New Program Guidelines
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
OUTLINE FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS FOR NEW DEGREE PROGRAMS
Use this outline to prepare proposals for new programs, including undergraduate majors and minors and
graduate majors. Proposals should be submitted in narrative form, organized according to the following
outline. Guidelines for submitting such proposals are on the following pages.
PROPOSED PROGRAM NAME:
DEGREE:
MASTER OF ARTS IN PHILOSOPHY
MA
REQUESTED START DATE
DEPARTMENT(S)/SCHOOL(S):
CONTACT PERSON:
HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY
W. JOHN KOOLAGE
SEPTEMBER 2013
COLLEGE(S):
CAS
CONTACT PHONE:
734-487-0916
CONTACT EMAIL: WKOOLAGE@EMICH.EDU
I. Description:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Goals, Objectives, Student Learning Outcomes
Program
Admission
Projections
A – Goals, Objectives, Student Learning Outcomes
Eastern Michigan University is in a position to offer a valuable Master of Arts in Philosophy, distinguishing
itself from other area M.A. Programs by carving out a special niche, as follows:
(1) Eastern Michigan University’s philosophy faculty is unique in its pluralistic composition. Since the
primary tool that philosophy can, does, and should export to other disciplines is the study of methodology,
our pluralistic composition allows us to train students in a wider range of methodological presuppositions,
skills, styles and theories than any other University in the geographic area (and perhaps in the entire United
States).
(2) A second strength of the philosophy faculty at Eastern is our attention to problems in Social Justice. We
have several faculty whose central research programs focus on tough ethical problems including the justice
of immigration policies, our responsibility relative to food production and consumption, global and
environmental ethics and justice, and the nature of historically marginalized groups’ rights in an increasingly
global and modern environment.
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Goals of the Program
Our overarching goal is to provide a program that highlights the importantly unique strengths outlined above.
Such a program will allow our students to pursue questions of Social Justice and Methodology in greater
depth, thereby increasing their value in a global community. This goal informs our other goals, which are as
follows:
(1) Provide students with skills that have widespread application and immediate utility, and that are central to
critical and original thought.
(2) Provide EMU’s philosophy students with a building block for their future careers, academic or otherwise.
There is evidence that M.A. programs such as the one proposed are good stepping stones to successful
applications to top rate Ph.D. programs in Philosophy. Additionally, a Master’s degree in Philosophy is an
asset in the pursuit of many forms of employment beyond academe. The focus on Social Justice will prepare
our students to work as ethics advisors in the health care industry, to be employed in the non-profit sector,
and to work in various governmental agencies.
(3) Enhance our existing undergraduate program. EMU now features a yearly conference in philosophy for
undergraduates. Admitting graduate students will allow us to (1) expand the conference to include a section
featuring advanced work in philosophy, and (2) mentor editors for an undergraduate journal in philosophy.
(4) Foster ties with other disciplines within the College and the University through graduate courses teamtaught with faculty from other departments. Additionally, many of our graduate courses can serve as cognate
classes for students in other disciplines (e.g., Social Foundations in COE).
Objectives
(1) Enhance enrollment and retention at EMU by providing a means for our current students to acquire the
credentials of a Master’s Degree.
(2) Enhance enrollment at EMU by attracting students from the community who wish to complete an
advanced degree focused on Social Justice or Methodology.
(3) Provide a program that fits with the Peace Corps’ Master’s International objectives.
(4) Provide courses that will enhance existing graduate programs at EMU, as well as courses that will
generate interest and support for those working on interdisciplinary questions.
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(5) Train and mentor students in the academic writing process, editing, and professional communication in
general.
(6) Provide a program that is unique in terms of its pluralistic scope and social justice focus.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students completing the program will:
(1) demonstrate facility in generating professional communication in philosophy, including but not limited to
the production of journal quality papers, conference presentations, and editorial critiques.
(2) demonstrate advanced skills in argument analysis, theory evaluation, theory generation, and the
application of argument and theory to difficult, current philosophical questions.
