System Procedure 3.36.1 Academic Programs

System Procedures
 Chapter 3 - Educational Policies

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for Board Policy 3.36

Part 1. Purpose

To establish standards, processes, and conditions that enable consistent implementation of academic program policy.

Part 2. Definitions

Academic award
A certificate, diploma or degree.

Academic program
A cohesive arrangement of college-level curricular requirements leading to an academic award.

Academic program characteristics
Attributes that operationally describe an approved academic program including:

  1. name,
  2. academic award,
  3. federal Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code,
  4. credit length,
  5. location(s),
  6. emphases, if any,
  7. transfer or collaborative agreements, if any, among colleges, and universities, or other parties, and
  8. status (active, suspended, closed).

Academic program closure
An academic program change in status which permanently closes the academic program to new enrollment.

Academic program curriculum components
Program elements with set curricular requirements.

Applicable to colleges

Emphasis
A specialized area of study of at least nine credits within an academic program.

Applicable to universities

Emphasis
A specialized area of study of at least nine credits within a major.

Major
A specialized area of study within a baccalaureate academic program intended to provide significant upper division study in discipline(s), a professional field of study, or an occupation.

Minor
A specialized area of study within a baccalaureate academic program.

Other Components.
Other components of an academic program may include electives, required courses, and general education.

Academic program inventory
The official list of academic programs offered by colleges and universities.

Academic program redesign
A change to an existing academic program characteristic.

Academic program reinstatement
An academic program status change from suspended to active.

Academic program relocation
Academic program relocation occurs when an active academic program is closed at its present location and approved for delivery at a different location.

Academic program replication
Academic program replication occurs when an active academic program is offered at an additional location.

Academic program suspension
Academic program suspension is a change in status which temporarily closes the academic program to new enrollment.

 

Collaborative agreement
A formal agreement between two or more parties, at least one of which is a system college or university, to co-deliver an academic program. Each college or university may, as appropriate, confer the award.

Course
A set of designed experiences with defined student learning outcomes.

Credit
A unit of measure assigned to a college or university course offering or an equivalent learning experience that takes into consideration achieved student learning outcomes and instructional time.

Credit hour

  1. An amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than -
    a. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time, such as in distance learning environments; or
    b. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1.a.) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the college or university including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
  2. Or, for a program that is subject to a clock/credit-hour conversion, the lesser of
    a. Clock hours in the credit-hour program divided by 37.5 clock hours of instruction or
    b. Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system approved credit hour.

Curriculum
A coherent set of instructional experiences designed through established college and university procedures to achieve desired student learning outcomes. Curriculum may refer to an academic program, an academic program element such as the major, an instructional unit, the general education component, or the entirety of offerings of a college or university.

Fine arts
The disciplines of creative writing, dance, music, theatre, the visual arts, and performing arts in which artistic purposes are primary.

General education
A cohesive curriculum defined by college or university faculty to develop reasoning ability through an integration of learning experiences in the liberal arts and sciences.

Graduate course enrollment
There are four types of graduate course enrollment that specify which students are permitted to enroll in a graduate course.

Master's dual-enrollment. Master's dual-enrollment courses are open to undergraduate students and graduate students at the master's level.

Master's. Master's courses are open only to graduate students at the master's level.

Doctoral dual-enrollment. Doctoral dual-enrollment courses are open to graduate students at the master's and doctoral levels.

Doctoral. Doctoral courses are open only to graduate students at the doctoral level.

Liberal arts and sciences
Liberal arts and sciences include communications, natural sciences, mathematics, social and behavioral sciences, and humanities and fine arts.

Location
A geographic place where a college or university has been approved to deliver an entire academic program or a baccalaureate completion program.

Minnesota transfer curriculum
Curriculum comprised of general education courses, goal area definitions, and competencies that transfer between Minnesota public colleges and universities.

Mission statement
A mission statement conveys the broad intentions and distinctive character of a college or university; describes its primary educational programs and their purposes; recognizes the diversity of its learners; identifies the students to be served, including particular constituents; defines a primary service area; and communicates a commitment to the advancement of society’s values and common purposes and the advancement of excellence in higher learning. Use of this definition is restricted to this procedure and related guidelines, if any.

New academic program
An academic program identified by curricular content and an academic award significantly different (more than 50%) from other academic programs at a college or university.

Occupational program
An academic program designed to prepare program graduates for entry, retention, or advancement in a specific occupation or set of closely allied occupations.

