Academic Program Planning and Development

The following steps outline the process for developing, reviewing, and approving new academic programs and other offerings that require institutional and external approval.

Faculty Involvement

Curriculum falls under the purview of the faculty. Preliminary discussions around program development should begin at the faculty level. The review and approval process at the school and departmental levels may vary; however, it is the responsibility of the department leadership, in coordination with the dean, to submit the required paperwork to the Office of Academic Affairs for review.

Programs Requiring Initial Review

1. New academic programs
2. New areas of concentration
3. New certificates
4. Conversions of existing foci, tracks, or concentrations into stand-alone programs

Substantial Changes

Substantial modifications to an existing program also require internal and external approval. Refer to Step 2 of the Internal Review and the External Review section for details on the process.

Substantial changes include modifications to a program’s requirements that meet the 50% threshold. Please use the following calculation worksheet (PDF) to help determine whether a change meets this threshold.

Modality Changes

Requests for modality changes require both internal and external approval. To request a change to a program’s modality, use the appropriate Change to Modality proposal form in Curriculog.

Timeline at a Glance

• First term offering: Fall semester (graduate programs may begin in a summer term).
• Lead time: All internal approvals must be completed at least one year in advance of the first offering.
• When to start: It is recommended that the initial review take place during the spring semester before beginning the internal curriculum approvals.
• Estimated durations:
  • The initial review process can take 2-8 weeks.
  • Internal and external review can take 14-29 weeks.

Internal Process

Step 1: Initial Review

The New Program Concept Questionnaire will be used to review new academic program offerings as well as to determine if further market analysis is needed. The questionnaire consists of three key areas: Purpose and Rationale, Strategic Fit, and Preliminary Market Indicators.

Submit Program Concept Questionnaire

• What to Submit: New Program Concept Questionnaire with a proposed curriculum outline.
• How: Use the New Program Concept Questionnaire in Curriculog. To access the form login to Curriculog using your SU username and password. The form will be located under the Others tab after selecting +New Proposal from the main menu.
• Outcomes:
  • Approved; No market analysis needed → proceed to Step 2 and External Review Step 1
  • Full market analysis required → allow 6–8 weeks
  • Data cut required → allow 4–6 weeks

Step 2: Internal Curriculum Approval (via Curriculog)

• Timing: Must occur during the program submission window: June 1 – November 15
• Process: Using one of the proposal forms below, submit the program proposal in Curriculog. Program proposals are routed through Curriculog and must be approved by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) or the Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC).
  • New Undergraduate Major or Stand-Alone Certificate Proposal
  • New Graduate Program or Certificate Proposal
  • New Undergraduate Track or Concentration Proposal
  • New Graduate Track or Concentration Proposal
  • Change to Undergraduate Major, Concentration or Track Proposal
  • Change to Graduate Program, Concentration, or Track Proposal

You may begin External Review Step 1 as the internal proposal moves through the workflow.

For more information regarding the university's internal approval process, visit the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee or Graduate Curriculum Committee webpages.

External Review

Step 1: Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI)

For undergraduate programs: A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required by USM for new program offerings and stand-alone certificates. It is a brief explanation of the proposed program that will be disseminated to schools within the USM only.

• How: Use the Letter of Intent for Undergraduate Programs form in Curriculog. To access the form, log in to Curriculog using your SU username and password. The form will be located under the Others tab after selecting +New Proposal from the main menu.
• Timing: May be submitted any time after the Provost approves the Program Concept Questionnaire and while internal review proceeds, but at least three weeks before submission of the program proposal to MHEC.

For graduate programs: A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required by both MHEC and USM for new program offerings and stand-alone certificates. It is an explanation of the proposed program. USM will disseminate the LOI only to schools within the USM system. MHEC will review the LOI and provide feedback, but it will not disseminate it to other Maryland institutions.

• How: Use the Letter of Intent for Graduate Programs form in Curriculog. To access the form, log in to Curriculog using your SU username and password. The form will be located under the Others tab after selecting +New Proposal from the main menu.
• Timing: May be submitted any time after the Provost approves the Program Concept Questionnaire and while internal review proceeds, but at least three weeks before submission of the program proposal to MHEC.