(3) demonstrate an understanding of the role of philosophy in inquiry in general, including its relation to
current disciplines such as Law, Cognitive Science, Mathematics, Linguistics, Women’s and Gender Studies,
Creative Writing, Environmental Science, and Education.
(4) demonstrate an ability to pose philosophical questions to guide the application of philosophical methods.
(5) be able to critically evaluate work by other philosophers and thinkers insofar as it relates to contemporary
philosophical problems.
(6) achieve a critical awareness of diverse philosophical traditions.
(7) appreciate various approaches to the good life and social justice.
B – Program
Program: 30 hours
The M.A. in Philosophy has three possible capstones, dividing the M.A. into 3 streams: the Thesis Stream,
the Project Stream, and the Course Work Stream. Students will be permitted to switch streams in
consultation with the Graduate Program Director and the student’s faculty advisor.
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Core Courses: 9 Hours
Required Courses 9 hours
9 Hours from one of the following 3 Options
Option 1: Thesis Stream
§
PHIL 601 – First Year Seminar in Philosophy (3 Hours)
§
PHIL 690 – Thesis 1 hr
§
PHIL 691 – Thesis 2 hrs
§
PHIL 692 – Thesis 3 hrs
The Thesis Stream requires the completion of a Thesis in philosophy. A committee of three
members, chaired by the student’s faculty advisor, is responsible for confirming the student’s
preparedness, approving the topics and readings, and accepting the thesis. One committee
member may be from outside the philosophy section. The thesis must be publicly defended.
Option 2: Project Stream
§
PHIL 601 – First Year Seminar in Philosophy (3 Hours)
§
PHIL 693 – Project 1 hr
§
PHIL 694 – Project 2 hrs
§
PHIL 695 – Project 3 hrs
The Project Stream requires the completion of a project (i.e., a substantial life experience,
such as an internship, study abroad, an investigation, a consulting project, or a program – e.g.
Peace Corps, paired with traditional philosophic research culminating in an oral presentation
and substantive paper). A committee of three members, chaired by the student’s faculty
advisor, is responsible for confirming the student’s preparedness, approving the topic and
readings, and accepting the project and substantive paper. One member may be from outside
the philosophy section. The project’s substantive paper must be publicly presented after
approval by the committee.
Option 3: Course Work Stream
§
PHIL 601 – First Year Seminar in Philosophy (3 Hours)
§
Any two courses from our 500 & 600 PHIL (others by permission) offerings
The Course Work Steam requires a student to take 2 more courses than Thesis and Project
Stream students. In addition, students in the Course Work Stream will focus on learning
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about philosophy as a profession. They will submit a long paper (usually drawn from course
work, and usually 15-30 pages in length) for blind review by two members of the philosophy
section. Students will (1) incorporate the feedback from blind review into a final version of
the paper, and they will (2) either (a) submit the paper to a conference or (b) submit the paper
for publication with an appropriate journal. The student’s faculty advisor will be responsible
for accepting the paper and the student’s work regarding the presentation or publication.
Restricted Electives Courses: 9 Hours
The M.A. in Philosophy has two Divisions. All M.A. students, regardless of Stream, will belong to one of
the two Divisions allowing them to concentrate on a set of philosophic ideas and issues. Students will decide
their Division in consultation with the Graduate Program Director prior to the assignment of a faculty
advisor.
Select 9 hours from one of the two divisions below (others by permission).
Social Justice Division
PHIL 520 – Ethical Theory
PHIL 524 – Food Justice
PHIL 525 – Theories of Justice
WGST 526 – Topics in Feminist Philosophy*
PHIL 528 – Comparative Ethics
PHIL 529 – Topics in Environmental Philosophy
Methods Division
WGST 526 – Topics in Feminist Philosophy*
PHIL 575 – Contemporary Philosophical Practices
PHIL 580 – Philosophy of Science
PHIL 581 – Philosophy of the Life Sciences
PHIL 590 – Comparative Philosophy
PHIL 591 – Chinese Philosophy
*WGST 526 – Topics in Feminist Philosophy may be used to meet the course hour requirement of the Social
Justice Division or the Methods Division, depending on its specific content.
