Policy Number: 1-001

Academic Degree Programs

Category: Academic Affairs

Responsible Executive: Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs

1. Policy Statement

Pursuant to Florida Board of Governors (BOG) Regulation 8.011 Authorization of New Academic Degree Programs and Other Curricular Offerings, each university is required to have university policies for new degree program authorization, other curricular offerings, and for academic degree program offerings away from the main campus.

2. Applicability

Enterprise wide.

3. Definitions

Degree Program: an organized curriculum leading to a degree in an area of study recognized as an academic discipline by the higher education community, as demonstrated by the assignment of a Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code by the National Center for Educational Statistics or as demonstrated by the existence of similar degree programs at other colleges and universities.

Program Major: an organized curriculum offered as part or all of an existing or proposed degree program. A program major shall be reasonably associated with the degree program under which it is offered and shall share core courses with all other majors within the same degree program. Core courses, for the purpose of this policy, shall not include common prerequisites as defined in section 1007.25, Florida Statutes. Although in some cases the major and the degree program names are identical, only the degree program shall be assigned a CIP code and included in the State University System Academic Degree Program Inventory as a stand-alone program.

Program Concentration: an organized curriculum, or sub major, within a graduate or professional major, and the undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) major. Concentrations for graduate major programs print on the transcript when the degree and major are awarded, but do not appear on diplomas. Concentrations within the undergraduate IDS major print on both the transcript and the diploma.

Program Area of Emphasis: a sub-major program within an undergraduate major program that prints on the transcript when the degree and major are awarded.

Program Track: a specialization only within programs in the College of Nursing that prints on transcripts but does not print on diplomas. These are termed tracks instead of concentrations or emphases due to specific licensing requirements for nurses. Tracks are called specializations for other programs.

Program Specialization: an organized undergraduate curriculum within an undergraduate major. It is offered as part of a major and enhances or complements the major in a manner which leads to specific educational or occupational goals. The number of credit hours for the specialization may not exceed the number of credit hours established for the program major. In UF student records system, specializations are coded as sub-majors.

Program Sub-major: an organized undergraduate, graduate, or professional curriculum that demonstrates a student has completed a significant body of work within a major. Sub-majors are frequently referred to as tracks. Sub-majors do not print on diplomas (with the exception of the undergraduate IDS major) but may print on the official transcript with an awarded degree and major. When printed on the transcript, sub-majors appear as Emphases, Concentration, or Track.

Program Co-major: a course of study allowing two majors for one Ph.D. degree.

Program Minor: a recognized block of specialized course work completed in any academic unit outside the major. Minors are offered at the undergraduate and graduate level.

For-credit Certificate Program: an organized curriculum of college credit courses offered as a distinct area of study that leads to specific educational or occupational goals, and for which the university awards a certificate or similar form of recognition upon completion. For-Credit Certificate Programs may consist of courses that are part of a degree program or distinct courses that are created outside of any degree program.

Non-college-credit Certificate Program: an organized curriculum of study of any length that is offered for non-college credit (as measured through clock hours, continuing education units, competency exams, etc.), that leads to specific educational or occupational goals, and for which the university awards a certificate or diploma upon completion.

Main Campus: the primary site of the university’s educational, research, and administrative activities in Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida.

4. Policy Specifics

Pursuant to Florida Board of Governors Regulation 8.011, the University of Florida Board of Trustees (BOT) has the authority to approve for implementation new degree programs at the bachelor, master, and specialist levels.

The BOG has the authority to approve for implementation new professional and research doctoral degree programs. The BOT must approve new professional and research doctoral degree programs before submission to the BOG for authorization.

Per BOG Regulation 8.011, a proposal for a new degree program may be approved by the BOT provided it meets the following criteria:

Institutional and state-level accountability:

•   The program is consistent with the current State University System strategic plan, university mission, the current university strategic plan, and the annual university accountability plan.
•   There is a demonstrated need for program graduates, research, and/or service.
•   The program does not unnecessarily duplicate existing degree programs in the state of Florida.
•   Financial planning and resources are sufficient for implementation.
•   There is a sufficient projected benefit of the program to the university, local community, and the state of Florida.
•   Access and articulation are maintained for all programs.

Institutional readiness:

•   The institution demonstrates an ability to implement a high-quality program.
•   The curriculum is appropriate for the discipline and program level.
•   Sufficient qualified faculty is available.
•   Sufficient institutional resources are available.

To ensure uniformity with addressing the criteria listed above, new degree proposals must be submitted using the State University System of Florida Request to Offer a New Degree Program form.

Professional and research doctoral degree program proposals are required to be reviewed by a qualified external consultant prior to consideration by the BOT. A formal written review of the doctoral program proposal by the external consultant must be included as an appendix in the new degree program proposal.

Baccalaureate program proposals must include any request for approval of specialized admissions status per BOG Regulation 8.013, exceptions to the 120 credit hours to degree per BOG Regulation 8.014, and exceptions to the established statewide common prerequisite courses per BOG Regulation 8.010.

New Degree Programs Development

Recommendations for future degree programs are developed by faculty with support from college deans and presented to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs for consideration of inclusion on the University of Florida Accountability Plan.

As established in BOG Regulation 8.011, UF submits new academic degree program pre-proposals for review by the State University System Council of Academic Vice Presidents (CAVP) Academic Coordination Group (ACG) pursuant to BOG Regulation 8.004. Once CAVP-ACG review is completed, the new degree program proposal is completed and submitted through the Academic Approval system for review and approval.

5. Review and Approval

New Degree Program Proposals

Submissions are reviewed through the Academic Approval system, (https://approval.ufl.edu/), which includes review and approval by the department and college, the Office of Institutional Planning and Research, the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs for baccalaureate and professional programs or the Associate Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs for graduate programs, the University Curriculum Committee for baccalaureate programs or the Graduate Council for graduate programs or the Professional Curriculum Committee for professional programs, the Faculty Senate Steering Committee, and the Faculty Senate prior to submission to the UF Board of Trustees for review and approval.

Other Curricular Offerings

For academic curricular offerings other than a new degree program (i.e., majors, minors, concentrations, tracks, areas of emphasis, specializations), submissions are reviewed through the Academic Approval system.

Majors includes review and approval by the department and college, the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs for baccalaureate and professional programs or the Associate Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs for graduate programs, the University Curriculum Committee for baccalaureate programs or the Graduate Council for graduate programs or the Professional Curriculum Committee for professional programs, the Faculty Senate Steering Committee, and the Faculty Senate prior to notification to the UF Board of Trustees.

Minors and specializations include review and approval by the department and college, the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs (specializations only), the University Curriculum Committee, and the Office of the University Registrar.

Concentrations include review and approval by the department and college, the Graduate Council for graduate concentrations or the Professional Curriculum Committee for professional concentrations, and the Office of the University Registrar.

Undergraduate For-credit Certificates include review and approval by the department and college, the Office of Institutional Planning and Research, and the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs.

Graduate and Professional For-credit Certificates include review and approval by the department and college, the Office of Institutional Planning and Research, the Graduate Council (graduate certificates only), and the Office of the University Registrar.

Not-for-credit Certificate Programs

Oversight of not-for-credit certificate programs reside with the specific unit (college), as it is skill-specific in nature with immediate application to work life or a particular life living skill.