Online academic program
An academic program that is offered entirely or almost entirely over the Internet. When pedagogically necessary, limited portions of an online academic program may require face-to-face instruction, professional practice or applied activities that are not appropriate for online delivery. Two types of online academic programs are recognized by the system:

Online exclusive. Online exclusive means an online program only offered online; no participation in face-to-face delivery is available.

Online plus. Online plus means an online program is offered online with face-to-face options available for one or more courses.

Preparatory course
A lower-division college-level course outside of an academic program that compensates for insufficient high school or equivalent preparation based on assessment for course placement.  See System Procedure 3.3.1 Assessment for Course Placement.

Prerequisite course
A college-level course within an academic program that all students must complete before enrolling in another college level course or a major.

Program Advisory committee
A group established to provide guidance on academic program development and improvement including need, design, accountability, and closure.

Program service area
The region encompassing a significant majority of prospective or current students for a program location. The service area may be described as a list of communities, cities, counties, zip codes, states, number of miles from the program site, Minnesota planning or economic development regions, or by one or more employer sites.

Program transfer
All courses from a completed certificate, diploma, or degree that apply toward completion of another certificate, diploma, or degree but may not necessarily do so with equal course credits.

Task analysis
A process used to identify the knowledge, skills, tools, and abilities needed to perform an occupation.

Transfer agreement
A formal agreement between two or more educational entities identifying the courses and credits within a program that transfer to a specific academic program using the system transfer agreement template, or the transfer pathway map or equivalent evidence of course transfer encoded in the Degree Audit Reporting System.

Transfer pathway associate degrees
Associate of arts (AA), associate of science (AS), and associate of fine arts (AFA) degrees designed to ensure completion of designated baccalaureate degree programs at Minnesota State universities within 120 credits.

Undergraduate course level
Course level reflects the degree of difficulty, the breadth and depth of learning expectations, or the sequential learning required of knowledge. Course content and level are determined by college and university faculty through established procedures.

Developmental. Developmental course content prepares students for entry into college level courses. Developmental level course credits do not apply toward a certificate, diploma, or degree.

Lower-division. Lower-division course content prepares students for specific academic program outcomes or for upper-division undergraduate coursework at a university.

Upper-division. Upper-division course content builds upon or integrates knowledge gained in lower-division undergraduate courses. Content of upper-division courses is determined by the university faculty through established procedures.

Unnecessary program duplication
When two or more academic programs serve overlapping program service areas in which the number of prospective and enrolled students is insufficient to sustain one or more of the programs or, for occupational programs, the number of current and projected job openings is insufficient to maintain an acceptable related employment rate for graduates.

Work-based learning
Paid or unpaid applied work experiences designed to address one or more program learning outcomes in courses or programs designed and evaluated by faculty members. Work-based learning involves a method such as apprenticeship, clinical experience, cooperative education, experiential learning, externship, internship, or practicum.

Part 3. Authorized Academic Awards.

Subpart A. College and university award authority
A college or university may change its college or university type or become authorized to confer new academic awards for which it is not authorized by submitting an application to the chancellor and obtaining approval from the Board of Trustees. The application must include demonstration of college or university readiness and capacity to deliver the new award.

Subpart B. Academic award attributes
Academic awards must have the following attributes.

  1. Undergraduate certificate. An undergraduate certificate is awarded upon completion of a 9 to 30 credit academic program. An undergraduate certificate may have an occupational outcome or address a focused area of study.

    An undergraduate certificate must not have emphases.

    All vocational and technical credits earned for a certificate must be applicable toward any available degree in the same program.

    At least one-third of the credits in the undergraduate certificate must be taught by the faculty recommending the award. This requirement may be decreased upon recommendation by the faculty and approval by the president of the college or university.

    An undergraduate certificate less than 9 or more than 30 credits in length may be approved when the academic program prepares an individual for employment and the length or the designation as a certificate is (1) required by an employer, a licensing body or other regulatory agency, accrediting association, or board, or (2) based on a formal task analysis conducted within the previous three years and the results endorsed by a program advisory committee.

  2. Diploma. A diploma is awarded upon completion of a 31 to 72 credit undergraduate academic program that prepares students for employment. A minimum of 24 credits must be in occupational or technical courses.

    A diploma may have one or more emphases of at least 9 credits when there are at least 30 credits in the major that are common to the emphases.

    All vocational and technical credits earned for a diploma must be applicable toward any available degree in the same program.

    A diploma may be individualized according to the standards outlined in Part 5. Subpart C, to provide a student an opportunity to design an academic program to meet specific occupational goals that cannot be met by current program offerings.

