New Program Proposal Resources
The process for proposing new degrees and programs typically begins at the institutional level when an identified need aligns with the institution's overall mission and strategic priorities. The new degree program process can take months or sometimes years to establish the appropriate direction, identify potential partners (e.g., industry, K-12, other institutions of higher education), develop, seek the necessary campus approvals, university system approvals, as well as all applicable accreditation approvals. Institutions are strongly encouraged to engage the University System Office early on in the development process to discuss potential program viability, supply/demand, and overall mission fit. The information below is also provided to aid institutions through this process.
General Resources
- Board of Regents Meeting Dates
- Catalog of Authorized Academic Programs across the University System of Georgia
University System Office Points of Contact
- Looking for guidance (at any point in the development process)?
- Laura Lynch is the primary point of contact in the system office for all new degree proposals.
- Will the new program be part of a consortium?
- There are a number of sections of the new proposal proposal form, including the budget, that are more nuanced and require broader participation in the proposal development process.
- If your new collaborative program will be part of the Georgia Film Academy, you should confer with Jon Sizemore and Wendy Guttin before submitting the proposal.
- For all other collaborative programs (such as eMajor), you should confer with Jon Sizemore and Sarah Kuck before submitting the proposal.
- For questions specific to...
- general education/field of study guidelines, contact Melanie Largin.
- healthcare-related programs, contact Shawn Little.
- Note: The Nursing RAC reviews all new nursing programs and provides recommendations to the system office.
- microcredentials (including certificates, certifications, badges tied to high demand careers), contact Jill Lane.
- workforce need, contact Laura Lynch and/or Jill Lane.
- We can provide labor market data and feedback, including reports from JobsEQ's labor market tools, as well as training for things like how to use ONet and/or the MEDLI tool listed in the Resources section of this page.
Curricular Resources
- Academic and Student Affairs Handbook Section 2.3 Academic Programs
- Academic and Student Affairs Handbook Section 2.4 General Education Core Curriculum: The IMPACTS Core
- Field of Study Guidelines
- Program Length Guidelines
- Certificate Guidelines
- Nexus Degree Guidelines
More coming soon!
CIP and SOC Code Information
- National Center for Education Statistics Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) site for codes associated with instructional programs
- Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Codes
- NCES 2020 CIP to 2018 SOC Crosswalk for the connection of program codes to occupational codes
- O*NET Education CIP to SOC Crosswalk Search Tool
- Guidelines for Academic Program Proposal questions related to CIPs and SOCs
Outlooks, Employment Trends, and Wage Details
- MEDLI tool for identifying employment gaps within your service area.
- Statewide High Demand Careers
- Qlik site for labor and occupation projections. Select Georgia Data, County Guide Labor, and Occupation Projections for Georgia. Search by SOC code and Local Workforce Development Area (LWDA).
- Georgia Department of Labor for information on Occupation Trends, Industry Data, Occupational Wages, Economic Information, and Workforce Information
USG Resources
- University System Office: For questions related to workforce need, please contact Laura Lynch and/or Jill Lane.
- We can provide labor market data and feedback, including reports from JobsEQ's labor market tools, as well as training for things like how to use ONet and/or the MEDLI tool listed in the Resources section of this page.
- Carl Vinson Institute of Government can assist institutions in assessing programs, understanding local workforce trends, and developing institutional strategies to maximize service effectiveness, serve students, meet regional workforce needs, and achieve measurable outcomes.
- Georgia State University, Economic Forecasting Center
- University of Georgia, Selig Center for Economic Growth
State of Georgia Resources
- Georgia Chamber of Commerce
- Georgia Trend Magazine
- Georgia Bio, Life Sciences Partnership
- Discipline Specific Areas
National Resources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections
- U.S. Department of Labor, CareerOneStop
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Understanding America's Labor Shortage (December 2024)
- Discipline Specific Areas
- National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education's CyberSeek
- National Center for Health Workforce Analysis' Health Workforce Projections
- National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics' Science and Engineering Workforce data
- American Institute of Physics Employment Data
- Computing Technology Industry Association Resource Center
- Georgetown University Good Jobs Project Data
New trainings coming soon!
USG PAR Process Overview Presentation (Nov. 30, 2020)
Program Authorization and Review Overview (Nov. 30, 2020)
USG Academic Program Proposal - Need Section (Dec. 2, 2020)
USG Webinar: Academic Program Proposal- Need Section (Dec. 2, 2020,1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
USG Annual Academic Forecast and Monitoring Report (Dec. 2,2020)
USG Webinar: Academic Program Proposal- Need Section (Dec. 2, 2020, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Curriculum Section - USG Academic Program Application (Dec. 4, 2020)
USG Webinar Academic Program Proposal - Curriculum Section (Dec. 4, 2020)
USG Academic Program Proposal - Faculty and Staff Plan (Dec. 4, 2020)
USG Webinar Academic Program Proposal - Faculty and Staff Plan (Dec. 4, 2020)
USG Academic Program Proposal - Facilities and Technology (Dec. 16, 2020)
USG Webinar: Academic Program Proposal- Facilities and Technology (Dec. 16, 2020)
USG Webinar: Academic Program Proposal- Office Hours/Application Form Walk- through (Dec. 16, 2020)
USG Academic Program Proposal - Budget Section (Dec. 18, 2020)
USG Webinar: Academic Program Proposal- Budget Section (Dec. 18, 2020)