Course-based Degree Program Registration

Notice:

The review of new and revised degree proposals is paused while the university revises the current program registration review processes. These changes aim to strengthen and streamline the review process for all degree programs.

Moving forward, all new proposals will include a more robust initial review and a single, integrated application covering all steps of the process.

As you begin preparing your proposal, please note that the following elements will be required before your program can proceed through university review:

A market analysis demonstrating employer demand and outlining the competitive landscape of similar degree programs nationally and regionally.
A cost and revenue analysis showing that the program is financially viable and generates net revenue.
An internal benchmarking analysis confirming that the proposed program will not duplicate or compete with existing Cornell degree offerings.
A plan for periodic program review to assess academic quality, student outcomes, and financial performance, accompanied by a mitigation or sunset strategy should the program not meet defined benchmarks for success.

As part of the university-wide review processes, new course-based master’s degree proposals, requests to delegate new or existing programs, changes to existing delegated programs, and 4+1 or other accelerated proposals all require approval by the Course-based Graduate Degree Review Committee and often additional approval from NYSED. This is step three in the University Review Process for Course-based Degrees, detailed on the Graduate Program registration page. Similar to research degrees, proposals undergo a rigorous review examining the quality of the program, strategic context, competitiveness, attraction to students, and administrative oversight.

The Course-based Graduate Degree Review Committee was formed in January 2024 following guidance from the Provost’s Council to establish a new committee and process for reviewing course-based, college-level master’s degrees and delegated degrees. The committee is composed of faculty from each college who are familiar with the academic offerings in the school or college they represent and includes Graduate School deans.

Course-based Graduate Degree Review Committee Roster

The Graduate School: Kathryn Boor, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education, and Josephine Martell, Associate Dean for Academics

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Sarah Giroux, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Strategic Programs

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning: Timur Dogan, Director of the M.Arch. Program

College of Arts and Sciences: Ted O’Donoghue, Professor of Economics, and Ken Roberts, Professor of Government

College of Engineering: Kathryn Caggiano, Associate Dean for M.Eng. Programs

College of Human Ecology: Nancy Wells, Senior Associate Dean

College of Veterinary Medicine: Gen Meredith, Associate Director of the M.P.H. program

Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science: Haym Hirsh, Professor

Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy: Gustavo Flores Macias, Acting Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

Cornell Law School: Jed Stiglitz, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law

Cornell S.C. Johnson School of Business: Jinhua Zhao, Dean of Dyson School

Cornell Tech: Jacqueline (Jackie) Klein, Assistant Dean of Graduate Education

School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions: Daniel Kratochvil, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

School of Industrial and Labor Relations: Chris Collins, Director of Graduate Studies

General Committee Liaison: Barbara Strupp, Professor of Nutritional Science

Committee Process Overview and Deadlines

Proposals regarding degree programs for consideration by the Course-based Graduate Degree Review Committee are due by the 10th of each month. Within three business days, the Graduate School will determine on which month’s agenda the proposal can tentatively be reviewed by the Course-based Graduate Degree Review Committee and will communicate that to the proposer.

During this time, proposers are strongly encouraged to share their proposal drafts with the Graduate School (gradproposals@cornell.edu) for review by leadership, and they will communicate any needed revisions prior to the Course-based Graduate Degree Review Committee meeting. Incomplete or poorly developed proposals may be returned to the proposer for further development. If you have any questions, or have a unique situation, we strongly encourage you to schedule a preliminary meeting with Graduate School leadership for early review so we can assess any administrative impacts. Please contact us to schedule a meeting at: gradproposals@cornell.edu.

Once proposals and all support materials are received in their final form, the proposal will be placed on the next available Course-based Graduate Degree Review Committee agenda. Placement on the agenda is dependent upon a number of factors, including complexity of the proposal, the time needed for discussion, the number of other items already on the agenda, and the completeness and quality of the proposal.

Proposal writers attend the Course-based Graduate Degree Review Committee meeting to provide an overview of the proposal and answer questions the committee may have. The Course-based Graduate Degree Review Committee meets as needed during the academic year.

Proposal Submission Requirements

For all proposals, please follow the instructions in the relevant form to complete your submission (see below), following page limits. Please include:

A cover page with a one-page table of contents.
The completed form (below) and any required attachments.
A completed Graduate Degree Program SUNY or NYSED Form, if applicable (available from Kristin Walker (walker@cornell.edu) in Institutional Research and Planning).
Please submit as one PDF document to gradproposals@cornell.edu.

Forms

Please download the appropriate form for the change you are proposing:

New Course-based Degree Program (PDF)
Changes to Course-based Degree Program (PDF)
Adding or Revising Program Concentrations (PDF)
Course-based Program Delegation to a College (PDF)
Accelerated Degree (4+1 or other) Proposal (PDF form coming soon)