    At least one-third of the credits in the diploma must be taught by the faculty recommending the award. This requirement may be decreased upon recommendation by the faculty and approval by the president of the college.

    A diploma of more than 72 credits in length may be approved when the academic program prepares an individual for employment and the length is (1) required by an employer, a licensing body or other regulatory agency, accrediting association, or board, or (2) based on a formal task analysis conducted within the previous three years and the results endorsed by a program advisory committee.

  3. Associate of arts degree.  An associate of arts degree is awarded upon completion of a 60 credit academic program in the liberal arts and sciences. It is designed for transfer to a baccalaureate degree-granting college or university.

    An associate of arts degree requires completion of at least a 40 credit curriculum that fulfills the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum goal areas.

    The associate of arts degree program is named Liberal Arts and Sciences.

    An associate of arts degree may have one or more emphases of at least 9 credits each in liberal arts and science fields, provided there is an articulation agreement with a related baccalaureate major offered by one or more system universities.

    At least 15 credits in the associate of arts degree or associate of arts transfer pathway degree must be taught by the faculty recommending the award. This requirement may be decreased upon recommendation of the faculty and approval by the president or designee of the college or university.

    An associate of arts degree (AA) that is a transfer pathway is awarded upon completion of a 60 credit academic program in the liberal arts and sciences and is titled “[Discipline] Transfer Pathway.” Transfer pathway programs are designed to ensure completion of designated baccalaureate degree programs at Minnesota State universities within 120 credits.

  4. Associate of fine arts degree.  An associate of fine arts degree is a named degree awarded upon completion of a 60 credit academic program in particular disciplines in the fine arts.

    An associate of fine arts degree is designed to transfer in its entirety to a related fine arts discipline baccalaureate degree program. An articulation agreement with a related baccalaureate degree program at a regionally accredited university is required. A system college shall pursue an articulation agreement with a system university before establishing an articulation agreement with a non-system university.

    An associate of fine arts degree (AFA) that is a transfer pathway is awarded upon completion of a 60 credit academic program in the liberal arts and sciences and is titled “[Discipline] Transfer Pathway.” Transfer pathway programs are designed to ensure completion of designated baccalaureate degree programs at Minnesota State universities within 120 credits.

    An associate of fine arts degree requires a minimum of 24 credits selected from at least six of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. Requirements for the following disciplines have been adopted.

    Art. An associate of fine arts degree in art requires the minimum of 24 credits selected from at least six of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.

    Creative Writing. An associate of fine arts degree in creative writing requires completion of the entire Minnesota Transfer Curriculum with a minimum of 40 credits from all ten goal areas.

    Dance. An associate of fine arts degree in dance requires completion of the entire Minnesota Transfer Curriculum with a minimum of 40 credits from all ten goal areas.

    Music. An associate of fine arts degree in music requires at least 30 credits selected from at least six of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.

    Theatre arts. An associate of fine arts degree in theatre arts requires completion of the entire Minnesota Transfer Curriculum with a minimum of 40 credits from all ten goal areas.

    An associate of fine arts degree must not have emphases.

    An associate of fine arts degree program may be individualized according to the standards outlined in Part 5, Subpart F, to provide a student an opportunity to design an academic program to meet specific academic or occupational goals that cannot be met by current program offerings. Associate of fine arts individualized studies degree programs do not require a transfer agreement.

    At least 15 credits in the associate of fine arts degree or associate of fine arts transfer pathway degree must be taught by the faculty recommending the award. This requirement may be decreased upon recommendation of the faculty and approval by the president of the college or university.

    A waiver may be granted to exceed a length of 60 credits when (1) the waiver criteria in Part 3, Subpart C, are met and (2) an articulation agreement specifies the transfer of a greater number of credits.

  5. Associate of Science Degree. An associate of science degree is awarded upon completion of a 60 credit academic program in scientific, technological, or other professional fields.

    The associate of science degree is designed to transfer in its entirety to one or more related baccalaureate degree programs. A college shall pursue an articulation agreement with one or more system universities before establishing an articulation agreement with a non-system university.

    An associate of science transfer pathway degree (AS) is awarded upon completion of an academic program in scientific, technological, or other professional fields and is titled “[Discipline] Transfer Pathway”. Transfer pathway programs are designed to transfer all courses within the pathway into designated baccalaureate degree programs identified by system universities.

    An associate of science degree may address a single specialty or a set of allied specialties such as, but not limited to, (1) agriculture, (2) business, (3) computer and information sciences, (4) education, (5) engineering, (6) engineering technologies, (7) environmental sciences, (8) health sciences, and (9) natural sciences.