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The remaining 12 credits hours of the program will be met by some combination of Unrestricted Electives,
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Complementary Concentration Courses, Cognate Courses, or Undergraduate Courses taken for Graduate
Credit, as described below.
Unrestricted Electives: 0 – 12 Hours
Any 500 or 600 level PHIL course may be used to complete the number of course hours remaining once the
core and restricted electives have been met. If a student opts for a complementary concentration or cognate
courses, there may be little room for unrestricted electives (see below).
Complementary Concentration Courses (Maximum 6 Hours)
Students working on the M.A. in Philosophy may wish to take courses outside of philosophy that
complement their particular project or thesis. Our Graduate Program Director can approve courses for use in
this way. Here is a list of disciplines students might wish to consider for complementary concentration:
African American Studies
History
Linguistics
Literature
Mathematics
Political Science
Psychology
Social Foundations of Education
Women’s and Gender Studies
Cognate Courses (Maximum 6 Hours)
Cognate Courses are courses in programs outside of philosophy that are (1) graduate courses and (2) have
substantial philosophical content. The Graduate Program Director can approve courses for use in this way.
Undergraduate Courses for Graduate Credit: Philosophy (Maximum 9 Hours)
The following courses may be elected for graduate credit. A maximum of nine hours of approved 400-level
course work may be permitted in the earning of a graduate degree. If you intend to enroll in any of the
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following undergraduate courses for graduate credit, you must submit a request form from the Graduate
School to receive permission before enrolling in the course; otherwise, you will receive undergraduate credit.
-
PHIL 426 Topics in Gender and Philosophy, PHIL 442 Philosophy of Mind, PHIL 460
Philosophy of Language, PHIL 470 Twentieth Century European Philosophy, PHIL 471 Early
Analytic Philosophy
Outline for a possible program of study (Social Justice Division, Thesis Stream)
1st Semester
2nd Semester
3rd Semester
4th Semester
Pro-Seminar (PHIL 601) –
Food Justice
Thesis (PHIL 692) – 3
Thesis (PHIL 692) – 3
3 hours (Core Course)
(PHIL 524) – 3 hours
hours (Core Course)
hours (Core Course)
(Restricted Elective)
Ethical Theory
Theories of Justice
Contemporary
Topics in Feminist
(PHIL 520) – 3 hours
(PHIL 525) – 3 hours
Philosophical Practices
Philosophy
(Restricted Elective)
(Restricted Elective)
(PHIL 575) – 3 hours
(WGST 526) – 3 hours
(Unrestricted Elective)
(Unrestricted Elective)
Semester Total 6 hours
Semester Total 6 hours
Chinese Philosophy (PHIL
Comparative Ethics
591) – 3 hours (Unrestricted
(PHIL 528) – 3 hours
Elective)
(Unrestricted Elective)
Semester Total 9 hours
Semester Total 9 hours
Overall Total Hours: 30
C – Admissions
Requirements for admission to the M.A. Program in Philosophy:
1. Comply with all of the Graduate School’s admissions requirements.
2. Personal Statement of Philosophic Interests.
Applicants should provide a statement (maximum 1000 words) detailing their:
(a) interests in philosophy, including the area(s) of philosophy they believe will be the focus
of their graduate work, potential thesis or project ideas,
(b) desire to pursue philosophy at the graduate level, and
(c) self assessment of their level of preparation for graduate work in philosophy.
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This is required in addition to the personal statement required by the Graduate School as part of the
general admissions packet.
3. Two letters of recommendation, including at least one from a college professor, which speak to the
applicant’s ability to pursue graduate level work.
4. A minimum of six credit hours (or the equivalent) in philosophy from an accredited institution.
No GRE scores are required.
Additional Application Notes
The admissions committee will consider conditional applications from students who do not meet all of the
requirements. Those admitted conditionally will be required to overcome specified deficiencies existing at
the time of admission. The admissions committee will consider applications as they arrive.
