Changing an Existing Program

Proposing Significant Changes

Significant changes to graduate degree programs and graduate certificate programs require approval from the Graduate School’s Office of Academic Affairs prior to implementation. A “significant” change is one that impacts the required (as opposed to elective) coursework or other required program components, or that otherwise substantively affects a student’s progression towards the degree.

Significant changes typically include changes to:

Courses comprising the required curriculum, or required categories of elective coursework
Increasing or decreasing the number of minimum credits required to complete a degree program
Completion requirements
- Adding or changing a thesis or non-thesis requirement
- Changes that impact students’ progression through a program when compared to requirements at the time of their admission
Learning outcomes
- Changes that alter the program’s overall learning outcomes

To initiate review of proposed changes, unit representative must complete the Significant Change Proposal form. Units are encouraged to submit a draft version of the form prior to obtaining final approval and signatures from unit leadership. This allows Graduate School staff to offer guidance early in the process.

After communicating with the Graduate School Office of Academic Affairs, the unit will submit its finalized Significant Change Proposal.

Contact the Office of Academic Affairs (progprop@uw.edu) if you have questions regarding the Significant Change Proposal form.

Making Minor Changes

Minor changes do not alter the required coursework or other required elements of the curriculum, or other fundamental components of a graduate degree or graduate certificate program.

Minor changes are typically limited to:

Adding or eliminating courses that satisfy elective requirements. Elective course lists are locally maintained by academic units.
Updating course numbers and/or titles for core, required courses when course content and learning objectives have not changed.

The minor change process varies depending on if a program is encoded in the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS).

Programs already encoded in DARS must notify the DARS Office after faculty approval (dars@uw.edu) and should copy GEMS (gemshelp@uw.edu).
Programs not yet encoded in DARS must keep a record of any minor changes made.

No university-level approval is required for minor changes, and the academic unit is responsible for assuring there is no impact on current students in their progression towards the degree.

Prior to making or requesting a minor change, review the Significant Change Proposal form and significant change description to verify that the requested change is minor. Refer all inquiries to the Graduate School Office of Academic Affairs: progprop@uw.edu.

Degree Title Changes

The Graduate School processes changes to graduate program titles when reflected in the degree or graduate certificate title, as well as to degree option titles reflected in the transcripted credential.

Changes to degree program titles may require a 14-day tri-campus graduate faculty comment period, and require approval by the Graduate School. Final approval by the Board of Regents is also required. Changes to the transcripted area of focus in a degree option do not require review by the Board of Regents and are reviewed and approved by the Graduate School. For example, in Doctor of Philosophy (Applied Mathematics: Advanced Data Science), the degree program title is Doctor of Philosophy (Applied Mathematics) and the degree option/area of focus is Advanced Data Science. For more information about degree programs and credentials, see Graduate School Policy 1.3.

Any change to the degree title, graduate certificate title, or any other change impacting the transcripted credential (e.g., degree option title) requires a memorandum from the unit Chair/Director/Dean to the Graduate School Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Office of Academic Affairs outlining the following:

Description of the proposed title change(s), including any related program changes. If significant changes to program requirements, see section on proposing significant changes above.
Rationale for the change
Timeline for implementation of the new graduate program title(s) or credential.
Transition plan for students currently in the program(s)
Confirmation of faculty review and approval of changes (department level and school/college level, if appropriate)
Accompanying documentation (e.g., of action by the Provost)

The Graduate School will take the title change request to the Board of Regents, if necessary, and the Provost will notify the unit in writing of the approved title change. At that time, Academic Affairs will initiate with the Office of the Registrar the creation of new degree codes.

Academic Unit Name Changes

The Provost’s Office notifies the Graduate School when units are renamed at the college/school or departmental level. If unit renaming will involve degree title changes, contact the Graduate School’s Office of Academic Affairs before submitting documents for approval.

Overview

Academic units wishing to formally suspend admissions to a graduate program (graduate degree or graduate certificate) or program option within an existing graduate program must adhere to the guidelines below and the policy in Graduate School Policy 1.9. In all cases, a request for suspending admissions must explain the reasons for the suspension, when it will take effect, and its anticipated length. The request must also include the outcome of any faculty votes. If approved by the Graduate School, formal suspension of admissions results in the Graduate School inactivating the application to the program so students can no longer apply. Note that program termination requires following the guidelines outlined under the “Terminating a Program/Option” tab at the top of the page.

When considering suspending admissions, please take into account that programs must adhere to programmatic commitments made to students, and any significant changes to a program after offers are made may be a liability to the program or the University.

For questions and email submission of documents, or if you anticipate your program will consider this step for the next admission cycle contact the Office of Academic Affairs at progprop@uw.edu.

Suspending Admissions

When the graduate faculty of the academic unit offering a graduate program vote to suspend admissions to the graduate program or program option, the following steps are required:

Faculty in the unit vote to approve suspending admissions to the graduate program(s) or program option(s).
The unit communicates with the college/school dean or chancellor and follows any process required by the college/school or campus.
The unit head sends a memo to the Graduate School, with copy to the dean or chancellor, outlining the items noted below. In order to allow adequate time for implementation, the memo must be submitted well in advance of the application deadline for the quarter in which admissions will be suspended. Recommended submission is four months prior to the application deadline. The memo must include:
- Background and rationale for suspending admissions to the graduate program (see Policy 1.9). Include specific degree or certificate program transcript title(s) and code(s) affected.
- Confirmation of process (faculty approval at unit/college/school/campus level).
- How this will impact current students in the program.
- How this will impact faculty and staff involved in the program.
- Timeline for implementation.
- Timeline for reinstating admissions to the program(s).

