At the request of the Dean’s Council, in 1987 all existing course descriptions were rewritten for brevity and consistency of style. Since then, all course additions and modifications have been subject to the same guidelines. The guidelines listed below were prepared in 1993 and have been updated as the university has incorporated an electronic approval process for the course, major, and program change process, and creation of the undergraduate and graduate catalogs.
Don’t write:
Topic
stated in current Schedule of Classes.”
Be mindful of use of “ands” and “ors”. Is it one prerequisite that can be met in different ways or multiple prerequisites?
Do not put anything other than prerequisites or co-requisites in this area on the form.
Note: Check prerequisites carefully, especially in a course modification request, to ensure that a prerequisite or co-requisite is not inadvertently omitted. Numerous course modifications are made each year. Check course codes and numbers with the most recent edition of the catalog.
Proposals for modifications of majors, minors, and concentrations should show precisely how the new program differs from the existing program. This should be done in a spreadsheet format showing new and current programs in separate columns.
If one course is modified the other cross-listed course(s) must also be modified.
Be mindful of previously used course numbers. Undergraduate course numbers must not be used for five years after the course number is retired. Graduate course numbers must not be used for three years after the course number is retired.
When changing a course number on a course, address whether a student who took the course under the old number would be allowed to take the newly numbered course for credit and whether a student who took the old course would be allowed to take the new course as a repeat.
Departments affected by curriculum changes must be notified; other departments need not approve or support the requested change. The notified department should acknowledge the notification.
Note: This is part of the form in the CRCRS electronic system.
Determine the significance of the proposed changes. For several years the committee considered four or more changes as a new course.
Typically minors can be earned only by people majoring outside the
department.
See “Standards and Procedures for Approval of Majors, Concentrations, and
Minors” (approved by VPAA, 1998). Provided as #14 below.
To qualify for more than one concentration within one major, no fewer than 9 s.h. of courses required for any of the desired concentrations must be unique to that concentration and not used to satisfy the requirements of the other concentration(s).
(Approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, 1998, see November 5, 1998 University Senate Minutes)
All Majors, Minors, Concentrations and changes to them must be approved by the Curriculum and Regulations Committee of the University Senate and the University Senate. Only these designations are official, and only they may appear in the Undergraduate Catalog, on student transcripts, on the Admissions Application Form, and in publications describing Bradley programs. All majors, minors, and concentrations will adhere to the standards listed below.
The purpose of the major is to ensure that students master a subject area in depth and breadth.
A major is a coherent, structured course of study, defined by departments, and selected by students as their principal subject area.
Generally, the major is comprised of courses offered and required by the Department, but it may also include designated courses from other departments offering related subjects. All students must fulfill the requirements for at least one major in order to graduate.
In addition to courses used to satisfy the General Education requirements, students must successfully complete a minimum of 24 s.h. of courses designated by the Department as acceptable toward the major.
The major must include no fewer than 12 s.h. at the 300 (junior) level or above.
Students must achieve a minimum grade point average in courses in the major of no less than 2.0 in order to graduate.
Multiple majors must include at least 18 s.h. of courses that are not used to fulfill any other major the student seeks.
The purpose of the Minor is to encourage and recognize study in depth of a subject for students majoring in other subject areas. A student's Minor, therefore, is generally comprised of courses other than those offered by or required by the student's own major.
The Minor must be a coherent, structured course of study. A minor is comprised of no fewer than 15 s.h., a majority of which are at the 200 (sophomore) level or above with no fewer than 6 s.h. at the 300 (junior) level or above.
Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in courses in the minor for official designation as a minor.
The purpose of the Concentration is to encourage and recognize study in depth of special areas within the broadly defined discipline of the student's major. Generally, Concentrations are comprised of courses offered by the major department and courses of other departments that are specifically acceptable for credit toward the major.
The concentration must be a coherent, structured course of study. It is comprised of no fewer than 12 s.h. of the minimum 24 s.h. required for the major. No fewer than 6 s.h. must be in courses at the 300 level or above. To qualify for more than one concentration within one major, no fewer than 9 s.h. of courses required for any of the desired concentrations must be unique to that concentration and not used to satisfy the requirements of the other concentration(s).
Guidelines for
Catalog Major and Course Changes: updated 04 06 2012 vers2
The purpose of the graduate certificate is to focus on a collection of credit-bearing graduate courses that affords the student some record of coherent academic accomplishment in a given discipline or set of related disciplines.
Courses within a certificate program may represent a practice-oriented subset of an existing discipline.
These programs may be post-baccalaureate or post-masters.
The Graduate School does not define the graduate certificate as a degree.
Graduate certificate programs shall be administered within the structure of the Graduate School.
They may be offered by a single discipline, by a set of disciplines, or jointly with other universities or colleges.
Certificate programs are expected to consist of no fewer than 12 semester hours of 500- and/or 600-level courses.
Students must achieve a minimum grade point average in
courses in the certificate program of no less than 3.0 in order to graduate.