Step 2: MHEC and USM Program Proposals

A full New Program Proposal must be submitted to both the University System of Maryland and the Maryland Higher Education Commission. External proposals are needed for the following types of program offerings:

• New Academic Programs
• New Area of Concentrations
• Substantial Modifications to a program
• Stand-alone certificates

Use the following MHEC Program Proposal Outline (Word) to complete your proposal.

• Submit To: Office of Academic Affairs
• How: Via email to jeellis@salisbury.edu
• Timing: Draft proposals must be submitted to the Provost's Office by March 1. This internal deadline ensures adequate time for review and revision prior to submission to the University System of Maryland (USM) by the final deadline.*

*MHEC Submission Dates: 1st and 15th of the month
USM Submission Windows: 8/1-8/17; 9/15-10/15; 11/1-11/15; 12/15-1/4; 2/15-3/15; 4/15-5/3

Step 3: Review & Presentation

USM’s Education Policy & Student Life and Safety (EPSLS) committee reviews and votes on academic proposal during the academic year prior to the Board of Regents action. The dean, department lead, and Provost are responsible for presenting at EPSLS. At the discretion of the dean, the program director or department lead may be asked to present at the EPSLS. Below is a guide to presenting to the committee.

Use this USM EPSLS Presenting Guide (Word) to help prepare your presentation.

The EPSLS meets on: 9/9; 11/2; 12/1; 1/28; 3/31; 5/26

External Submission Notification

Full external approval can take up to 60 days. Academic Affairs will notify the appropriate stakeholders when proposals are approved, including expected timelines and next steps.

Terms and Definitions

Area of Concentration
A defined subset of courses within an existing program. A concentration is defined by the addition of 24 or more credits beyond the core requirement for an undergraduate program, 12 or more credits at the graduate level, and 18 or more credits at the doctoral level.

Curriculog
Platform used for internal curriculum approval.

Data Cut
Targeted external data (enrollment, completions, cost, etc.) used for decision support.

EPSLS
Education Policy & Student Life and Safety, a USM committee that recommends academic actions to the Board of Regents.

Focus
A defined subset of courses within an existing program. A focus is defined by the addition of 12 or less credit hours beyond the core requirements for an undergraduate program, 6 or less at the graduate level, and 9 or less at the doctoral level..

LOI (Letter of Intent)
A brief notice to USM and MHEC signaling intent to propose a new offering.

Market Analysis
An external analysis of workforce demand, student demand, and comparable programs at other institutions.

MHEC (Maryland Higher Education Commission)
State agency that approves new programs and substantial modifications.

Modality
The instructional delivery format of a course or program, including the extent to which instruction is provided face-to-face, online, or through a combination of both. Modality classifications are used to determine whether a program is considered in-person, hybrid, or distance education.

• In-Person: All or most program requirements are completed through face-to-face instruction, though some courses may be offered online.
• Online: All courses required to earn the degree are delivered through distance education with no required face-to-face instruction.
• Hybrid: All program requirements may be completed either face-to-face or through distance education, allowing students the option to complete the program fully in either format.

New Academic Program
A degree or certificate not currently offered by SU.

Stand-Alone Certificate
A certificate not embedded within a degree program. It includes courses from two or more disciplines or requires the creation of new courses.

Substantial Modification
Material changes in a current offering, either by adding an area of concentration or by changing the core academic requirements by 50% or more.

Track
A defined subset of courses with an existing program. A track is defined by the addition of 12-23 credit hours beyond the core requirements for an undergraduate program, 6-11 at the graduate level, and 9-17 at the doctoral level.

USM (University System of Maryland)
The governing public higher education system in Maryland.

• 2026 Eduventures Graduate Certificate Market Update (PDF)
• 2026 Eduventures International Undergraduate Student Enrollment: Still a Feasible Pipeline? (PDF)
• 2026 Eduventures Prospective Parent Research 2026 (PDF)

Note: the PDF files linked above require a vaild SU username and password