Develop a Graduate Degree Program (non-doctoral)

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

Contact the Office of the Vice Provost as early in the process as possible to discuss the following:

• Whether the proposed new program requires a Master Plan Amendment and/or a Charter Amendment 
• Whether an External Review is required, and (if so) the requirements and process for selection of external reviewers
• Whether the proposed program will lead to licensure or professional certification

The development of a new degree program begins with a market analysis and the submission of a New Degree Program Intent Document, which ensures that potential new program is vetted within the proposing college and across the university before a full proposal is developed. The submission deadlines for new Intent Documents for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs are February 15 and October 15, 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 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 Master’s Degree Programs:

• Shall normally require a minimum of one academic year of full-time graduate level study, or its equivalent in part-time study, with an accumulation of not less than 30 semester hours. Research or a comparable occupational or professional experience shall be a component of each master’s degree program. The requirements for a master’s degree shall include at least one of the following: passing a comprehensive test, writing a thesis based on independent research or completing an appropriate special project.
• To be considered full-time for State financial aid, a 30-credit master's degree program should be capable of completion in two semesters (15 credits each) or two semesters (12 credits each) plus one 6-credit extended term (e.g. summer or winter).
• Credit toward a graduate degree shall be earned only through work designed expressly for graduate students. Enrollment of undergraduate students in a graduate course and of graduate students in undergraduate courses shall be strictly controlled by the institution.
• Coursework in graduate courses is clearly graduate-level work, and advanced in content, rigor and requirements.
• Faculty members teaching at the graduate level must hold earned doctorates or other terminal degrees in their specialty areas, except as indicated below.
• Faculty members teaching at the graduate level without an earned doctorate or other terminal degree have significant, widely recognized special competence in the field in which they teach. 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 requirements for non-doctoral graduate degree programs:

• Degree programs must comply with RIT’s Five Essential Program Outcomes and RIT’s Academic Portfolio Blueprint
• Master’s level programs normally require a minimum of 30 credit hours and maximum of 36 credit hours. Some types of graduate degree programs may require more credit hours if applicable for specialized accreditation or professional licensure.
• All master’s theses will be a minimum of 6 credit hours.
• Graduate 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 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.

External review of a new program proposal by a recognized expert in the field is required by NYSED for certain types of proposals, including:

• All graduate programs
• Any program that requires a master plan amendment
• Programs in a new/emerging field or allied health/health sciences area

Prior approval of proposed external reviewers by NYSED is required for new professional licensure programs. This approval is coordinated by the Office of the Vice Provost.

Review the process for selecting external reviewers, applicable NYSED forms, and preparing an institutional response

Prepare a proposal using the RIT Template for New Undergraduate and Graduate Program Proposals.

To expedite RIT’s internal review process and ensure alignment with NYSED regulations for degree programs, the applicable NYSED registration application must be prepared along with the full program proposal. All of the information on the NYSED application is included in the RIT proposal template. The NYSED registration application varies based on the type of program that is being proposed. Choose the applicable application based on the program type:

1. Programs to prepare candidates for teacher, educational leader, or pupil personnel services certification (these are professional programs)
2. Programs to prepare candidates for a professional license such as architecture, dietetics/nutrition, engineering, interior design, physician assistant, certified public accountants, and public accountants (these are professional programs)
3. All other programs (these are general academic programs)

Prior to scheduling a review with Graduate Council, the NYSED Registration Application must be submitted to the Office of the Vice Provost for review and feedback.

Review examples of successful proposals.

If a major portion (i.e., 50% or more) of the program requirements can be completed through study delivered by distance education, a NYSED Distance Education application must be submitted along with the new program application. Learn more about this requirement.

• The proposal must be reviewed and approved by the department and college curriculum committees, Graduate Council and Faculty Senate.
• After Faculty Senate approval has been secured, send the final completed, approved proposal to the Office of the Vice Provost via email. 
• 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 new degree program MAY NOT be advertised or admit students until a formal approval has been received from NYSED.

Once the proposed new 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 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.