Graduate Catalog and Program Descriptions

Introduction

Every program that is either actively admitting new students or has currently enrolled students is required to publish a complete Program Description in the public-facing Graduate Catalog. A Program Description is intended to:

  • Inform prospective students of admissions requirements and procedures specific to the program.
  • Inform both prospective and current students of requirements that must be fulfilled to complete the degree program or certificate (including all course and elective requirements).
  • Provide contact and directory information for the program and department.
  • Provide a public record of these program requirements to the State of Arizona, the State Approving Agency, and other accrediting organizations.

Guidelines and Procedures for Program Description Editors

Program Descriptions are currently managed within the Admin tools in GradApp, and are refreshed once daily, which means updates made in GradApp will appear on the public-facing website the next day.

Managing Department/Academic Unit Information

Important: Department ownership of Academic Plans is maintained in UAccess and governed by Curricular Affairs. The Graduate College is not able to change ownership of plans. 

All academic plans governed by the Department are listed near the top of the form, as well as in the summary. If you are not the person responsible for all of the plans, please coordinate with your departmental colleagues to be sure the department description is representative for all.

Steps for managing your Department/Academic Unit information:

  1. Login to GradApp if you have not already.
  2. Click the Program Descriptions link in the Catalog & Program Descriptions menu, then open the Academic Plan you wish to configure.
  3. Click the button labeled Edit Department Description.
  4. For Description, enter 2 or 3 sentences that describe your Department or Academic Unit.
  5. In the form field labeled Website URL, enter the address of your Department's main website.
  6. In the form field labeled Student Handbook URL, enter the web address of your Department's Student Handbook. If you have different handbooks for different programs, you may leave this blank and add the specific handbook for each plan later. Note, Graduate Student Handbooks should be accessible as a PDF.
  7. When you are satisfied this section is complete, click the Save button.

You should now see the information you entered in the Department/Academic Unit section. The Department Information will persist for all Academic Plans under the Unit.

A small number of academic units serve as the parent units for multiple, unrelated academic programs - mostly in cases where the academic program is attached directly to a College rather than a more traditional department or department-like entity. In such cases you will not be able to edit the Department description. Please contact the Graduate College if vital information needs to be updated.

Managing Academic Plan or Subplan Information

Important: Any curricular changes must receive approval from Curricular Affairs and/or the Graduate College before they are updated in the Graduate Catalog and Program Description Guide. For information about approval process for curricular changes, please review the Graduate Proposal Approval Table. Moreover, upon receiving approval for curricular changes, programs must immediately make the change directly to the Graduate Catalog and Program Description Guide. It is the responsibility of the program to ensure the Graduate Catalog is current. 

Steps for managing your Academic Plan or Subplan information: 

  1. Login to GradApp if you have not already.
  2. Click the Program Descriptions link in the Catalog & Program Descriptions menu, then open the Academic Plan you wish to configure.
  3. Under the Academic Plan Information section, choose Edit Plan Description to update the information for the plan. Alternatively, you may wish instead to choose Clone Description from Another Plan. You may find this useful, for example, where the descriptions for a Master's and a PhD program are very similar. If you choose Clone, you will be prompted to choose the plan you wish to clone from, and you then will be able to make additional edits before you save.
  4. Fill out all required inputs. Expectations for what should be in each section are shown in green italics on the input page.
  5. Click the Save button when you are satisfied the program's information is complete.
  6. To see how your Program Description will appear to the public, click the Preview button. A new browser tab will open displaying the program information as it will appear in the public-facing catalog website. You may close the preview window when you are done.

Elements of the Academic Plan Description

  • General Description: A succinct description of the academic plan or subplan, comprised of one or two paragraphs that summarize the program's objectives and career options. Please note that this is distinct from the Department description previously listed (e.g., it addresses the specific Master's or Doctoral objectives and career options).
  • Contact Information: Contact names, email address, and/or phone numbers for both Admissions and Advising contacts. This information is managed by Graduate Student Academic Services (GSAS) of the Graduate College in GradPath rather than in GradApp. Please contact your program's degree counselor if you need to request a change.
  • Student Handbook URL: The full website address of your program or department Graduate Handbook. Please review the Graduate College guidelines for Departmental Graduate Handbooks for complete information. Best practice is to link directly to the PDF.
  • Funding Opportunities: Any funding opportunies unique to the academic program (for example, teaching or research assistantships).
  • Admissions Requirements: Admission requirements specific to the plan that are in addition to minimum Graduate College requirements. These should include minimum GPA, minimum English proficiency scores, earned degrees, or coursework in required areas of study.
  • Standardized Tests: List any standardized tests that are either recommended or required to be considered for admission.
  • ETS Subjects: A comma-separated list of ETS/Subject codes that are relevant to the program. Please refer to the ETS Department & Major Field Codes for the complete list.
  • Application Deadlines: The deadlines for each term to which students may apply (Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter). Be sure to indicate if there are separate deadlines for International applicants.
  • Core Coursework Requirements: A comprehensive list of all required coursework for program completion including each course prefix, course title, minimum units required from each, and when relevant, the minimum grade required. It should also include the minimum GPA in core courses.
  • Elective Coursework: A comprehensive list of elective coursework required or recommended for this program, including each course prefix, course title, minimum units required from each, and when relevant, the minimum grade required. If students have the choice of elective options, please provide a comprehensive list of options. 
  • Additional Requirements: Any of the following that apply: Specific language requirements, Internships, Practica, Qualifying exams, Recitals, Non-thesis options, Capstone experiences, Limits on transfer, Required minor area, etc.
  • Minor Requirements: Displayed only for doctoral programs. Should list or describe any requirements of doctoral students enrolled in the program beyond the Graduate College minimum of 9 credit hours.
  • Keywords: A comma-separated list of any topical keywords that may help prospective students discover the program when performing web-based searches.

When to Make Revisions

  • Annually: All of the information in the Graduate Catalog and Program Description Guide should be reviewed and updated by the program annually. Please note that changes to the curriculum must be approved by Curricular Affairs and/or the Graduate College in advance. 
  • Program Disestablishments: Please note that the Graduate Catalog and Program Description Guide will remain visible and accessible while the program is active and while there are students enrolled in the program. If a program is in the process of disestablishing, or teach-out mode, the program will remain visible. Please update the program description to indicate the program is disestablishing. If you wish, recommend another program for the applicant.
  • Program Name Change: Please note that the Graduate Catalog and Program Description Guide will remain visible and accessible while the program is active and while there are students enrolled in the program. If a program undergoes a name change, and there are students still active under the original plan name, both programs will show in the Graduate Catalog. If a program is in the process of disestablishing, or teach-out mode, the program will remain visible. Please update the program description on the original name to indicate the program is changing to the new name and invite applicants to apply to the program under the new name. You may also contact the Graduate College to disable the application. 
  • Curricular Changes: If you have received approval from Curricular Affairs and the Graduate College for changes to curriculum (e.g., changes to minimum credits required), please immediately make those changes on the Graduate Catalog. 

Previous Revisions

Each time the Academic Plan description is saved, the former description is saved as a revision, up to four previous revisions. You may review a former revision by clicking the View link next to the revision date. While reviewing a revision, you may also restore that revision by clicking the Restore This Revision button near the bottom of the page. You will then be prompted to make any edits and then save the description.