The IU Graduate School Indianapolis must receive new graduate and professional degree proposals for review at least five (5) weeks prior to the next regularly scheduled Graduate Affairs Committee meeting. Please check the meeting schedule.
Before You Begin
In order for the process to proceed smoothly and timely, it is important that new graduate or professional degree proposals include information that is required by the IUPUI Graduate Affairs Committee (GAC), the trustees, and Indiana Commission for Higher Education. The following items will be required:
Letters of Support
The proposal should be accompanied by letters of support from the deans of schools that may be affected by the new program through any potential overlap of the proposed degree or proposed new courses.
New Courses for Program
Any new courses required for the program should have been approved or be in the course remonstrance process. Information on submitting new courses or changing existing courses can be found on our website.
Outside Reviewers Contact Information
Although not required in the proposal, the GAC requires that all new master, Ph.D., and professional degrees be reviewed by their academic peers chosen from outside universities or institutions, or from the professional or business sector related to their field. At the time you submit your proposal for GAC approval, you will be asked to submit to the IU Graduate School Indianapolis the contact information for three outside reviewers.
OEVPUAA Approved Budget & Enrollment Tables
The initiating unit of a proposed IU program must consult with Philemon Yebei, Assistant Vice President for Administration, OEVPUAA, to estimate costs and identify sources of revenue to support the program. Contact Philemon Yebei, Assistant Vice President for Administration, OEVPUAA (pyebei@iu.edu, 812-855-0900) for more information.
Note that the proposal can be submitted to the GAC before the budget and enrollment tables are complete, however the proposal will not move forward until Philemon Yebei has approved them.
IU Online Approval
If the proposal is more than 50% online, contact the IU Office of Online Education to begin the online approval process. The GAC will not review any proposals until IU Online gives its approval.
When a department has decided to propose a new graduate or professional degree, the department should submit a pre-proposal document to academic affairs before fully developing their degree. Once the pre-proposal is approved, the department may continue in the process of the development of a proposal. See the pre-proposal guidelines for requirements.
Resources
Pre-Proposal Guidelines
Submit Pre-Proposal to Academic Affairs
Complete all sections and appendices of the New Program Proposal Form.
Required Items:
Resources
New Program Proposal Form
ICHE Data Collection Regarding Equity in New Program Proposals
All IU degrees and programs with 50 percent or more of the content taught online must also request approval from the IU Online program. If you haven't done so already, contact the IU Office of Online Education to begin the online approval process.
The IUPUI Graduate Affairs Committee will not review a proposal until IU Online gives its approval.
Resources
IU Office of Online Education
IU Online Proposal
Online vs Hybrid
There is additional information the IU Graduate School Indianapolis and the IUPUI Graduate Affairs Committee require that is not included in the proposal. This information, along with the proposal, is requested via the online GAC Proposal Submission Form.
A new degree/certificate cover sheet is also required when submitting proposals to the GAC. This cover sheet captures information required for approvals beyond the GAC.
Please have the following information ready when submitting the online GAC Proposal Submission Form:
*The GAC requires that all new master, Ph.D., and professional degrees be reviewed by their academic peers chosen from outside universities or institutions, or from the professional or business sector related to their field.
Resources
The IUPUI Graduate Affairs Committee meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month between the months of August through May with the exceptions of September and December. In order for the proposal to be reviewed by the GAC, it must be received by the IU Graduate School Indianapolis no later than five (5) weeks prior to the GAC meeting. This allows outside reviewers to be contacted with sufficient time for them to complete their review and return it to the IU Graduate School Indianapolis.
Any questions about the GAC can be directed to Dezra Despain or Dr. Janice Blum
Resources
After the GAC approves the new program proposal and final documents are received, degree proposals will be entered into the APPEAR system by the IU Graduate School Indianapolis and forwarded to the Academic Leadership Council. Following approval at this stage, proposals are presented to the IU trustees, after which it will go to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education for final approval.
Once final approval has been given, the chief academic officer will send notification of approval to the dean of the originating unit, the Office of Communications and Marketing, the IUPUI registrar, the director of Student Financial Services, and the director of graduate admissions where the major will be coded for inclusion in the master inventory.
School representatives can review the status using APPEAR after a proposal has been submitted to the APPEAR system.
Resources
Academic Leadership Council
Board of Trustees Meeting Dates
Indiana Commission for Higher Education Meeting Dates
Learn About APPEAR
Review Status in APPEAR
