How long does it take? From one to one-and-a-half years for a proposal requiring campus and systemwide review– timing of submission is crucial. Best case scenario: Submission of proposal to Graduate Division in summer–preferably no later than early June–for initial review. Depending on needed revisions and any further faculty consultation needed, formulation of the final proposal may take proposers one to two months; Graduate Division turn-around is approximately two weeks for draft reviews. Proposers should allow sufficient development time to ascertain degree market niche and applicant demand. Contact Chris Stawski, New Academic Ventures at Berkeley/University Extension, [email protected]. Proposals for self-supporting degree programs require discussion by the Council of Deans and development of a budget according to a campus financial model. New courses (including online versions) should be developed for eventual submission to the Committee on Courses of Instruction for approval. All internal (department/school/college) review protocols and approvals need to be completed before submission for Senate review. Time should also be allowed for obtaining endorsement letters from other campus departments, other UC campuses, or non-UC institution programs (and industry contacts, if applicable) for final proposal submission to Graduate Council. It is crucial to have a robust list of UC and non-UC reviewers for CCGA. Do not include anyone from UC Berkeley or who has any kind of link to the proposal since CCGA will likely not ask them to be a reviewer. Completion of final proposal by middle of August. Initial discussion at September Graduate Council meeting. The Graduate Council typically takes two meetings to complete its review. The proposal is simultaneously sent to the Committee on Budget & Interdepartmental Relations (BIR) for review. The Committee on Academic Planning and Resource Allocation (CAPRA) will also review self-supporting degree program proposals. With the comments from Graduate Council, BIR, and CAPRA (if applicable), the Divisional Council conducts final UCB Senate review in October or November. Following Divisional Council approval, the Vice Provost for Academic Planning reviews and approves proposal. Proposal is sent to the Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs in late Fall or early Spring for review. To keep to a six-month review timeline, CCGA asks that proposals be submitted in time for its February meeting. Approvals are obtained, in sequence, from CCGA, Academic Council, and UCOP during the Spring and Fall terms. Information on the systemwide review process is available here. In addition, the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) requires that a new academic program must complete a brief WSCUC program screening form before it is launched. The WSCUC will review the form to determine if the program represents a change significant enough to warrant a lengthier “substantive change review”. Please contact the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education ([email protected]) for assistance. Proposal made effective by UCOP once all approvals are obtained. NOTE: If the proposal is first sent to Graduate Division in August or afterwards, there is little likelihood that there will be enough lead time for all Divisional Senate committees to complete their reviews for submission to CCGA by mid-January to begin the Systemwide review process in the Spring term. This will likely result in a longer review process.