For information on Academic Program Review, please see Academic Policy 303-40 Academic Program Review.
Detailed information on Program and Course Management can be found in policy Academic Policy-303-35 Program and Course Management.
You will find curricular change processes, step by step instructions and timelines outlined in detail on the Curricular Change website.
The Director of Graduate Studies is your liaison to the Graduate Affairs Council (GAC) and their Course and Program Approval Committee (CPAC). Feel free to contact the director directly with your questions.
Further information is found in the next section Proposing New Graduate Programs.
As faculty members develop ideas for new graduate programs they must receive official EWU approval. This approval must be received before a new program can be advertised and new students admitted.
To assist in this process, EWU has developed a Course and Program Approval Process website. Here you will find instructions on how to submit program proposals. Important deadlines are listed there as well.
Preliminary discussions should carefully consider the need for a new program. Is the field substantial enough in its research or professional focus and of sufficient enduring importance? How would such a program relate to existing EWU programs and faculty commitments to these? Could an existing program be modified or expanded to accomplish these purposes? Is the program under consideration similar to programs at peer universities? What are the successes and problems associated with those programs? What distinctive features might a new EWU program have that would make it of high quality and likely to compete successfully?
Realistic consideration should be given to likely demand for graduates of the degree program under consideration. What evidence is there that applicant interest will be sufficient to sustain a high quality program and a strong student community? What evidence is there that graduates will find ample opportunity for successful careers after graduation?
The development of a successful proposal for a new graduate program requires several months and occasionally as long as a year or more. Please leave yourself enough time to accommodate the faculty review process (CPAC) by which proposals are approved.
The EWU CPAC also reviews and approves changes to existing graduate programs. Both substantive and minor revisions are reviewed by CPAC.
Substantive revision of existing programs includes the addition of new courses, changes in course content and credit value, changes in total program credits, and change in delivery mode to online.
Minor revisions in existing programs include changes in delivery mode (except for a change to online delivery) and prerequisite or course title changes.
Please contact the Director of Graduate Studies about any questions pertaining to the work of GAC and CPAC on behalf of your graduate program.
Program faculty may decide to suspend their program. This is usually done to address short-term issues such as over-enrollment, shortage of faculty, or the need to re-design curriculum. In such a case, you will need to contact the Director of Graduate Studies and request that your application be taken down. You should also post an explanation on your website for prospective students.
If the faculty have longer-term concerns about program quality or viability, they may ask the Office of Graduate Studies to place a moratorium on admissions or to close the program. In any of these circumstances, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies.
According to Academic Policy 303-22.2-4c – Undergraduate Enrollment/Admissions, undergraduate students may not be admitted into a graduate program. Permanent exceptions to this policy may be requested. See policy here. Permanent exception approved to date are:
- MOT – Master of Occupational Therapy 3+2 program
- MS-Athletic Training – 3+2 program
For these approved programs, eligible undergraduate students will be allowed to enroll in the appropriate graduate coursework. Once they have earned 180 credits as an undergraduate student their undergraduate degree will be awarded. The remaining required coursework will apply toward their graduate degree and must be at least 36 credits.