Some Notes Regarding the Graduate School’s Admission Requirements
1. The Graduate School has a minimum GPA requirement:
(a) 2.7 GPA overall
OR
(b) 3.0 GPA in the last half of undergraduate course work
2. The Graduate School requires a personal statement for the purpose of admission. The Philosophy M.A.
Program’s application requirement for a Personal Statement of Philosophic Interests is in addition to this
requirement. For the Graduate School personal statement, we recommend that applicants highlight their
major achievements as a student, any personal or historical details that may be noteworthy, or their qualities
as a lifelong learner.
3. The Graduate School has several additional requirements for International students. Please be sure to
meet all general application requirements.
D. Projections
1. The Philosophy Section of the Department of History and Philosophy will begin admitting students to the
program in Fall 2013.
2. Courses for the program are developed and attached to this proposal.
3. Initial internal surveys indicate that there is strong interest among our undergraduate philosophy majors in
pursuing an M.A. in Philosophy at EMU.
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4. The program is designed around the existing strengths in EMU’s philosophy section, and our
undergraduate program already requires the resources our M.A. program would need (e.g., journal access via
the library). Thus, we can run the new program at no additional cost to the college or the university.
II. Justification/Rationale
Our proposal is for a new M.A. program in Philosophy that will improve the quality of the existing
Philosophy program, increase enrollment and retention, increase interdisciplinary cooperation, attract
financial support to the University, and enable students to contribute conscientiously and engage justly in
their local and the global community.
Improve Quality of Existing Program. The proposed M.A. program in Philosophy will serve to enhance
our current program, which provides a uniquely pluralistic approach to philosophy. Philosophy is comprised
of several major methodological streams, and EMU's program truly represents them all. This is unique to
Philosophy programs in Southeast Michigan and is quite rare across the nation. In short, we believe we have
a product that could be appealing beyond just our local market and carves out a niche that has nationwide
appeal.
In addition, the existence of an M.A. program will allow us to offer a wider range of courses that will benefit
our undergraduates in multiple ways, as well. The design of new graduate courses that reflect our pluralist
emphasis is a priority in our proposal. Moreover, the presence of graduate students in the department (and in
some of their courses) will provide intellectual stimulation and enrichment for undergraduate students.
Further, the department, with funding assistance from the university, conducted its first (in 2011) and second
(in 2012) annual undergraduate philosophy conferences to great acclaim. This conference provides
numerous advantages for our undergraduates as well as increasing EMU's name recognition across the
Northern Midwest. Our plans to broaden the scope of our undergraduate conference and to develop a
conference proceedings publication will fit very well with our proposed M.A. program. This conference is a
major vehicle for advertising our program, attracting students, and generating creative output by our students
that goes well beyond the classroom. As part of our proposal, we would like to further develop this
conference; future M.A. students could play a role in editing and managing a publication resulting from the
conference, thus also improving their creative output and credentials. In addition, the continuation and
expansion of the conference will act as a promotional mechanism for the proposed M.A. program.
Enrollment and Retention. The current Philosophy undergraduate program is an integral part of the
University's mission to offer "excellence in teaching" and "extension of knowledge." As a result of their
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strong education here, many of our graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees elsewhere (generally, the
University of Toledo or Wayne State). The proposal would keep them here. Anecdotal evidence from
informal polls in our upper-level classes suggests that our majors would prefer to stay at EMU to pursue an
M.A. Besides the consistency of working with familiar and capable professors, students will receive solid
preparation for increasingly competitive Philosophy Ph.D. programs.
Increased enrollment can come from other fields as well. For example, Brandeis University recently started
an M.A. program in Philosophy. Not only did they attract their own majors to the program, but they also
enrolled a number of students who were looking to increase their credentials, including educators, lawyers,
and local business people. As a result, their program attracted 25 students in the first two years. Further, the
existence of a Master’s program will solidify our place in the minds of both our own and other mid-career
undergraduates who are looking for a strong, diverse philosophy program that can provide them with not
only an undergraduate degree but an advanced degree as well. As EMU's retention numbers show, such
mid-career shifts are not unusual. We believe that the proposed M.A. program will help boost those
undergraduate enrollment and retention numbers.
