to a program's DARS or GSTS without an accompanying Lumen Programs proposal with the revisions. 
  • Refer to your school/college's standards for formatting curriculum for anything beyond the University Style Guide/Guidelines.

Field help

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change proposals (not available for non-degree tracks).
  • Question Type: Guide Integration point

Total credits required

  • Enter the minimum numerical number of total credits required to complete the award/degree (i.e. not the number of credits for the major).
  • This must be a single number (i.e. not be a range of credits).
An overview of credits required by award type
Award type Credits required
Bachelor's degree must be at least 120 credits. Few programs may exceed 120 credits; consult DAPIR.
Master's degree minimum of 30 credits
Master of Fine Arts or Educational Specialist degree minimum of 42 credits
Doctoral degree minimum of 51 credits
Undergraduate certificates 12-16 credits
Graduate certificates 9-12 credits
Capstone certificates 9-16 credits

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change program (excludes non-credit programs). Disabled when less than 50% change proposal.
  • Question Type: Text entry

Parent Plan Graduate Policies

This field displays the parent/plan information. Content is not editable at the subplan. It only appears on named option proposals.

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change
  • Question Type: Guide Integration Point
  • Display only

Guide Graduate Policies tab

The graduate policies tab should include standardized information regarding student policies for the program.

Form help

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change
  • Question Type: Guide Integration point

Parent Guide Four-Year Plan tab

This field displays the parent/plan information. Content is not editable at the subplan (named option). Changing content that displays here requires a separate change proposal for the parent/major.

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change undergraduate degree/major
  • Question Type: Guide Integration Point
  • Display only

Guide Four-Year Plan tab

Every undergraduate degree/major must demonstrate how a student could complete the program in four years.

Form help

See the help in the following KBs for guidance and how-to help.

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change undergraduate degree/major
  • Question Type: Guide Integration Point
  • Required field.

Parent Guide Three-Year Plan tab

This field displays the parent/plan information. Content is not editable at the subplan (named option). Changing content that displays here requires a separate change proposal for the parent/major.

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change undergraduate degree/major
  • Question Type: Guide Integration Point
  • Display only

Guide Three-Year Plan tab

Every undergraduate degree/major may optionally demonstrate how a student could complete the program in three years. You must include a clear set of assumptions of how the student can accomplish the plan in three years. Assumptions and expectations would include what AP credit would they have completed before enrolling at UW-Madison, credit loads expected while enrolled, use of summer terms, major declaration, or other significant considerations.

See the help in the following KBs for guidance and step-by-step how-to help.

Form help

Form logic

  • Proposal Type: New or Change undergraduate degree/major
  • Question Type: Guide Integration Point
  • Optional field.

Capstones progression

Describe how students will progress through the capstone (part-time, full-time, or other) including an explanation on how many credits an average student would take in a term and expected time to award completion. 

We consolidated the three quesitons into a single one. Please provide the anticipated progression through the capstone certificate.

Form logic
  • Proposal Type: Capstone certificate; available when Financial Aid question = yes. Disabled when less than 50% change proposal.
  • Question Type: Text entry
  • Required field.
  • 100 word limit.


Keywords:
requirements, how to get in, policies, four year plan, curriculum, plan of study 
Doc ID:
85074
Owned by:
Karen M. in Lumen and Guide
Created:
2018-08-21
Updated:
2024-10-21
Sites:
Lumen and Guide