Program Planning and Review

WSU degree program process

Developing a new degree program or extending an existing program to a new site requires internal and external procedures. The Office of the Provost and the Faculty Senate are working together to provide faculty and departments with the necessary tools and information to facilitate program proposals.

Program proposals under the Higher Education Coordinating Board's (HECB’s) policies and procedures include:

New  –  programs that have not previously been offered by WSU at any of its locations. These are programs in new discipline areas (e.g., Bioengineering); at new levels (e.g., a PhD where WSU has so far offered only an MA; or adding a BA to a BS); or where an option is evolving into a separate degree program (e.g.,Linguistics, which has been an opting in General Studies).

Existing  –  programs currently approved for WSU to offer at one or more locations, which are being proposed for a new site or for statewide delivery via Distance Degree Programs.

Reviews  –  the HECB requires institutions to conduct substantive reviews of every degree program at least once every ten years. Summaries of recent reviews that will be forwarded to the HECB, as well as the new program enrollment and program elimination reports that WSU provides to the HECB biennially.

Internal proposal process information

• New Degree or New Location proposal process  –  Diagram of  WSU’s internal processes for approval for new and existing programs.


• Program status chart – Where each degree program proposal is in the process of internal and external approvals that are required before the program can be offered. Includes those new programs or existing programs currently approved for WSU to off at one or more locations.


• Faculty Senate – Updates on the progress of program proposals through the various Faculty Senate committees and full Senate. Also includes proposals awaiting approval.

External proposal process information

• HECB Program and Facility Approval Policies and Procedures  –  PDF and Word downloads of new policies and procedures.

• HECB Authorization and Evaluation website  –  Overview of the HECB proposal process goals and individual lists of Washington State universities,  Programs Currently Under Review and Previously Approved Programs.