Finally, the proposed M.A. program in Philosophy will be the only one of its kind in Southeast Michigan.
Whereas other graduate programs at U of M, MSU, and Wayne State prioritize their Ph.D. programs,
students in the EMU Philosophy M.A. Program will know that our focus will be on them. For the many
students who in this economy want to stay close to home, a Master’s Degree at EMU will be very attractive.
In ways we note above, the degree would not only offer tangible benefits to students, thereby attracting and
retaining them, but would also create a positive synergistic relationship with our current undergraduate
Philosophy program and with other graduate programs in the University. This synergy would make the
University itself more attractive to students, leading to yet further increases in enrollment and retention.
Interdisciplinary Cooperation. The Philosophy undergraduate program already collaborates with many
programs across campus, providing core, elective, graduate, and team-taught courses. Cooperative programs
include: Women’s and Gender Studies, Linguistics, Creative Writing, Biology, Physics, Sociology, and
Political Science. In addition, we offer a core course for the new program in Interdisciplinary Environmental
Science and Society, and we are actively working on cooperative proposals with Chemistry, Social
Foundations in Education, and the Center for Human Rights (newly housed in CMTA). Our specializations
in Philosophy of Science, Cognitive Science, Philosophy of Mathematics, Social and Political Philosophy,
Environmental Ethics, Feminist philosophy, Asian philosophy, and Epistemology position us to expand and
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strengthen these cooperative ties through our M.A. program by providing an increasing number of core,
elective, and team-taught graduate courses with other programs.
Attract Financial Support. Financial support generally flows into a program in proportion to the benefit
that students feel they have received from that program. As a result, offering a quality, niche product, should
aid in EMU’s efforts to attract support from alumni. Additionally, having M.A. students and a graduate
program will make a clearer case for Faculty who are drafting certain kinds of grant proposals.
Community and Global Engagement. Most Philosophy graduate programs attract primarily students
whose professional aspiration is to enter academia. Due to the pluralistic nature of our program, as well as its
emphasis on matters of social justice and global concern, we believe our M.A. program will attract an array
of students with more diverse goals. Besides traditional students with purely academic aspirations, we
anticipate that our M.A. program will appeal to mid-career professionals in other fields hoping to enhance
their credentials and skills in the general ways for which the study of Philosophy is uniquely suited, as well
as to undergraduates approaching graduation who seek a career in social justice-oriented, non-profit
organizations.
Two ways in which Philosophy is distinct from other disciplines are helpful to note in support of this point.
First, the skills the study of Philosophy imparts (e.g., critical reasoning) are of general value and have wide
application. That is, studying Philosophy substantially enhances one’s competence in virtually all
professional fields, not just in one or two. Second, Philosophy is unique among disciplines in its normative,
not merely descriptive, orientation toward matters of general concern. Thus, philosophers address questions
such as: What is good reasoning? What ought to count as evidence? What practices of knowledge production
are successful (and by what criteria is success measured)? What constitutes ethical action? What does a just
society look like?
An M.A. program in Philosophy will attract mid-career professionals in virtue of its general value and wide
applicability, and enhance such students’ ability to interact with others in the professional context in wellreasoned, ethical ways. Indeed, the M.A. program in Philosophy is perhaps the most valuable education in
professional ethics prospective students can receive. Moreover, no graduate program in Philosophy in the
region can boast the concentration of faculty who specialize in matters related to social justice (domestically
and globally) that EMU’s Philosophy section has. For this reason, our M.A. program will attract a diverse
range of students whose professional aspirations include involvement in and employment with non-profit,
social justice-based organizations in our area, nationally, and globally. Such organizations look highly on
applicants with an advanced degree in Philosophy, and sometimes even recruit them. For example, twoMiller, New Program Guidelines
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thirds of the research analysts currently employed by GiveWell (a non-profit organization that evaluates the
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impact of charitable agencies’ work and provides research for potential donors to target their contributions
effectively) hold advanced degrees in Philosophy. Our planned graduate certificate in Social Justice and
Global Issues, as well as our association with the Peace Corps’ M.I. program, will further enhance the
desirability of our M.A. to prospective students with these interests.