    The associate of science degree requires a minimum of 30 credits selected from at least six of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.

    An associate of science degree or associate of science transfer pathway degree must not have emphases.

    An associate of science degree may be individualized according to the standards outlined in Part 5, Subpart F, to provide a student an opportunity to design an academic program to meet specific occupational goals that cannot be met by current program offerings. Associate of science individualized studies programs do not require an articulation agreement.

    At least 15 credits in an associate of science degree or associate of science transfer pathway degree must be taught by the faculty recommending the award. This requirement may be decreased upon recommendation of the faculty and approval by the president of the college or university.

    A waiver may be granted to exceed a length of 60 credits when (1) the waiver criteria in Part 3, Subpart C, are met and (2) an articulation agreement specifies the transfer of a greater number of credits.

  6. Associate of applied science degree.  An associate of applied science degree is awarded upon completion of a 60 credit academic program in a named field of study in scientific, technological or other professional fields.

    An associate of applied science degree prepares students for employment in an occupation or range of occupations. An associate of applied science degree may also be accepted in transfer to a related baccalaureate program.

    An associate of applied science degree requires a minimum of 15 credits selected from at least three of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. At least 30 credits must be in the academic program’s occupational or technical field of preparation.

    An associate of applied science degree may have one or more emphases of at least 9 credits each when there are at least 30 credits in the major that are common to the emphases.

    An associate of applied science degree program may be individualized according to the standards outlined in Part 5, Subpart F, to provide a student an opportunity to design an academic program to meet specific occupational goals that cannot be met by current program offerings.

    At least 15 credits in an associate of applied science must be taught by the faculty recommending the award. This requirement may be decreased upon recommendation of the faculty and approval by the president of the college or university.

    A waiver may be granted to exceed a length of 60 credits when (1) the waiver criteria in Part 3, Subpart C, are met and (2) an articulation agreement, where applicable, specifies the transfer of a greater number of credits.

  7. Baccalaureate degree. A baccalaureate degree is awarded upon completion of a 120 credit academic program incorporating general education, major requirements and, as appropriate, a minor.

    The bachelor of arts degree is awarded upon completion of a curriculum with a major that focuses on study in the liberal or fine arts.

    The bachelor of science degree is awarded upon completion of a curriculum with a major that prepares individuals to apply knowledge and skills in areas other than the liberal or fine arts.

    A bachelor of applied science (BAS) degree features application of knowledge, skills, and abilities and includes at least 30 credits focused on an occupation or set of closely allied occupations. A bachelor of applied science degree may incorporate a variety of methods to achieve its applied focus such as experiential learning or a capstone project. A bachelor of applied science degree may achieve its applied focus through an articulation agreement with an applied occupational certificate, diploma, or degree and may reflect a model such as:

    a. Career Ladder: A career ladder model adds additional technical course work to an applied certificate, diploma, or degree,
    b. Management: A management model adds business and administrative course work to an applied certificate, diploma, or degree, or
    c. Completion: A completion model adds general education course work to one or more applied certificates, diplomas, or degrees.

    The chancellor may approve academic programs culminating in a more specific baccalaureate degree type, for example, bachelor of applied science, bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of music, bachelor of science in nursing, bachelor of social work, or another designated type.

    At least 40 of the required credits for the baccalaureate degree must be at the upper-division level.

    A baccalaureate degree requires at least a 40 credit curriculum that fulfills all of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.

    A baccalaureate degree may have one or more emphases of at least 9 credits each when at least 18 credits in the major are common to all the emphases.

    Each university shall identify and publish a current list of designated baccalaureate degree programs accepting transfer pathways.

    A baccalaureate degree program may be individualized according to the standards outlined in Part 5, Subpart F, to provide a student an opportunity to design an academic program to meet specific occupational goals that cannot be met by current program offerings.

    At least 30 credits in a baccalaureate degree must be taught by the faculty recommending the award. These requirements may be decreased upon recommendation by the faculty and approval by the president of the university.

    A waiver may be granted to exceed a length of 120 credits when the waiver criteria in Part 3, Subpart C, are met.

    A baccalaureate completion program consists of at least 40 upper division credits and leads to the completion of a baccalaureate degree offered by a university beyond its campus. 

  8. Graduate certificate. A graduate certificate is awarded upon completion of a 9 to 30 credit academic program in a focused area of study at the graduate level.

    A graduate certificate must not have an “emphasis.”

    All credits in a graduate certificate must be taught by the faculty recommending the award. This requirement may be decreased upon recommendation of the faculty and approval by the president of the university.