The Graduate School will respond in writing to a request for suspension of admissions. Generally, formal suspension of student admissions is allowed for two years of admission cycles without initiating program termination.

Reopening Admissions

To reopen admissions to a graduate program that has formally suspended admissions, the unit should adhere to the following guidelines.

Faculty in the unit approve reopening admissions to the graduate degree, degree option, or graduate certificate program(s).
The unit communicates with the college/school dean or chancellor and follows any process required by the college/school or campus.
The unit head sends a memo to the Graduate School, with copy to the dean or chancellor, outlining the items noted below. In order to allow adequate time for implementation, it is recommended that the memo be submitted at least four months prior to the application deadline for the quarter in which admissions will be reinstated.
- Background and rationale for reopening admissions to the graduate program.  Include specific degree or certificate program code(s) affected.
- If any significant changes are made to the program, the unit must propose them through the standard approval processes (located under the “Curriculum Changes” tab at the top of this page) prior to reopening admissions.
- Confirmation of process (approval at unit/college/school level).
- How this will impact faculty and staff involved in the program.
- Timeline for implementation.
- Timeline for reinstating admissions to the program(s).

Overview

Academic units wishing to terminate a graduate program (graduate degree or graduate certificate) or a transcripted program option within a graduate program should adhere to the guidelines below.

Programs may suspend admissions to a graduate program (degree or certificate) or transcripted program option (degree option or certificate option) for up to two years by following the guidelines outlined under the “Suspending Admissions” tab at the top of the page.

Termination of a graduate program (graduate degree or graduate certificate)

The program termination process is overseen by the provost and may include the Reorganization, Consolidation, and Elimination Procedures (RCEP) process as outlined in the Faculty Code, Chapter 26, Section 26‐41. Documents have been created by the Faculty Senate as resources for understanding the RCEP process.

The dean of the college or school notifies the provost to initiate the program termination process.

Prior to initiating termination, a program may suspend admissions to the graduate program.

Termination of a transcripted program option under an existing graduate program

Academic units wishing to terminate a transcripted graduate program option within an existing graduate program, while the parent degree program remains active, must submit a memo with the information below to the Graduate School’s Office of Academic Affairs. The memo must be signed by the chair, and the dean/chancellor must be copied upon submission. The unit is encouraged to contact Academic Affairs for guidance prior to submission (progprop@uw.edu).

In order to allow adequate time for implementation, the memo must be submitted well in advance of the application deadline for the quarter in which the degree/certificate option is to be terminated, and as outlined in the transition plan.

Memo contents:

Confirmation that faculty in the unit have voted to approve termination of the graduate program option (degree option or graduate certificate option) and have approved the associated implementation plan.
Confirmation that the unit has communicated with the college/school dean or the chancellor and has followed any process required by the college/school or campus.
Specific program option code(s) and transcript titles affected.
Background and rationale for terminating the program option.
Impact on the overall curriculum of the college, school, or campus.
Impact on the stated mission of the college, school, or campus.
Impact on faculty in the unit (teaching duties and faculty appointments).
Description of the completed faculty review and approval process (faculty approval at unit/college/school/campus level).
Whether students are admitted directly to the program option.
Implementation plan, including transition plan for students currently pursuing the program option and timeline for termination that considers admission deadlines, if applicable.
Impact on the curriculum and students of other options within the overarching graduate program, as well as on other graduate programs in the unit.

Elimination of a degree code that does not represent a unique graduate program or degree option

No approval is required by the Office of Academic Affairs to remove a degree code that represents a duplicate transcript title and when: the program requirements are identical to another existing program; removal has no impact on the curriculum of the graduate program or program option; and there is no impact on student progress towards a degree. This primarily applies to different modes of delivery of an identical graduate degree or degree option (e.g., distance learning; evening degree, etc.).

Changes to Admission Requirements

No Graduate School approval is required to change admission requirements for a program with an existing application. For new applications see Creating an Admission Application in MyGrad.

Academic Unit Name Changes

Change of Administrative Location

Contact your dean’s office to change the administrative location of an existing graduate degree program (e.g., moving a graduate degree program from one department to another). Depending on the nature of the change, approval is by the Dean, Provost, or Board of Regents.

Changes to Funding or Delivery Model

Contact the Graduate School’s Office of Academic Affairs for information on changing funding models (fee-based vs. state funded) or delivery model (e.g., adding an online only option to an existing graduate degree). Include a brief description of the anticipated changes when emailing gsacad@uw.edu. The Graduate School is involved in approval only when changes are made to the program requirements or curriculum/outcomes, graduate program (degree) title, or transcripted credential.

In addition to working with Academic Affairs, the following changes require coordination with the Office of Student Financial Aid: Changing a program’s delivery model; changing funding models; providing instruction off of the three UW campuses; changing instruction frequency for distance learning programs; and changing instruction outside of UW’s regular academic calendar.