In conclusion, the proposed M.A. Philosophy Program will not only provide the tangible benefits enumerated
above but will augment EMU’s niche position as a premier Master’s granting institution.
III. Preparedness
a. All courses in the M.A. in Philosophy program will be taught by previously vetted faculty members. The
core instructors as of today are as follows (CV’s attached):
Brian Bruya (Ph.D. University of Hawaii)
Margaret Crouch (Ph.D. University of Minnesota)
Jill Dieterle (Ph.D. Ohio State University)
Peter Higgins (Ph.D. University of Colorado – Boulder)
John Koolage (Ph.D. University of Wisconsin – Madison)
Kate Mehuron (Ph.D. Vanderbilt University)
J. Michael Scoville (Ph.D. University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign)
b. While the courses in the program are still (mostly) in the vetting/design process, the need for library
resources will be none or limited, since databases and journal offerings are already in place.
c. University Facilities are adequate for the proposed program.
d. The proposed program can be entirely administered from within the History and Philosophy department;
as a result, it does not require courses, faculty, or physical equipment from outside the department.
e. The promotion of the program will be integrated and include a variety of different standard methods. Our
Undergraduate Conference in Philosophy (noted earlier), which is gaining acclaim in the area, will also serve
as a way to market our M.A. in Philosophy.
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IV. Assessment/Evaluation
The Philosophy Program will assess its success in meeting the student learning outcomes noted in Section A
above through evaluation of student theses, projects, and final papers. The Program will develop a curricular
map and a rubric for scoring mastery of the SLOs.
Additional Indicators of program success include: number of enrollees, persistence toward program
completion, enrollment in 500 and 600 level courses, student reviews, and student satisfaction.
We will also keep a record of placement to Ph.D. programs and employment post-M.A. for all matriculating
students. This will serve as a general metric for tracking whether the program is enhancing student careers.
V. Program Costs
We expect little to no change in current long range costs. We do expect some initial start up costs for
marketing.
VI. Action of the Department/College
1. Department/School (Include the faculty votes signatures from all submitting departments/schools.)
Vote of faculty:
For
6
Against
0
(Enter the number of votes cast in each category.)
I support this proposal. The proposed program can
College or University resources.
cannot
Richard Nation
Department Head/School Director Signature
Abstentions
0
be implemented without additional
10 September 2013
Date
2. College/Graduate School (Include signatures from the deans of all submitting colleges.)
A. College.
I support this proposal. The proposed program can
College without additional University resources.
cannot
College Dean Signature
be implemented within the affected
Date
B. Graduate School (new graduate programs ONLY)
Graduate Dean Signature
Date
VII. Approval
Associate Vice-President for Academic Programming Signature
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VIII. Appendices
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New Program Guidelines
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS FOR NEW PROGRAMS
Note: Departments intending to submit proposals for new programs are encouraged to consult with the
Course and Program Development Office and, if appropriate, the Graduate School prior to submitting such
proposals.
I. Description. This section is designed to provide information regarding the proposed program. Any pertinent information
beyond that covered in the following should also be included.
A. Goals, Objectives, Student Learning Outcomes
1. State the general philosophy and intent of the proposed program.
2. List the goals, objectives, and student learning outcomes as specifically as possible. These should be stated in
such a way as to facilitate assessment of whether or not they are being met.
3. How do stated goals, objectives, and student learning outcomes reflect current departmental/school, college and
divisional goals and university strategic planning directions?
B. Program
1. List all current courses included in the program, and indicate whether they will be required, restricted electives
or electives. Include syllabi for all such courses as an appendix.. All courses should implement program goals,
objectives, and student learning outcomes.
2. List all new and revised courses that will be needed for the program. A Request for a New Course or Request for
Course Revision form should be completed for each one and included as an appendix. All courses should implement
program goals, objectives, and student learning outcomes.
3. Describe the Program Delivery Plan, i.e. whether it will be offered on or off campus, on line, evenings and/or
Saturdays. If courses are to be offered on Saturday, on line or off campus, include evidence of support from
Continuing Education as an appendix.
