[Name of Graduate Degree]
[Cohort Special Arrangement Program Proposal or
Full Program Proposal] – choose one
[Date]
[Name of Academic Unit]
[Name of Graduate Degree]
PART A: Information required by the Ministry of Advanced Education
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Overview of the SFU’s history, mission, and academic goals
Describe the academic mission as articulated in the SFU Strategic Vision.
Proposed credential to be awarded
Include the level and category of the degree and the specific discipline or field of study. For
example: Master of Science in Ecological Restoration. According to the Degree Program Review
Criteria and Guidelines published by the Minister of Advanced Education, “The name of a degree
should convey long-term meaning; the content of a degree program should be consistent with the
name; and the reputation of the institution and or post-secondary education in B.C. should be
enhanced by the quality of the offering. Beyond that is the value to graduates of having a
professional credential recognized by appropriate licensing and accrediting bodies as the basis for
entry to practice.”
NOTE: This template is for graduate degree programs, not graduate certificates, or diplomas.
Once approved at the academic unit and faculty level, the proposal is submitted to SGSC. A
proposal approved as a Cohort Special Arrangement program has temporary status (max 3
years) and is approved at the SGSC level; a proposal approved as a Full program has regular
status and is approved at SGSC, SCUP, Senate, Board of Governors, and the Ministry of
Advanced Education.
Location of program
Location of where the new program will be offered (include the specific campus).
Academic unit(s) offering proposed program
Specific department(s), school(s), faculty(ies) that will be offering the program. For example:
School of Engineering Science in the Faculty of Applied Sciences.
Anticipated program start date
Term and year the program is anticipated to start.
Anticipated completion time
Include the expected number of terms/years that will be required to complete the program.
[Cohort Special Arrangement Program Proposal or
Full Program Proposal]
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[Name of Graduate Degree]
Summary of proposed program
a) Aims, goals and/or objectives of the proposed program
Explain why this program is being proposed.
b) Anticipated contribution of the proposed program to the mandate and
strategic plan of the institution
Include any contributions to the mandate and strategic plan of the institution and the
faculty and/or academic unit.
c) Linkages between the educational goals and the curriculum.
Articulate the intended program goals and outcomes, and explain how the courses and
curriculum requirements contribute to those goals and outcomes. If a work experience
term is required for degree completion, provide a description of the purpose and role of
the work experience within the program.
d) Potential areas/sectors of employment for graduates and/or opportunities for
further study.
What potential opportunities are there for graduates of this program?
e) Delivery methods
Will the program be delivered face-to-face or online, or a combination of both methods?
If there is an online component, how will this mode of delivery be supported? Will there
be a capstone (e.g. thesis, project, extended essays, or comprehensive exam)? Will there
be a practicum or co-op component? Will the program be delivered using a cohort
model?
f) Program strengths
What are the strengths of this program?
g) An overview of the level of support and recognition from other postsecondary institutions, and relevant regulatory or professional bodies, where
applicable and plans for admissions and transfer within the British
Columbia post-secondary education system.
Provide a brief explanation of the nature of the consultations that have occurred in the
development of this program. Include any comments received from relevant employers,
[Cohort Special Arrangement Program Proposal or
Full Program Proposal]
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[Name of Graduate Degree]
professional associations, advisory committees, other BC institutions, experts in the field
of study.
Will students within the British Columbia post-secondary education system be admissible
and able to transfer into the program? Will program graduates be accepted for graduate or
professional school programs at other institutions? Are there relevant regulatory or
professional bodies that will support program graduates as members?
h) Related programs in the institution or other British Columbia postsecondary institutions.
If there are similar programs being offered, provide a rationale for this duplication.
Contact information
Name, title, phone number, and e-mail address of the contact person in case more information is
required.
PART B: Information required by Simon Fraser University
PROGRAM DETAILS
a) Graduation requirements, target audience
Provide a summary of the requirements for graduation (eg. length of program, existing
and new courses, requirements, options, etc.). Include whether a work
experience/practicum term is required for degree completion. Program requirements must
conform to GGR 1.7 in the Graduate General Regulations:
http://www.sfu.ca/students/calendar /fees-and-regulations/grad-regulation.html
Who is the target audience? What type of undergraduate and/or graduate students,
international students, company employees, etc. will be interested in this program?
b) Admission requirements
Describe the admission requirements for this program. Admission requirements must
conform to GGR 1.3 in the Graduate General Regulations:
http://www.sfu.ca/students/calendar /fees-and-regulations/grad-regulation.html
[Cohort Special Arrangement Program Proposal or
Full Program Proposal]
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[Name of Graduate Degree]
c) Evidence of student interest and labour market demand
Provide evidence supporting the expected student interest in this program, both domestic
and international. What is the industry/employment demand for students who obtain this
credential? What jobs/careers will graduating students be able to compete for in the job
market?
