Develop a Doctoral Degree Program

RIT Policy D01.0 (Policies for Curriculum Development), Section IV (Academic Programs) provides guidance for developing a new academic program at RIT. 

Review the New Doctoral Program: Proposal Development and Approval Process flowchart to see the steps involved in developing a new doctoral program.

Contact the Office of the Vice Provost as early in the process as possible to determine if the proposed new doctoral program requires a Master Plan Amendment and/or a Charter Amendment, discuss the requirements and process for selection of external reviewers, and determine if the proposed program will be registered through NYSED’s Office of the Professions.

The development of a new doctoral program begins with a market analysis and the submission of a New Degree Program Intent Document, which ensures that the potential new program is vetted within the college and across the university before a full proposal is developed. Intent Documents for proposed Ph.D. programs are on a rolling schedule and can be submitted any time after a market analysis has been completed. Learn more about the market analysis requirement and Intent Document process.

An institution’s approved academic mission is stated in the master plan. The academic mission includes the levels of study the institution offers and the set of disciplinary areas in which it can offer degree programs at each level of study. The master plan can be modified by amendment as the institution evolves. 

If the proposed new doctoral program expands RIT’s academic mission by offering a degree at a new level of study or in a new disciplinary area, a Master Plan Amendment supplement must be submitted to NYSED with the program proposal. Contact the Office of the Vice Provost to determine if a Master Plan Amendment is required. If it is determined that a Master Plan Amendment is required:

• Download the NYSED Master Plan Amendment Supplement
• View additional Master Plan guidance from NYSED.

The New York State Board of Regents requires that degrees registered with NYSED meet specific standards (which vary depending on the award type) related to:

• Minimum credit hours, coursework 
• Faculty credentials. 

Following is a summary of the NYSED requirements for minimum credit hours and faculty credentials in Doctoral Degree Programs using the above links. Following is a summary:

• Shall require a minimum of three academic years of full-time graduate level study after the baccalaureate degree, or their equivalent in part-time study. Doctoral studies shall include the production of a substantial report on original research, the independent investigation of a topic of significance to the field of study, the production of an appropriate creative work, or the verified development of advanced professional skills.
• Credit toward a graduate degree shall be earned only through work designed expressly for graduate students.
• Enrollment of undergraduates in graduate courses and of graduate students in undergraduate courses shall be strictly controlled by the institution.
• Faculty members who teach within a curriculum leading to a graduate degree must possess an earned doctorate or other terminal degree in the field in which they are teaching or shall have demonstrated, in other widely recognized ways, their special competence in the field in which they direct graduate students.
  • This is demonstrated through national or international publications, research recognized in the field and other contributions to the advancement of knowledge, professional practice or quality of life. The burden of proof is on the institution to demonstrate the special competence of such individuals.

If the proposed new program will be jointly administered with another RIT college or degree-granting unit, refer to RIT Guidelines for Jointly Administered Academic Programs.

If new courses will be created for the proposed program, refer to RIT guidance for creating a new course.

Degree programs must comply with all requirements from RIT’s institutional accreditor, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, including Transfer of Credit, Prior Learning, and Articulation Agreements.

Review the following additional RIT requirements for doctoral degree programs:

