Academic Program Processes
Graduate Programs
Processes for creating, modifying and deleting academic programs are designed to ensure that programs are aligned with university strategic priorities, support the originating academic unit’s mission, comply with university policy and operations, and are sustainable with available resources.
Contact the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for similar actions pertaining to units such as colleges, departments, schools, institutes and centers.
Step One
Identify the program for which an action will be taken.
Learn more about the types of graduate programs below.
Graduate Major/Degree
A graduate degree program is a sequence of courses and activities leading to a post-baccalaureate degree in a particular major (subject area), at least 30 credit hours for master's degrees and 90 for doctoral.
Professional degree programs are a variation of a graduate major/degree that lead to an occupation governed by a regulatory body. Members of the profession must complete a credentialing exam before they can actively practice and they must keep their credentials current through additional education mandated by the regulatory body.
Students apply and are admitted. Enrollment and completion are reportable and transcripted. A diploma is awarded upon completion.
Graduate Certificate
A graduate certificate program should be designed to enhance the marketability of graduate students or to provide a service to a segment of the community through short-term graduate education. Graduate certificate programs must be post-baccalaureate, and consist of 12-20 credit hours. The core of required or elective courses must be in the program/unit offering the certificate. Up to one third of the elective courses can be in related departments/programs.
If your program meets the following criteria you may qualify for an expedited review: the graduate certificate program must be considered a reasonable extension of an existing master’s program, using existing courses; require no additional or reallocated resources to support the program; and needs to demonstrate capacity to offer the certificate program.
Students apply and are admitted. Enrollment and completion are reportable and transcripted. A certificate is awarded upon completion.
Graduate Specialization
A graduate specialization is a focused collection of courses within one or more major/degree programs. Specializations must account for a minimum of 9 credit hours of the degree requirement.
Students declare a specialization when applying for admission to a degree program or when establishing a plan of study. Enrollment and completion are reportable and transcripted.
Accelerated Master’s Program
Accelerated Master’s Programs allow highly-qualified UNL undergraduate students to take UNL graduate courses during their senior year that count toward both their bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in the same or closely-related discipline. Students are therefore able to complete their master’s degrees in a reduced amount of time.
For more information, including instructions for creating a new accelerated master’s program, visit the Office of Graduate Studies website.
Contact the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for actions related to the following programs: Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Law (J.D.), and Architecture (M.Arch.). Contact the Office of Graduate Studies for dual degree programs, and graduate or interdepartmental minors. For other program actions (e.g. MOUs, subject codes, etc.) that require approvals, see Related Program Actions.
Step Two
Determine the programmatic action you want to take.
Create
Creating a new instructional program is one not included in the definition of an existing instructional program. A substantial modification of an existing instructional program constitutes creating a new program, such as when the principal objective of the program is changed.
Review the Pre-proposal Questionnaire prior to preparing a proposal.
Modify
Modifying an instructional program is a reasonable and moderate extension of an existing instructional program. Examples of modifications include name changes, CIP code changes, converting an existing traditional program to an online program, merger/consolidation, and substantial changes in degree requirements.
Delete
Deleting an instructional program will halt recruiting, advertising and admitting into the program but will allow current students to finish the program.
Discontinuing (mothballing) a program will inactivate the program for a temporary period of time. Refer to the Steps for Discontinuation for more information.
Step Three
Download and complete the proposal template.
All proposals require a supporting transmittal memo from the college dean and letter of support from the graduate chair(s).
Step Four
Review the timeline for transmittal and approval, if required.
*If the graduate certificate program is a reasonable extension of an existing master’s program, it may qualify for an expedited review. An expedited review will take less time to move through the university and state-level review processes. It is reported but not reviewed at the state level.
Step Five
Upload the complete set of materials to the Office of Graduate Studies here.
Please do not email the documents. If you have difficulty uploading the materials, contact Lisa Cordonier (lcordonier2@unl.edu). Inquiries about the preparation of the documents should be directed to Graduate Dean Debra Hope (dhope1@unl.edu).
Include a memo from the college dean or Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources with an original signature, confirming that department and college approvals are in place.
Submit electronically via upload, formatted as follows: proposal as Word, any budget tables as Excel, and any supporting letters, appendices, and other documents as PDF.
Don't forget: Curriculum actions for individual courses need to follow established procedures.
Upon approval by the UNL Graduate Council, Graduate Studies will forward major/degree and certificate proposals to the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor.
Step Six
Be prepared for questions and revisions throughout the process.
The proposer and/or dean will be the point of contact regarding questions on proposals. The Office of Graduate Studies will coordinate an early review of the proposal. Questions may arise from this review.
The Academic Planning Committee and Board of Regents may request additional information or ask clarifying questions. When proposing a new graduate major/degree or non-expedited graduate certificate, there will be an external review of the proposal coordinated by University of Nebraska System Administration prior to the Board of Regents review.
The Board may ask that a representative from the unit attend the Coordinating Commission for Post-Secondary Education’s meeting in which the proposal will be discussed. The Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor will provide the proposer with as much notice as possible if a physical presence is desired.
Step Seven
Approval notification.
Upon completion of the review and approval process, the units below will be notified. Notification will come from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor, or from Graduate Studies when the action requires no approval beyond the UNL Graduate Council.
Notification of approval is the authorization to implement the actions listed in the table below. The units will have access to the full proposal and will contact the proposer with any additional questions.
| College/Department | Modify Website, Recruitment and/or Advising Materials |
| Work with Graduate Studies to update information and requirements | |
| University Registrar | Modify Student Information System (PeopleSoft) |
| Update Degree Audit | |
| Office of Graduate Studies | Modify Graduate Admissions Application |
| Modify Graduate Studies Website and Graduate Catalog | |
| Scholarships and Financial Aid | Update the Program Participation Agreement |
| Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics | Update Reporting Environments |
Questions?
Contact Debra Hope, Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Graduate Education, dhope1@unl.edu or 402-472-7940.