Survey results/data can be gathered from these resources:
 Human Resources and Development Canada maintains two inter-related federal
occupational databases: the National Occupational Classification code, and the
Canadian Occupational Projections database.
o http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/NOC/2011/OccupationIndex.aspx
— occupational code groupings
o http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/NOC/2011/html/Matrix.html —
matrix of all occupational codes and skills levels required
o http://occupations.esdc.gc.ca/sppc-cops/w.2lc.4m.2@-eng.jsp — projection
data and summaries for given occupations
 Provincially, WorkBC provides similar data using the NOC code numbers, as
well as various labour market stats:
o https://www.workbc.ca/Job-Seekers/Career-Profiles.aspx
o https://www.workbc.ca/Statistics/Labour-Market.aspx
 Statistics Canada (www.statcan.gc.ca) provides labour and occupational
statistics.
 Associations affiliated with specific employment sectors may offer information
on required credentials, labour readiness shortages, and other useful employment
information.
d) Eligibility for scholarships, awards, and financial aid
Will students be able to apply for awards funded from the university’s operating budget
(eg. entrance scholarships, graduate fellowships); if students are to be eligible, there must
be confirmation that funding will be available to cover the increased demand for the
awards. NOTE: Students in a Cohort Special Arrangement program will not be eligible
for awards adjudicated by the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee.
Will this program be eligible for financial aid so that students will qualify for a loan if
necessary? Provide confirmation that the Financial Aid office has been contacted
regarding an evaluation of the program for loan eligibility.
e) Program evaluation and academic/administrative oversight
Indicate what policies/procedures are planned for ensuring adequate depth and breadth of
ongoing review and evaluation once the program has been implemented. (Regular
program reviews are mandated by Senate.) If applicable, describe how membership on
advisory committees for this program will be maintained to ensure that the program will
remain current in future years.
[Cohort Special Arrangement Program Proposal or
Full Program Proposal]
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[Name of Graduate Degree]
f) Main competitors outside BC
Provide information on the main competitors outside of B.C. How are the programs the
same? How are they different?
RESOURCES
a) Enrolment Plan
What is the anticipated student enrolment over first three years? Provide data to support
the expected enrolment.
b) Resources required and/or available to implement the program (financial
and personnel) including any new faculty appointments
Provide a summary of resources required and available to implement the program.
Include faculty and support staff availability, costs for additional resources (e.g. library,
lab space, etc.). Will this new program impact, reduce or eliminate other programs or
resources within the academic unit? Will teaching in this program impact teaching loads
in other programs?
If new faculty needs to be hired, provide information on the selection criteria that will be
used to ensure the new faculty hires have the necessary qualifications for the degree level
and program being proposed.
c) Faculty member’s teaching/supervision
Provide a list of faculty members, and their areas of specialization, who will be teaching
and/or supervising and identify what percentage of their time will be devoted to the
program. How will their involvement in this program affect their responsibilities in other
programs?
d) Proposed tuition and other program fees including a justification
Specify whether tuition is to be charged on a per credit basis or program basis. Include a
range of the proposed tuition, estimated total costs, expected enrolment, break-even
point, and minimum enrolment required to run the program. It is important to anticipate
the lag in revenue against expenses in setting the tuition fee. Include any anticipated
expenses for second or third year program review and possible revision of curriculum.
Include plans for any expected revenue generated.
PART C: Appendices
Appendix 1 Calendar entry
[Cohort Special Arrangement Program Proposal or
Full Program Proposal]
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[Name of Graduate Degree]
The complete proposed Calendar entry must be attached. Please refer to the template on the
Graduate Curriculum Management website for the calendar format: http://www.sfu.ca/deangradstudies/administration/curriculum-planning/creating-new-programs.html
Appendix 2 New courses
Attach the new course approval form, sample course outline, and confirmation of library review
for each course. Proejcts/theses, co-op semesters and internships all require course numbers.
Course forms are found on the Graduate Curriculum Management website:
http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/administration/curriculum-planning/creating-or-modifyingcourses.html
Appendix 3 Letters of support
Include supportive memos indicating that sufficient space and other resources are available for
the program. Include any letters of commitment of financial or in-kind support from external
agencies.
Appendix 4 Details of program steering committee (if applicable)
Include names and titles of people on the steering committee.
Appendix 5 Abbreviated curriculum vitae for faculty
Include a two page curriculum vitae for any instructors. The curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages)
should provide information on: current position; credentials; research interests; publications,
grants and graduate supervision over a defined period (e.g. last seven years).
[Cohort Special Arrangement Program Proposal or
Full Program Proposal]
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