Program Development
Faculties and schools are leading innovative curricular projects through the design and redesign of programs. The Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic offers support to faculty leads through the entire process of program development, from curriculum development and budgetary and operational planning to Senate, Board of Governors, and Ministry approvals.
See below for more resources on the process to create new programs or implement significant changes to current programs.
New Programs or Significant Changes to Programs (Undergraduate or Graduate)
To ensure proposals meet UBC and Ministry’s standards, several levels of approvals must be obtained. Faculties or proponents need to complete the steps outlined below. Guidance is available from the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic.
Steps may be completed simultaneously. The process may differ within specific Faculties or accreditation processes. Additional resources and alternative formats can be found further below.
Proposal Process
The duration of this step varies greatly depending on the proponent and their Faculty.
Proponents are responsible for completing these steps to determine the program’s financial and operational viability for the Faculty and the institution.
Deliverables:
- Executive summary draft
- Provost’s Office provides feedback regarding market research and enrolment forecast, as relevant
- Operational and financial requirements questionnaire
- Begin completing the Senate-required Forms (see Curriculum Submission Guidelines)
- Program budget and enrolment forecast, based on a template to be completed in conjunction with the Faculty Financial Manager including all costs per consultations with operational units.
- Meeting between program proponent, the Faculty’s Finance Manager and the Provost’s Office to review and finalize all documents pertaining to the Curricular Budget Impact Form and its appendices.
- Final Curricular Budget Impact Form signed by all relevant executives.
This step can take up to 2 months
Proponents are responsible for following Department and Faculty’s internal process of approval.
Deliverables:
This step can take up to 2 months
Following Faculty approval, the Senate office assists with moving the proposal through the required Senate committees.
Simultaneously, the proponents should begin planning for the student tuition consultation process (per Board policy LR4) and start working with the recruitment and marketing teams
Deliverables:
- Upon Senate Committee approval, complete the Student Consultation Report Template and submit to Provost’s Office to begin to process for student consultation as per Board policy LR4.
- Approved curriculum proposal package
- Begin to plan for program promotion and marketing with appropriate Faculty teams.
- See Senate proposal submission deadlines.
For graduate programs—proponents should contact Enrolment Services at this point to start the CoGS online application process.
This step takes 3 months minimum
Following Senate approval, the Senate will forward the curriculum proposal* for the Board of Governors’ approval.
Simultaneously, the Provost’s Office will forward the Student Tuition Consultation Report* for the Board of Governors’ approval.
*Please note that the Board of Governors needs to approve both the curriculum proposal and the tuition pieces at the same time.
Deliverables:
- Student consultation report from the AVP Students
- Tuition fee schedule
This step takes 6-8 months minimum
This step is not always required. The Office of the Provost will advise when this is required.
Upon the Board of Governors’ approval, the Provost Office works with the proponent to finalize the Stage 1 Form (and any other Ministry-required forms) and forwards the proposal to the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills for approval. The Provost Office will advise proponents of ministerial approval once it has been granted.
Recruitment:
Effective May 2022, advertising of the program cannot take place until the program has received Ministry approval.
Deliverables:
- Stage 1 form (Ministry application including Senate approval and BoG approval)
After receiving final approval for a program, program proponent(s) must:
- If undergraduate program: Inform the Student Recruitment and Advising Office (Leanne.Isaak@ubc.ca)
- If undergraduate program: Inform the International Student Initiative Office (Susan.Allan@ubc.ca)
- Inform the communications manager/coordinator of the unit
- Inform Enrolment Services/CoGS, as appropriate, for systems and program application set-up
Program Proposal Process – Alternative Formats
Below are several other resources that outline the new degree program proposal as seen above. Each resource contains the same information in different formats. Please use any or all of these resources based on what is most helpful for you.
Resources for Executing process
- Executive summary draft
- Operational and financial requirements questionnaire
- Student consultation report template
- Tuition Consultation Policy (LR4)
- Student Financial Aid policy (LR10)
- Tuition, fees and deposit process and template
- Senate required consultations
- Senate curriculum guidelines
- Ministry assessment criteria and process
- Library curriculum support
- Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations
New Credit Diplomas and Certificates Proposals
Credit diplomas and certificates fall under Senate policies O-127 and O-128. The process to propose a new one is similar to the above process for new programs but does not require Ministry approval (unless it is a health program), though the proposal should be sent to the Ministry for their 30-day public posting for comments if the diploma/certificate ladders into an existing graduate program. Please follow the steps outlined above. For additional explanation of the process please see the below flowchart.
What is a designated graduate program?
Pursuant to Policy LR10, designated graduate programs are graduate-level academic programs designated by the Provost and Vice-President, Academic, that may provide faculty-funded or donor-funded bursaries, depending on funding availability. This aligns with UBC’s mission to ensure that financial support is made available to eligible students.
Designated Graduate Programs at UBC Okanagan
- Master of Data Science (MDS), Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
- Master of Management (MM), Faculty of Management
- Master of Management Dual Degree (MMDD), Faculty of Management
- Doctor of Education (EdD), Okanagan School of Education
- Master of Biotechnology (MBtec), Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
CONTACT
Laura Prada
Senior Manager, Academic Programs, Teaching and Learning
Tel: 250.807.9905
laura.prada@ubc.ca
New Non-Credit Proposals
New non-credit proposals fall under policy O-129. For more information on these programs contact:
CONTACT
Michelle Lamberson
Director, Flexible Learning Special Projects
Tel: 250.807.9029
michelle.lamberson@ubc.ca