Academic Program Guidelines

Degree/Major/Minor Naming Conventions

Although degree, major and minor names are not standardized in the USA, SACSCOC requires that we follow commonly accepted practice in higher education when choosing the names associated with official academic credentials. The standard degree names include: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy. There are also many recognized professional degree names which may or may not include the major/field of study in the degree name. Part of the peer comparison you need to provide in the proposal is a justification for the degree/major/minor name. Since program websites are often marketing oriented, it is best to use the official university catalog or bulletin as a data source for the degree name at other institutions. Sometimes degree names are reflected in guidelines of professional associations or specialized accrediting bodies which can also be included in the peer comparison information.

Also, since these are part of an academic credential, names must use formal language. No slang, jargon, abbreviations, or acronyms are permitted, though you can use those as marketing language.

Minors

• Undergraduate minors are generally 15 credit hours or 10 courses but they can vary in length.
• A minor should be a minimum of 9 credit hours and at least 3 courses.
• Minors cannot have tracks, concentrations or other subcomponents. If you want to offer a minor for a major that has tracks/concentrations, you may need to offer multiple minors to reflect each track/concentration.

Tracks, Concentrations and Other Program Subcomponents

• A track should be a minimum of 9 credit hours and at least 3 courses. However, it is recommended for them to be considerably longer in length to ensure a substantive difference from the core program.

Bachelor's Degree Programs

• A bachelor's degree program must require a minimum of 120 credit hours of undergraduate coursework. This usually includes general education requirements, the school's or degree's advanced writing and communication requirement, requirements specific to the degree, and requirements for the major. If a specific minor, second major or course of study outside the major (such as pre-med requirements) is required for the degree, that should also be included.
• Graduate courses cannot be used to meet the minimum 120 credit hours for a bachelor's degree.
• There are no requirements at UM for the length of an undergraduate major. Commonly accepted practice in higher education is 30 credit hours for a major but this varies significantly by degree program since some degree-specific requirements include introductory coursework in the major.
• The New Program Proposal includes a peer comparison in which you must describe how similar programs are designed at peer institutions in order to demonstrate that the requirements and program length you are proposing is appropriate.
• The normal courseload for a full-time undergraduate student is 15-16 credit hours per semester. 
• Please note in planning the curriculum that undergraduate students must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours in order to be considered full-time (and be eligible for financial aid or visas). Certain courses may also count as full-time (such as a thesis course).
• If you are planning to actively recruit international students, we recommend that you consult with International Student and Scholar Services to learn more about program requirements affecting international students.
• All undergraduate programs must be offered on the Coral Gables campus, though individual courses may be taken on the Medical or Marine campuses, as appropriate.
• The University's Undergraduate Admission Office handles admission for all undergraduate programs except the Bachelor of General Studies (offered through DCIE).
• The University Curriculum Committee (UCC) oversees the general education and advanced writing and communication requirements and reviews undergraduate program proposals for the Faculty Senate.

• Areas of Knowledge

  • A portion of the general education requirement involves the Areas of Knowledge requirement which requires students to take courses in three broad disciplinary areas: Arts and Humanities, People and Society, and STEM. 

  • Undergraduate majors are eligible to count as a cognate to fulfill one or more Areas of Knowledge. Review the Area of Knowledge section in the Academic Bulletin to determine which, if any, of the Areas of Knowledge the new program's major may fulfill. On the proposal form, check the box(es) under Areas of Knowledge that you want the new program's major to fulfill. The University Curriculum Committee will review these as part of the governance process and will make the final determination at that time.

  • Please note that although one major may be able to fulfill multiple Areas of Knowledge, an individual student may only use one major toward one Area of Knowledge. However, a degree program may integrate a second major or minor into its program requirements which may be used to fulfill other Area of Knowledge requirements.

• Refer to the Undergraduate Policies and Procedures section in the Academic Bulletin for additional policies and requirements specific to undergraduate programs.