  9. Master's degree. A master’s degree is awarded upon completion of a 30 to 54 credit academic program at the graduate level in a discipline or professional field.

    A master of arts degree is awarded upon completion of a curriculum with a major that focuses on study in the liberal or fine arts.

    A master of science degree is awarded upon completion of a curriculum with a major that prepares individuals to apply knowledge and skill in areas other than the liberal or fine arts.

    The chancellor may approve academic programs culminating in a more specifically named master’s degree type, for example, master of arts in teaching, master of business administration, master of fine arts, master of public administration, or master of science in nursing.

    At least one-half of the required credits in a master’s degree, exclusive of a thesis, capstone, or similar culminating project, must be credits restricted exclusively to graduate student enrollment.

    A master’s degree may have one or more emphases of at least 9 credits when at least 18 credits in the major are common to all the emphases.

    All credits in the master’s degree must be taught by the faculty recommending the award. This requirement may be decreased upon recommendation of the faculty and approval by the president of the university.

    A master’s degree more than 54 credits in length may be approved by the chancellor when the length is (1) required by an employer, a licensing body or other regulatory agency, accrediting association, or board, or (2) consistent with nationwide common practice.

  10. Education specialist degree. An education specialist degree is awarded upon completion of a 60 to 72 credit academic program at the graduate level in the professional education field. The education specialist degree may be awarded to a holder of a master's degree after the successful completion of a course of graduate study of at least 30 semester credits.

    An education specialist degree may have one or more emphases of at least 9 credits each when at least 18 credits are required in the post-master’s portion of the degree.

    No more than 16 credits of an education specialist degree may be master’s dual-enrollment courses.

    All credits in the education specialist degree must be taught by the faculty recommending the award. This requirement may be decreased upon recommendation of the faculty and approval by the president of the university.

  11. Doctorate. A doctorate is awarded upon completion of a graduate level academic program of at least 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree in an applied professional field.

    Minnesota state universities are authorized to grant the doctorate in audiology, business, education, nursing, psychology, and physical therapy.

    At least 45 credits in graduate level courses must be taught by the faculty recommending the award, including up to 12 credits for a dissertation or equivalent project. At least 36 of these 45 credits must be in doctoral only courses. This 45- credit requirement may be decreased upon recommendation of the faculty and approval of the president of the university.

    No more than 16 credits of the doctorate may be master’s dual enrollment courses.

    A doctorate may have one or more emphases of at least 9 credits when there are at least 18 credits in the post-master’s portion of the academic program.

Subpart C. Program Credit Length Waivers for Associate and Baccalaureate Degrees

  1. Authority. The system office determines the approval or disapproval of all requests for waivers to exceed program credit length limitations.
  2. Criteria for granting waivers. Credit length waivers may be granted when determined necessary to ensure that the degree provided meets industry or professional standards. Waivers must be granted only when a need for a longer program credit length is demonstrated by one or more of the following:

    a. Industry Standards
    (1) National or international program certification,
    (2) National or international standards, including skill standards,
    (3) Standards recommended by a primary employer or multiple employers within a program service area.

    b. Professional Standards
    (1) National specialized program accreditation,
    (2) State licensure requirements,
    (3) National practices or standards.
  3. Waiver process for associate of science, associate of fine arts, and baccalaureate degrees. The following process must be followed to request a waiver:

    a. Preparation of a waiver application for submission to the system office must be consistent with accepted college or university curriculum approval processes. Group waiver requests for baccalaureate, associate of fine arts, and associate of science degree programs in the same discipline must be pursued by all schools offering that degree program (e.g. Nursing, Music, Engineering, etc.). An associate of arts program cannot seek a degree credit cap waiver. 

    b. Program advisory committees may provide recommendations on learning requirements. Program advisory committee recommendations that support the standards may be submitted with the waiver request. For student representation on college or university program advisory committees, see Board Policy 2.3 and System Procedure 2.3.1 Student Involvement in Decision-Making.

    c. Waiver applications will be distributed for review and comment to state student associations, faculty union leadership, and college and university administrators.

    d. The Academic Affairs Unit in the system office will act on the waiver application and notify the applicant.

    e. Appeals related to waiver decisions will be submitted to the senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs.  The senior vice chancellor or designee shall make the final determination on the waiver appeal and the decision is binding on all parties. 

    f. Public information regarding the waiver process, review criteria, rationale for decisions, and decisions reached will be available on the system office website.
  4. Waiver process for associate of applied science degrees. a. Preparation of a waiver application for submission to the system office must be consistent with accepted college or university curriculum approval processes.