4. Outline a typical program of study a student would follow in completing the program.
Interdisciplinary programs only:
5. In which department/school or college will the program be administered? If more than one department/school or
college will be participating in the program, provide evidence of support from all participating departments/schools
and/or colleges.
Undergraduate programs only:
6. Indicate the minimum number of total credit hours that students completing the program should have taken by the
time they graduate.
Graduate programs only:
7. Indicate how the proposed program will assure graduate-level study (utilization of seminars, thesis, independent
study, courses open only to graduate students, etc.).
8. How will the program incorporate an adequate emphasis on research?
C. Admission
Undergraduate programs only:
1. Will there be admission requirements to the program beyond those required for admission to the University? If
so, what are they (e.g., admission to the College of Education or Business, GPA, national examinations, interviews,
letters of recommendation, etc.)?
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2. Will there be conditional admission to the program? If so, what requirements will be established that are different
from those of regular admission?
Graduate programs only:
1. What admission requirements will be established for the program (GPA, national examinations, interviews,
letters of recommendation, etc.)?
2. Will there be conditional admission to the program? If so, what requirements will be established that are
different from those of regular admission?
D. Projections
1. Project the number of students at initial enrollment, average number of students enrolled within three years,
average number of graduates per year once program is established, etc.
3. .Project scheduling needs and patterns for the next three to five years.
E. Other Pertinent Information
II. Justification/Rationale. This section is included to assure an adequate rationale for the proposed program. Any
additional justification for the program beyond that covered in the following items should also be included.
A. Present evidence that there is a demand for the proposed program. This should include an indication of professional and
societal need, as well as student interest. (Include any market analysis and/or needs assessment as an appendix.)
B. Indicate whether there any similar programs in Michigan. If so, how is the proposed program unique? Why is there a
need for an additional program in the field?
C. Present evidence of support for the proposed program from within and outside the University. (Letters and other
supporting documents should be included as an appendix.)
D. Additional justification (if appropriate).
III. Preparedness. This section attempts to determine the institution’s ability to mount a program of the type proposed. Any
information beyond that covered by the following questions should also be included.
A. Describe the qualifications of the faculty who will be involved in the proposed program. (Proposals for new graduate
majors should include an abbreviated faculty vita for each individual as an appendix.)
B. (Note: Proposals for new programs must include this information.) Describe current library resources and analyze
the adequacy of these resources for the proposed program. Include such items as books, journals, indexes, electronic
resources (databases, etc.), multimedia (instructional videos, CDs, etc.) and microforms. If additional library holdings will
be needed in the next three to five years, provide a plan for acquiring them.
C. Analyze the adequacy of existing facilities, laboratories, or other physical equipment applicable to the proposed program.
D. Determine the adequacy of supportive courses, faculty, and equipment outside of the department that may be important to
the program (e.g., cognate courses, research assistance, computer services, facilities controlled by other
departments/schools or colleges, etc.).
E. Outline a plan for marketing the proposed program and recruiting students into it.
F. Additional information (if appropriate).
IV. Assessment. Provide a plan for assessing the quality of the program, and a schedule for this assessment. The
plan should assure the inclusion of objective data to determine the degree of success in reaching stated goals, objectives, and
student learning outcomes..
V. Program Costs. This section attempts to establish the extent of additional funding required if the program is approved.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Faculty, lecturers or supportive staff required (type, level, and approximate cost).
Space or facilities required (type and approximate cost).
Equipment required (type and approximate cost).
Assistantships/fellowships required (number and approximate cost).
Library resources required (type and approximate cost of both minimal and appropriate library resources).
Marketing and recruiting costs
Other costs not covered above (type and approximate cost).
Miller, New Program Guidelines
Sept. 09
New Program Guidelines
17
H. Total of all financial requirements for implementation of proposed degree.
I. Percentage of total cost to be borne by Continuing Education. (Provide evidence of Continuing Education’s willingness
to bear these costs).
Miller, New Program Guidelines
Sept. 09