Master's Degree Programs

• A master's degree program must require a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate level coursework.
• Undergraduate coursework cannot be counted toward master's degree requirements but may be taken by approval as supplemental instruction (such as foreign language instruction, music lessons, etc.).
• Admission requirements for a master's degree program must include an earned bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution or international equivalent.
• A master's degree program curriculum usually includes a set of core (required) courses; electives; a comprehensive exam; and a thesis, internship, practicum, or capstone project/experience; but this varies by program.
• All master's degree programs are required to design the curriculum and degree requirements to include knowledge of the literature of the discipline (usually through the core courses) and engagement in research and/or professional practice/training (usually through a thesis, internship, practicum, or capstone project/experience).
• A master's degree is expected o be more advanced in rigor and academic content than a bachelor's degree program.
• The New Program Proposal includes a peer comparison in which you must describe how similar programs are designed at peer institutions in order to demonstrate that the requirements and program length you are proposing are appropriate.
• If the master's degree program will require a master's thesis (or master's thesis option), it must follow the Graduate School's requirements for Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD). If the program does not want to follow the ETD requirements, do not use the word "thesis" but instead, use "capstone paper," "research paper," etc.
• If the program will offer both a (ETD) thesis and non-thesis option, you should include these options as program subcomponents on the proposal form and clearly define the curriculum requirements and plan of study for each option.
• Please note in planning the curriculum that graduate students must be enrolled for a minimum of 9 credit hours in order to be considered full-time (and be eligible for financial aid or visas). Certain courses may also count as full-time (such as a thesis course).
• If you are planning to actively recruit international students, we recommend that you consult with International Student and Scholar Services to learn more about requirements affecting international students.
• Refer to the Master's Degree section in the Academic Bulletin for additional policies and requirements specific to master's degree programs.

• A doctoral program must require a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate level coursework beyond the master's degree and 60 credit hours of graduate level coursework beyond the bachelor's degree.
• Undergraduate coursework cannot be counted toward the degree requirements but may be taken by approval as supplemental instruction (such as foreign language instruction, music lessons, etc.).
• Admission requirements for a doctoral degree program must include an earned bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution or international equivalent.
• A doctoral program curriculum usually includes a set of core (required) courses, electives, qualifying exams, and a dissertation but this varies by program.
• All doctoral programs are required to design the curriculum and degree requirements to include knowledge of the literature of the discipline (usually through the core courses) and engagement in research and/or professional practice/training (usually through a dissertation).
• A doctoral degree is expected to be more advanced in rigor and academic content than a master's degree program.
• The New Program Proposal includes a peer comparison in which you must describe how similar programs are designed at peer institutions in order to demonstrate that the requirements and program length you are proposing are appropriate.
• If the master's degree program will require a master's thesis (or master's thesis option), it must follow the Graduate School's requirements for Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD). If the program does not want to follow the ETD requirements, do not use the word "thesis" but instead, use "capstone paper," "research paper," etc.
• If you have different admission requirements and/or curricular pathways for students entering the doctoral program with only a bachelor's degree versus students entering with an earned master's degree in a related field, you may want to include in the proposal separate curriculum requirements tables and plan of study grids for these pathways.
• If you plan to award a concurrent master's degree to students in the doctoral program, please note that in the proposal. If the master's degree is not an existing program, then you will need to complete a separate New Program Proposal for the master's degree program as well and clearly state that it is not a standalone program but rather, earned concurrently with the doctorate.
• Please note in planning the curriculum that graduate students must be enrolled for a minimum of 9 credit hours in order to be considered full-time (and be eligible for financial aid or visas). Certain courses may also count as full-time (such as a dissertation supervision course).
• If you are planning to actively recruit international students, we recommend that you consult with International Student and Scholar Services to learn more about requirements affecting international students.
• Refer to the Doctoral Degree section in the Academic Bulletin for additional policies and requirements specific to doctoral programs.

Diplomas and Certificates

• Diplomas and academic credit-bearing certificates are academic credentials but are non-degree programs. As such, they are often able to be applied directly toward another degree program or programs and may be designed as standalone programs that students pursue separately or as programs that students pursue concurrently with a degree program.
• Because they are non-degree programs, most diplomas and certificates are not eligible for federal financial aid. If you are proposing a new diploma or certificate program, please reach out to the Office of Financial Assistance and Student Employment for more information.
• There are no program length requirements for diplomas and certificates per se, except for those that may qualify for gainful employment (reach out to the Office of Financial Assistance and Student Employment for more information).
• The New Program Proposal includes a peer comparison in which you must describe how similar programs are designed at peer institutions in order to demonstrate that the requirements and program length you are proposing are appropriate.
• Please note that all non-credit certificates must be offered through the Division of International and Continuing Education.