• Degree programs must comply with RIT’s Five Essential Program Outcomes and RIT’s Academic Portfolio Blueprint
• Doctoral programs are expected to be comprised of 3 credit hour courses. New programs that intend to include more than 3 credits of 1 or 2 credit hour courses must seek approval from the Office of the Vice Provost. In making this exception request, graduate program directors must submit a short statement that explains the number and need for 1 and/or 2 credit hour courses in the curriculum. Before submission, this statement should first be reviewed and validated by the department and college curriculum committees. Graduate program directors are encouraged to carefully examine the consequences of adding 1 and 2 credit hour courses to their curricula as it may impact student credit loads, faculty teaching loads, scheduling of facilities, etc.
  • Please note that graduate programs are neither expected nor required to include 1 or 2 credit hour courses. 
• Graduate degree programs must comply with RIT Policy D01.5 (University Writing Policy), Section III (Writing Requirements for Graduate Programs).
• Every graduate degree program is required to have a Program Level Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan (PLOAP). Guidance for developing a PLOAP is available from the RIT Office of Educational Effectiveness Assessment (EEA Office). The PLOAP will need to be approved by the EEA Office prior to beginning a governance review. 
• If the proposed program will include cross-listed courses, review the cross-listing guidance in RIT Policy D03.0 (Registration), Section III (Graduate Registration).
• NYSED regulations indicate that full-time status is 12 credit hours per semester, for both undergraduate and graduate programs. When preparing NYSED applications for new or changed graduate programs, be sure to include a curriculum table that shows how a student could complete the program with 12 credit hours per semester. If a 12 credit hour table is not provided, NYSED will request that the program be registered as part-time.

Review NYSED Guidance: Steps in the Review of Doctoral Program Proposals:

• Overview of the steps: development of proposal, site visit, submission of proposal, preliminary NYSED review, and additional steps if needed (pages 1-2)
• Required proposal components (pages 3-6)
• Proposal abstract (page 7)
  • Identify a proposed HEGIS code for the new program. HEGIS codes are a classification system developed by the U.S. Department of Education to standardize the way academic programs are categorized. While HEGIS codes are assigned based on the major focus of the program’s content, all 5000-level HEGIS codes are generally reserved for associate-level programs. Review NYSED’s list of HEGIS codes.
• Doctoral Proposal Program Cover Page (page 8)
• Required tables (pages 9-16)
• Site visit evaluator instructions, conflict of interest form and report template (pages 17-22)
• Factors to be considered in the evaluation of doctoral program proposals (page 21)

The following materials may not be required by NYSED but must be provided with the proposal prior to RIT Governance review:

• Appendix A: Course Outlines for New Courses
• Appendix B: Enrollment and Market Analysis
  • Anticipated graduation rate
  • Competing regional and national programs
  • Anticipated geographic draw
• Appendix C: Internal Letters of Support
  • Include impact statement and internal agreements that identify the impact of the program on current resources and/or agreements related to shared resources
  • Include letters of support from individuals identified to provide testimony and evidence for program need and impact
• Appendix D: External Letters of Support
• Appendix E: Space Allocation/Renovation Request
  • The financial projections in Appendix G may include a section for anticipated space needs.
  • For additional information about space requirements, see RIT’s Procedure for Allocation and Utilization of Space.
• Appendix F: Full Faculty CVs
• Appendix G: Financial Cost Model: Revenue/Cost projections/Expenses
  • Contact RIT’s Office of Budget and Financial Planning Services to request five year financial projections for the proposed program. 

Review examples of successful proposals

A site visit by at least two external reviewers must occur once the proposal is complete but before review by Graduate Council. The external reviewers must be nationally recognized field experts, typically from outside of New York State, who are selected by RIT in consultation with NYSED as follows:

• As early as possible in the process, send the Office of the Vice Provost a description of the proposed program along with the names, rationale, and CVs of at least two recognized experts in the field who meet the following external reviewer criteria:
  • The proposed external reviewers must be recognized experts in the field of the program, as demonstrated by appropriate educational credentials, professional experience and academic teaching and/or administrative experience in similar programs.
  • NYSED guidelines imply that the reviewer will have a national focus and a strong background in the American Higher Education System. It would be preferable to have reviewers who are able to speak to similar programs offered in the United States.
  • The proposed external reviewers must not have a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest with the institution or program under review. For example conflicts of interest, see page 18 of NYSED Guidance: Steps in the Review of Doctoral Program Proposals.
• The Office of the Vice Provost will vet the potential reviewers and seek approval from NYSED. NYSED requires pre-approval of external reviewers for proposed doctoral programs.
• The external reviewers will serve as peer reviewers/evaluators of the program and will conduct a site evaluation.
• If NYSED finds that one or more of the external reviewers chosen by RIT has a conflict of interest, it will terminate review of the application and notify the institution that the application is incomplete and will be closed.

