At-a-Glance
1. Contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs (OASA) at GSAS
- Decide on the type of program that is right for your working group and learn more about New York State requirements; Allan Corns, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, will walk you through the process to completion.
2. Write a Proposal
- Start with a one-page narrative statement of your academic rationale; list existing academic and faculty resources, and a proposed curriculum; append sample syllabi for any required courses.
- To line up your enrollment and financial plans, contact David Giovanella, Assistant Dean of Enrollment Services and Director of the Master’s College, for master’s and certificate programs, or Roberta Popik, Associate Dean of Graduate Enrollment Services, for doctoral programs. Consider any external funding sources that the university can help you cultivate.
- Get these plans approved by Randall Say, FAS Senior Associate Dean of Fiscal and Administrative Affairs.
- GSAS Senior Staff review these documents to ensure that the academic rationale, administrative capacity, faculty resources, physical space, enrollment prospects, and student financial support will be sustainable.
3. Vote in Your Department or Program
- Long-term success depends on a diverse group of committed faculty who agree on the program and its future.
Approval is then needed from:
4. The Committee on Graduate Curriculum and Financial Aid
- the dedicated interdisciplinary curricular review body.
5. A Full Faculty Meeting Vote (FAS)
- for discussion among your faculty peers from across the arts and sciences.
6. The Graduate Program Committee (Office of the Provost)
- the university-wide graduate programming body, which pays special attention to how your plan distinguishes itself from comparable offerings around the university.
7. The Office of Academic Program Review and Assessment (Office of the Provost)
- where the staff there will work with you to ensure compliance with New York State Education Department standards.
8. Certification by the New York State Education Department (NYSED)
Upon state approval, generally in 6-8 weeks, you may advertise the new program and begin recruitment. Please plan for a first student cohort to enter no sooner than two years after the start of this process.