    b. An associate of applied science waiver application must compare and contrast credit lengths of comparable programs and provide a program analysis describing learning outcomes not found in shorter programs.

    c. Program advisory committees shall provide recommendations on learning requirements. For student representation on college or university program advisory committees, see Board Policy 2.3 and System Procedure 2.3.1.

    d. Waiver applications must document the approval of the college or university curriculum committee, the program advisory committee, and the college or university student representative on the program advisory committee. If there was no student representative on the program advisory committee, the college or university student association shall review and comment on the waiver application.

    e. Waiver applications will be distributed for review and comment to state student associations, faculty union leadership, and college and university administrators.

    f. The Academic Affairs Unit in the system office will act on the waiver application and notify the applicant.

    g. Appeals related to waiver decisions will be submitted to the senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. The senior vice chancellor or designee shall make a final determination on the waiver appeal and the decision on all parties.

    h. Public information regarding the waiver process, review criteria, rationale for decisions, and decisions reached will be available on the office website.

    i. Associate of applied science programs approved to exceed 60 credits must include an explanation of why the program is longer than similar programs in the catalog description.

Subpart D. Clock hour to credit equivalence
Student work-based learning experiences measured in clock hours may be equated to credits.

Colleges and universities shall collaborate to establish a common number of credits for a work-based learning experience when a state or federal agency or regulatory board requires a set number of clock hours.

Subpart E. Reporting credit hours for federal student aid
For purposes of determining program eligibility for federal student aid, colleges and universities shall report credit hours in conformance with requirements of U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 34 CFR 600.2 and 668.8 (k) and (l).

Part 4. Authority to Establish Academic Program Locations

Approval of an academic program location
Location approval is required for a college or university to deliver a new, replicated or relocated academic program at a location where it is not currently delivering any academic program. Location approval requires academic program approval and lease approval, when applicable.

The academic program application must specify the location name, postal address, and lease information as applicable. For a location not owned by the Minnesota State, the location application must include information regarding approval of the lease as required in System Procedure 6.7.2, Part 4.

Part 5. Academic Program Approval
The chancellor shall establish processes for academic program applications and continued maintenance and administration of programs.

Subpart A. Approval of new academic programs
A new academic program requires approval by the chancellor before it is offered by a college or university.

All college-level courses required for academic program completion, with the exception of preparatory courses, must be included in the total number of credits for an undergraduate academic program.

New program applications must address the following items as detailed in the program application form available online:

  1. Alignment with the college or university mission
  2. Collaboration, agreements, and applicable approvals
  3. Curriculum attributes
  4. Enterprise system requirements
  5. Program marketing
  6. Program demand and unnecessary duplication
  7. Resources

The chancellor may conditionally approve an academic program.

Subpart B. Maintenance of academic program records
Colleges and universities shall maintain their academic program records in the system program inventory to inform students, address consumer disclosure requirements, and support college or university business practices. Program information to be maintained includes the following:

  1. Accreditation for the program, if applicable
  2. Career clusters, pathways, and assessments (Minnesota State colleges)
  3. Center of excellence affiliation, if applicable
  4. Closed enrollment status and organization(s) served
  5. Delivery mode
  6. Effective begin and end terms
  7. Emphases, if applicable
  8. Green designation, if applicable
  9. Locations
  10. Name, description, student learning outcomes, and URL
  11. Time to completion
  12. Type, Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code, and level
  13. Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes, if applicable
  14. Transfer Pathway Designation
  15. Baccalaureate Completion Programs

Subpart C. Approval of names for academic programs and emphases
Colleges and universities have considerable latitude to name an academic program consistent with its content and purpose, although consideration should be made for clarity, brevity, and professionalism.

