Program and Unit Development

A major is a sequence of courses and activities leading to a degree or diploma in an academic discipline or subject area. The NU Board of Regents adopted a 120 credit hour maximum for all undergraduate degree programs beginning in Fall 2012 (Regents Policy 5.1.4). Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the Board of Regents.

A graduate degree program is a sequence of courses and activities leading to a post-baccalaureate degree in a particular major (subject area), at least 30 credit hours for master's degrees and 90 for doctoral.

An undergraduate certificate is a structured set of professionally-oriented courses designed to provide recognition that the student has completed coursework in an applied area of focus. Undergraduate certificates may be offered to non-degree and/or degree-seeking students. Undergraduate Certificates require 12-20 credit hours and the majority of the coursework should be at the 3000 and 4000 level with any exceptions approved by EPAC.

A graduate certificate program should be designed to enhance the marketability of graduate students or to provide a service to a segment of the community through short-term graduate education. Graduate certificate programs must be post-baccalaureate, and consist of 12-20 credit hours.

Expedited Graduate Certificate review criteria: the graduate certificate program must be considered a reasonable extension of an existing master’s program, using existing courses; require no additional or reallocated resources to support the program, and needs to demonstrate the capacity to offer the certificate program.

An academic unit with a focus on several closely related academic disciplines is usually comprised of at least two or more departments and/or programs.

Academic departments require an individual budget, an authorized faculty, and a set of courses leading to undergraduate and/or graduate degrees.

Along with the requirements for a department, schools generally have a number of distinct programs and degrees offered within the unit.

The organization of major interdisciplinary and/or intercampus organizational entities (e.g., schools, major divisions, collection of departments) organized to create partnerships with external organizations; enhance university research and outreach; develop new funding patterns; address emerging multidisciplinary educational needs; or address other emerging problems and issues. A center will have an identifiable budget associated with assigned FTEs of faculty and/or research or other professional staff.