Policy and Procedures for External Degree Program
(Senate: 1/27/75; President: 2/6/75; Editorial Amendment: 9/99, 9/00, 9/03, 1/21/15)
1. The development of appropriate external degree programs is encouraged. "Appropriate
external degree program" shall be defined to include only such programs as can be
demonstrated:
A. to reach and serve a population not now served by Cal State L.A., either in
geographic area (in which case it may not compete with equivalent
programs offered by any other CSU campus serving that area) or in the
content or goals of the program (such that it does not significantly
compete with residence programs offered or projected to be offered by Cal
State L.A.); and
B. to be of academic quality appropriate for a baccalaureate or master's
degree and to meet the standards required for accreditation where relevant.
2. Persons or groups that seek to develop an external degree program shall notify
both the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee and the
Dean of Professional and Global Education of their interest and provide sufficient
information on the goals, expected audience, and proposed structure of the
program to permit both to make preliminary evaluations of the appropriateness of
the proposal.
If either the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or the Dean of
Professional and Global Education finds the proposed program inappropriate in
terms of criteria set forth in section 1a above, the Deans shall at once notify all
concerned parties of their finding and the reasons therefore. Such a negative
finding may be appealed to the Educational Policy Committee.
If either the Dean and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs find the
proposal appropriate as defined above, the development shall proceed under the
general guidance of the Dean of Professional and Global Education in concert
with appropriate college and department/division/school officers and in
consultation with the Dean of Undergraduate Studies or the Dean of Graduate
Studies, in accordance with the level of the proposed degree.
3. The developed proposal shall contain all information and approvals for a proposal
for a residence degree as well as that additional information required by CSU
guidelines for approval of external degrees.
4. If the curricular content of the proposed external degree has been approved
previously for residence credit, the proposal may be submitted to the University
Commission on External Degrees (i.e. the Curriculum Subcommittee, with the
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee serving as an ex
officio, non-voting member). The Commission shall determine fiscal and logistic
feasibility (and confirm that the proposal is not in unresolved geographic conflict
with the service areas of other CSU institutions) in addition to considering the
proposal's educational merits as part of the external offerings of the
University. Upon approval by the Commission, the proposal will be considered
by the Educational Policy Committee at its next scheduled meeting. If approved,
the proposal is sent to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and
the President.
5. If the proposed degree is not a previously approved program proposed
additionally for external offering, the proposal shall be submitted according to
normal curriculum procedures for approval at department/division/school and
college levels, including consultation among departments/divisions/schools and
colleges as may be required. Following approval at the college level, the proposal
shall next be presented concurrently to the University Commission on External
Degrees and to the Curriculum Subcommittee. Approval by both the Commission
and the appropriate subcommittee is required.
Because the special need to offer an external degree program is often related to
timeliness, when a proposed program is specifically designated as "urgent" the
appropriate subcommittee shall be required to take action within 15 working days
following its receipt of the proposal. The minutes of both the Commission and
the subcommittee shall be forwarded to the Educational Policy Committee, which
shall be deemed to have approved the proposal if there is no objection to the
minutes as submitted. In this regard:
1. The Curriculum Subcommittee shall concern itself primarily with the
educational merits and implications of the proposal, including
consideration of possible conflicts with residence programs, and will
consider fiscal matters only if they are perceived to bear heavily on
educational considerations.
2. The Commission on External Degrees shall be responsible specifically for
those matters identified in section 4 above.
3. Chairs and Executive Secretaries of both subcommittees shall consult
jointly prior to final subcommittee approvals to ensure that all significant
issues have been resolved before their approvals are transmitted to the
Educational Policy Committee.
4. The Educational Policy Committee shall receive the reports of both
subcommittees and consider the proposal under terms of both local and
system policies, consulting as needed. Upon approval by the Committee,
the proposal is submitted to the Provost and Vice President for Academic
Affairs and the President.
6. Upon endorsement by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the
President, the proposal shall be transmitted by the President to the Chancellor for final
consideration.