  1. Names for academic programs must:
    1. represent program learning outcomes as reflected by core content of the curriculum,
    2. reflect the assigned Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code unless a suitable CIP code is not available,
    3. be less than or equal to 50 characters in length, including spaces so that a name can appear on student awards and transcripts. If this title exceeds 50 characters (including spaces), a short title must also be identified due to ISRS field limitations,
    4. include the word “advanced only” when justified relative to preceding programs, comparison to entry level job standards, or special admissions criteria,
    5. be permitted to use the prefix “pre-” when
      i. the program prepares individuals for an associate of science degree that a graduate must complete to be admitted to a baccalaureate-level program that is the minimum necessary qualification for practice, such as any of the engineering specialties,
      ii. marketing a baccalaureate degree for a post-baccalaureate professional field such as pre-dentistry, pre-medicine, pre-pharmacy, pre-veterinary medicine, pre-nursing, pre-chiropractic medicine, pre-occupational therapy, pre-optometry, and pre-physical therapy.
    6. Transfer pathway programs must follow the naming convention “[Discipline] Transfer Pathway”.
  2. Academic program names must not include ampersands or references to:
    1. the words “program,” “awards” (certificate, diploma, associate, baccalaureate, master’s, doctorate), “delivery mode,” “emphasis,” “option,” or other curricular descriptors,
    2. the term “pathway” in a program title is limited to designated transfer pathway programs
    3. words such as “basic,” “careers,” “concepts,” “core,” “foundations,” “fundamentals,” “general,” “introduction,” and “orientation” when the program is intended for occupational preparation,
    4. accreditation or external curriculum approvals, such as AACSB, ABET, ACS, or NCATE. An acronym, if essential, may be used in conjunction with relevant text to communicate program content,
    5. licensure when licensure is granted by an external agency and not a college or university. An emphasis title may include the word “non-licensure” to indicate that the program does not prepare a student to apply for licensure,
    6. certified or registered when this recognition is granted by an external agency and not a college or university. Either term is allowed in an academic program name if doing so is required by an external agency. Nursing program titles recommended by the Minnesota Board of Nursing must exclude use of the words “certification” and “registered”, for example:
      • “Nursing Assistant” for nursing assistant certification and home health aide certification,
      • “Practical Nursing” for licensed practical nursing, or
      • “Nursing” for registered nursing.

Subpart D. Approval of changes to existing academic programs

1. Closure. Closure of an academic program must be approved by the chancellor. Approval will only be granted under the following circumstances:

  1. the closure is requested by a college or university, and the chancellor determines that the documentation provided supports closure;
  2. the chancellor determines that closure is warranted; or
  3. the academic program has not been reinstated following a suspension.

The academic program closure application must be documented, as applicable, regarding:

  1. academic program need,
  2. student enrollment trends,
  3. employment of graduates,
  4. the financial circumstances affecting the academic program, college or university,
  5. the plan to accommodate students currently enrolled in the academic program,
  6. impact on faculty and support staff,
  7. consultation with appropriate constituent groups including students, faculty and community,
  8. alternatives considered, and
  9. other factors affecting academic program operation.

Once closed, a program can only be reopened, replicated, or relocated by submitting a new program application.

2. Redesign. Prior approval must be obtained from the chancellor for an academic program redesign that affects the approved name, CIP code, the addition of emphases, a change in award, or a change in credit length when the change exceeds the maximum or fails to meet the minimum credit lengths defined in policy.

Prior approval is not required for deletion of emphases or changes in credit length when the change is within the limits established by board policy. Colleges and universities shall report these changes to the chancellor.

3. Suspension and reinstatement. A college or university may suspend an academic program for three years. The college or university shall apply to the chancellor for suspension of an academic program. The application must include documented reasons for suspension and a reinstatement plan with a date for reinstatement. The suspension may be extended for up to one year with notification to the chancellor. The chancellor shall close an academic program that has not been reinstated following a suspension.

Reinstatement requires approval of the chancellor based on review of required documentation. The reinstatement plan must describe reasons for the suspension, identify specific actions to resolve the problems and address the following factors, as applicable:

  1. academic program need,
  2. student enrollment trends,
  3. employment of graduates,
  4. financial circumstances affecting the academic program, system college or university,
  5. the plan to accommodate students currently enrolled in the academic program,
  6. impact on faculty and support staff,
  7. consultation with appropriate constituent groups including students, faculty and community,
  8. academic program accreditation or licensure,
  9. alternatives considered, and
  10. other factors affecting academic program operation.
  11. A suspended academic program must not be relocated or replicated until reinstated.

4. Academic program replication or relocation. Replication and/or relocation of an academic program requires approval by the chancellor when the replication or relocation:

  1. is offered at a location that is new to the system college or university,
  2. affects an existing agreement between colleges and/or universities,
  3. is in the same service area or within a reasonable commute of a similar academic program offered by another college or university , or
  4. is a baccalaureate completion program delivered by a state university, or
  5. involves leasing non-Minnesota State property.

If none of the above applies, only notification by the president to the chancellor of the location is required.

Relocation to another college or university requires approval of the chancellor. The college or university to which an academic program is reassigned must provide for the viability of the academic program.

