Authorization of New Graduate Degree Programs

Note: current procedures for the authorization of new graduate degree programs can be found at http://grad.washington.edu/Acad/new_prog_proposals.htm.

Definitions

Graduate education consists of post-baccalaureate programs of study and research leading to Master's degrees, doctoral degrees (exclusive of medical, dental, pharmacy, and first legal doctorates), and intermediate certified status such as the "certificate of candidacy." The Graduate School is responsible for developing and maintaining graduate instruction and associated research programs which will permit graduate students to gain the knowledge, understanding, and training needed to qualify for these advanced degrees.

Graduate School programs leading to Master's and doctoral degrees are offered in more than eighty departments or other organizational units of the University. There are two principal types of graduate degree programs.

1. Research-oriented, leading to the Master's or doctoral degree with emphasis on preparation for the creation of new knowledge through research or through the development of new modes of thought or expression. Completion of the program usually is signified by the award of Master of Arts, Master of Science, or Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
2. Practice-oriented, intended as preparation for professional practice at the frontiers of existing knowledge. Completion of the program usually is signified by the award of a degree of Master or Doctor of a professional field, e.g., M aster of Business Administration, Master of Public Health, Doctor of Musical Arts.

The Graduate School subscribes to national policy statements describing the general character of programs appropriate for graduate degrees. These are provided by the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States and the Association of Graduate Schools , and are available in the Academic Programs office of the Graduate School.

Proposing a New Degree

A new graduate degree program requires justification both on academic grounds, in terms of quality, need, and appropriateness to the University's mission, and on fiscal grounds, in terms of adequacy of available resources. The justification must be made both internally, to the affected colleges or schools, the graduate faculty, and the administration, and externally, to the State of Washington. Experience shows that one should allow about two years to complete the entire review process.

Given the effort involved, it is best to prepare first a relatively short preliminary proposal, and use it as a basis for seeking authorization to proceed further. Such a proposal should be reviewed first by the colleges and schools involved. If approve d at that level, it is then examined by the Graduate School Council and Dean, and by the Provost and President. When submitted to the Graduate School, it should address the following elements in about five to ten pages:

1. Background description of the proposed program and its objectives.
2. Perceived need by society, students, and faculty. Projected enrollment.
3. Relationship to other degree programs at the University and elsewhere in the state, region, and nation. Value to students' general education. Special advantage to offering the program here.
4. Admission and degree requirements; proposed curriculum, including research and dissertation requirements, with new courses highlighted. Expected time to degree. Compare to national standards in the field.
5. List of faculty, their accomplishments, and their qualifications to offer the proposed program.
6. Resources required. Number of administrative, faculty, and staff positions; percent effort of each individual in the proposed program. Facilities, library resources, computer resources, and operations budget required. Differentiate between existing resources and new ones required.
7. Letters of endorsement from chairs and deans of affected units, indicating necessary resources will be made available.

Should review of the preliminary proposal result in encouragement to proceed, the Graduate School will forward it to the State as a "preliminary planning statement", and discuss the matter with the State as required. The faculty making the proposal may t hen expand the document into a final proposal, following the format agreed to by the University and the State.

The Graduate School will appoint an independent committee, consisting of both University faculty outside the proposing unit and distinguished national experts in the field from other universities, to review the final proposal. Comments from the other pub lic colleges and universities in the state will also be sought at this stage. The review committee's report and all comments will be forwarded to the Graduate School Council, which will discuss the matter with representatives of the review committee and the proposing unit.

If the Graduate School Council, the Graduate Dean, the Provost, and the President recommend in favor of the proposal, it will be revised in the light of comments made during the review, and final comment will be sought from the other state colleges and universities. The proposal and these final comments will then be forwarded to the State for action. A favorable recommendation from the State sets the stage for Board of Regents action to initiate the new degree program.

The Academic Programs office in the Graduate School coordinates all aspects of review of new graduate degree proposals for the University, and can answer questions which may arise.