• Detailed site visit instructions and related materials are provided on pages 1 and 17-21 of NYSED Guidance: Steps in the Review of Doctoral Program Proposals.
• Once the external reviewers are approved by NYSED, a site visit is arranged by RIT. Normally the Dean of the college preparing the Doctoral Program Proposal makes all of the arrangements for the site visit, in consultation with the Office of the Vice Provost. As mentioned above, the external reviewers will serve as peer reviewers/evaluators of the program and will conduct a site evaluation.
• A site visit is typically 1-2 days in length and involves appropriate interviews, document review, and institutional orientation.
• The program proposal should be provided to the site reviewers prior to their arrival.
• Site visitors are asked to evaluate the “quality and viability of the proposed program in terms of governance, curriculum, faculty, students, facilities, and other resources”. This is done by examining the program proposal and related materials, conducting a site visit, responding to the questions posed in the “Report Form for Evaluation of Doctoral Program Proposals” section of NYSED Guidance: Steps in the Review of Doctoral Program Proposals and submitting a report that speaks to the quality of and need for the program.

The external reviewer report(s), along with the institution’s response and final proposal, will serve as the basis for NYSED to make a determination regarding program registration. External reviewer report(s) must include the following:

• Completed, signed Conflict of Interest statement (page 18 of NYSED Guidance: Steps in the Review of Doctoral Program Proposals) for each reviewer.
• Completed NYSED Report Form for Evaluation of Doctoral Program Proposals (pages 19-20 of NYSED Guidance: Steps in the Review of Doctoral Program Proposals). A single team report by the external reviewers is preferred.

The institution is required to submit its response to the external reviewer report(s), fully addressing any concerns that were raised by the reviewers (e.g., if the program was found to lack sufficient core faculty, the institution would need to appoint appropriate faculty, provide Curricula Vitae, and solicit the site reviewers’ comments on the adequacy of the new faculty coverage). If applicable, the institutional response should explain how the program proposal was modified in response to the reviewer’s comments.

• See a sample External Review Report and Institutional Response

The site visit team report (i.e., external reviewer report) and institutional response become part of the proposal package that is reviewed by Graduate Council and Faculty Senate.

• Refer to the New Doctoral Program: Proposal Development and Approval Process flowchart to see the required approvals for a new doctoral program.
• After all of the required approvals have been secured, send the completed, approved proposal to the Office of the Vice Provost via email. Be sure to include all required materials, including Tables 1-8 and an Abstract (see “Proposal Form” section above).
• The Office of the Vice Provost will review the final proposal, obtain approval from the Provost, and submit the application to NYSED.

The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) is a national taxonomy of academic programs developed by the US Department of Education to assist in the classification of academic programs for federal surveys and reporting of institutional data. Universities assign CIP codes to their academic programs. At RIT, each program of study has a 6-digit CIP code which can be viewed in the RIT Program Library.

The new program will need a CIP code assignment. This is an internal process that occurs after the program is approved internally but before NYSED submission. Learn more about the CIP code assignment process.

The proposed doctoral degree program MAY NOT be advertised or admit students until a formal approval has been received from NYSED.

Once the proposed new doctoral degree program has been approved by NYSED, the following actions will occur:

• The Office of the Vice Provost will work with the college(s) and Enrollment Management to determine a first admit term and request a plan code from the Registrar’s Office.
• The Office of the Vice Provost will send an official campus notification to the applicable campus departments and the applicable Dean/Associate Dean.
• The new doctoral degree program will be added to the graduate bulletin and RIT Programs of Study website during the annual bulletin process.

Refer to the following document for instructions regarding promotion of the new program: Marketing, Recruitment and Communication Guidelines for RIT’s New or Changed Academic Programs.