Program Proposal: Rationale and Justifications

New academic major/degree: What prompted and supported the planning for the proposed degree/major? How does the program align to strategic planning, and the elements of the institutional mission that the program will advance? Reference relevant initiatives or support at institution, community, and regional levels.

Suspending or Discontinuing Degree/Major programs: Include an explanation of the precipitating circumstances or rationale for the proposal. Such explanations may be based in the unit's mission/focus and consequent realignment of resources with those changes; substantial changes/redirection of fields/courses of study; declining faculty and student interest in the field of study; negative assessment of program quality and concern about the ability to deliver programming of acceptable quality to students; budgetary constraints; or other forces. The explanation need not be lengthy, but sufficient detail should be provided so that shared governance groups can understand the situation.

Graduate and Professional Certificates: Describe the purpose, rationale, and justification for the Graduate/professional certificate: 1. What is the purpose of the Graduate/professional certificate program? How does it contribute to the mission of the sponsoring unit(s)? What gap in the program array is it intended to fill? Describe the purpose of the Graduate/professional certificate.  2. What is the evidence that there is societal and student demand for the Graduate/professional certificate program? 

Capstone Certificates: Describe the purpose, rationale, and justification for the Capstone certificate: 1. What is the purpose of the Capstone certificate program? How does it contribute to the mission of the sponsoring unit(s)? 2. What is the evidence that there is a student demand? 3. What is the evidence that there is a market demand for graduates of the Capstone certificate program? Provide evidence of market demand for the Capstone certificate program. Proposals for new Capstone certificates must provide a demonstrated need for such a program: this provision must be defined in terms of external markets (i.e. external demand for the skills associated with such a certificate) and must describe how the Capstone certificate program will attract new student enrollments.

Noncredit Certificates: Noncredit certificates are not formally approved through this process. Consult the Division of Continuing Studies. 

Online/Distance Delivery Programs: Include a brief description of the online/distance-delivered academic program and its relationship to a corresponding face-to-face academic program (if applicable). Include a brief rationale for the change, including opportunities that will be made available to students.

For additional information about planning new academic programs and reorganizing or discontinuing those programs visit: https://apir.wisc.edu/academic-planning/degrees-majors-and-options/