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Please click here for an up-to-date listing of all academic programs offered at UM universities. This document is updated at the beginning of each month. (Last updated November 2024)

New Degree Proposals Under Review

Click here to view programs currently being considered by the Office of Academic Affairs. The status of each proposal is also provided.

New Degree Program Review Process

Each university has its own, campus-level procedures for reviewing and approving new degree programs. The steps below are specific to the system-level review of new degree programs. Please work with your department chair, dean/director, and provost for more information regarding campus-level procedures. For a basic timeline of the system-level degree approval process, click here. 

Click here to view the Program Submission Timeline for Curators' Review

(Last updated April 2024)

• Complete a preproposal. This initial step is designed to provide Academic Affairs with a high-level overview of a proposed program before the more in-depth full proposal is compiled. We provide advice, feedback, and questions to aid in the development of the full proposal.
  • Required documentation (UMKC, S&T, UMSL):
    • Completed preproposal in Word format (new template May 2020)
    • Provost letter of approval
  • Required for MU:
    • Complete New Program Proposal using the .
• Complete a full proposal. This is a more in-depth process and is the main stage of our review. Great care should be taken in preparing the first draft of the proposal, and multiple rounds of revisions should be anticipated. This includes conducting a market analysis, developing enrollment projections, and compiling a complete program budget.
  • Required documentation (UMKC, S&T, UMSL):
    • Complete full proposal in Word format (new template May 2020)
    • (Campus CFO sign-off required)
    • Letters of approval from other campus leaders, employers, associations, etc.
  • Required for MU:
    • Complete full proposal (edit proposal) using the .
• System-wide Review. Once a full proposal has incorporated all campus- and system-level feedback, all proposals are then sent to the other three institutions for comments. This is to identify additional opportunities for coordination, as well as to ensure there are no unaddressed concerns regarding duplication. System-wide reviews last a period of 20 working days. Additional revisions may be necessary following this review.
  • Required documentation:
    • Updated copy of full proposal, if requested
• External review (Doctoral programs only). For doctoral programs, there is also an external review whereby selected universities offering similar programs are asked to provide feedback and input on the proposal. This is intended to ensure we learn from other institutions' best practices when developing these programs. Additional revisions may be necessary following this review.
  • Required documentation:
    • Updated copy of full proposal, if requested
• Board of Curators Approval. A proposal must be finalized three to four weeks ahead of the official meeting date (see here for the Board of Curators schedule). The proposal will initially be reviewed by the Board's Academic and Student Affairs, Research and Economic Development Committee, which meets one week prior to the full board. Following system-wide reviews, authors should work with their department chair and dean/director to develop a set of talking points for presentation to the board. This document can guide that process.
  • Required documentation:
    • Information regarding the 1-2 individuals who will be presenting to the committee (typically the author and the dean/director)
    • A Word document outlining the key talking points the presenter(s) will use to guide their remarks
• State Approval. Following approval by the Board of Curators, Academic Affairs will submit the proposal to the state, where all of Missouri's institutions of higher education will have the opportunity to review and respond to the proposal. A proposal submitted in Month A will be reviewed by the Coordinating Board of Higher Education in Month B, and provisional approval is typically granted in Month C. Full program approval is considered five years following provisional approval but does not typically require any additional work from the author or academic unit.

New Certificate Program Review Process

Required documentation (UMKC, S&T, UMSL):

• Completed program change / certificate request (PC) form - This should be completed in coordination with your institution's Provost Office.
• Copy of the certificate program's curriculum
• Provost letter of approval

Required for MU:

• Complete New Program Proposal using the .

Collaborative Programs

Proposals for collaborative programs offered jointly by two or more UM universities should review and complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This framework is intended to ensure collaborative endeavors are well-planned and successful. Click here to view our Collaborative Program Guidance.

Changes to Existing Programs

After campus-based approval procedures have been completed, there is a brief review by our office, followed by submission to the Missouri Department of Higher Education portal. Similar to new degree programs, program changes submitted in Month A will be reviewed by the Coordinating Board of Higher Education in Month B, and provisional approval granted in Month C. Once approval is granted, your institution will be notified and our office degree program inventory will be updated. 

Required documentation (UMKC, S&T, UMSL):

• Completed program change / certificate request (PC) form - This should be completed in coordination with your institution's Provost Office.
• "Before/After" copy of the revised program's curriculum is needed when:
  • deleting an emphasis area, option or certificate 
• Copy of the revised program's curriculum is needed when:
  • adding an emphasis area, option or certificate 
• Rationale/justification is needed when:
  • reactivating, deactivating or deleting a degree program
• Provost letter of approval

Required for MU:

• Complete change proposal (edit proposal) using the .

Program Assessment

Pursuant to Collected Rules & Regulations, 20.035 Program Assessment and Audit, each department, center, and institute will undergo a cyclic process of assessment for the purpose of improving the quality of the educational opportunities provided by the academic unit.  The assessment will include any degree programs offered by the department. 

Summary Reports

After the assessment is complete, each academic unit will complete a Program Assessment Executive Summary.  Completed summaries are to be submitted via email to the UM System Academic Affairs Coordinator. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs will post short summary reports on the UM website which are then accessible to any applicable state agency or department.