Subpart E. Student consultation and review regarding academic program decisions
When academic program changes are proposed as described in Part 5, Subpart D, students must be provided an opportunity to be involved as required by Board Policy 2.3 and System Procedure 2.3.1.

Subpart F. Approval of individualized academic programs

1. Guidelines. Individualized studies programs must:

  1. not have emphases,
  2. be called "Individualized Studies" and use the CIP code 30.9999 and
  3. transfer in their entirety (when designed for transfer) to a specific or individualized baccalaureate degree program.

2. Student program plan. Individualized studies programs require colleges and universities to manage student program plans such that each student prepares their plan with guidance from a faculty advisor and with approvals as required by the college or university. The student program plan must be kept on file by each participating college and university:

  1. For associate degree programs designed for transfer, the student program plan will include:
    1. a statement of the student's intent to transfer to a specific baccalaureate degree program at one or more universities,
    2. a statement of the intended program outcomes,
    3. identification of the courses to be completed in the associate degree program, and
    4. when applicable, assessment of student job prospects upon program completion.
  2. For non-transfer programs, the student program plan will include:
    1. a statement of the intended program outcomes,
    2. identification of the courses to be completed in the program, and
    3. when applicable, assessment of student job prospects upon program completion.

3. Minnesota transfer curriculum. Individualized studies programs offered by a college or university must meet the minimum number of Minnesota Transfer Curriculum goal areas as specified for the academic award in this procedure.

4. Program design. Students may consider the following program designs:

    1. thematic focus indicates coursework is in two or more disciplines organized around a theme, for example, food safety, from the perspectives of sociology, economics and health.
    2. interdisciplinary focus indicates coursework is in two disciplines, such as gerontology and exercise science.
    3. disciplinary focus indicates that coursework is all in the same discipline, for example, computer science.

Subpart G. Expedited approval of 9-16 credit certificate programs
Approval of certificate programs designed to meet a near-term workforce training need requested by employer(s), workforce center(s), or other entities can be expedited depending upon the potential for unnecessary program duplication. Documentation must demonstrate training need for the current or next semester, but evidence of other labor market information and student interest is not required.

  1. Potential duplication. When another college or university offers a similar program online or within an overlapping program service area or within a 45 mile commute distance, a notice of intent must be distributed to other colleges or universities through Program Navigator with a five-day waiting period. Upon approval, the proposed program can be offered for one or more cohorts within a 12-month period from the start of the first cohort. Subsequently, a new program application must be submitted for the program to be considered for continuation.
  2. Non-duplicative. When another college or university does not offer a similar program online or within the program service area, a notice of intent is not required. Upon approval, the proposed program may be offered without conditions.

Part 6. Student Options when Academic Programs are Suspended, Closed, Relocated, or Changed
A college or university shall establish plans to address students’ opportunities to complete an academic program when it has been suspended, closed, relocated, or when the requirements have changed.

Subpart A. Academic program suspension, closure, or relocation
A college or university shall develop a plan to serve students who were admitted to an academic program proposed for suspension, closure, or relocation. The plan must identify admitted students who are covered by the plan and their options to complete the academic program. The college or university shall notify students about their options and assist them with their individual plans. Students covered by the plan shall maintain full-time enrollment status unless the college or university makes other provisions.

Subpart B. Academic program changes
A college or university shall notify students who have been admitted to an academic program of any changes to the academic program. Students must be given an opportunity to graduate under the catalog requirements at the time of their admission to the college or university or under any subsequent catalog requirements.

Part 7. Academic Review
Periodic review of academic programs is the responsibility of the system college or university. The review must encompass all instructional areas and be structured according to discipline, academic program or program cluster, department, or other academic unit.

Related Documents:

System Procedure History:

Date of Adoption: 8/01/07
Date of Implementation: 8/01/07
Date of Last Review: 8/30/19

Date & Subject of Amendments:

06/21/23 – Limited Review of Part 3, Subpart C, 3 and 4. Deleted “associates of arts” in title of Part 3, Subp. C, 3, added requirement that Group Waiver requests for similar academic programs must be pursued by all schools offering that degree program, added “The senior vice chancellor or designee shall make the final determination on a waiver appeal and the decision is binding on all parties.” to clarify waiver application process, and added to Part 5, Subp. D, 1 the requirement that “once closed, a program can only be reopened, replicated, or relocated by submitting a new program application.”

08/30/19 – Adopted and implemented legislation concerning transfer pathways along with several updates to the baccalaureate completion program. Technical Changes made throughout the procedure and updated the language and formatting with the new writing and formatting styles.

Additional HISTORY.

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