The Provost’s Office works closely the Faculty Senate, which provides advice on all curricular matters. Usually, new courses and most minor revisions to existing courses are approved on campus with the advice of the Faculty Senate. 

Visit the Faculty Senate website for more information on course and curriculum management and the Course and Curriculum Management System (CCMS). 

How To Propose a New Course 

Course proposals originate from a faculty member and proceed through the following sequential set of approvals:  

1. Departmental curriculum committee
2. Department chair/head
3. The school/college curriculum committee
4. Dean
5. Faculty Senate (including the appropriate councils)
6. Provost

Proposals for new courses are submitted online through the Course and Curriculum Management System (CCMS). 

For more complete information, please consult the Course Approval Procedure Guide. 

How To Propose Changes to an Existing Course 

A minor course change is appropriate for the following circumstances:  

1. A change in the number assigned to a course.
2. A non-substantive change to a course’s title (such as when the terminology of the discipline changes).
3. A change of course credit limited to 1 credit.

Minor course changes may be approved without review by curriculum committees and Faculty Senate councils, as long as all of the administrators who do need to approve the change (department chair/head, deans, secretary of the Faculty Senate, provost) approve of the proposed change and regard it as minor enough not to require a more thorough review by curriculum committees or councils as in the case of a new course proposal. 

For more complete information, please consult the Course Approval Procedure Guide and the Faculty Senate’s page on Minor Course Change Proposals. 

How to Propose a New Degree Program or Certificate 

In addition to the steps above listed under ‘How to Propose A New Course’ a new degree program requires approval by the UMass Board of Trustees and the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.  Please visit the Proposing Degrees, Minors & Certificates page. 

How to Request a General Education Course Designation 

Proposals for courses to receive General Education designation are submitted online through the Course and Curriculum Management System (CCMS) and follow all the same steps as new course proposals (see above), with the addition that one of the steps in the Faculty Senate process is consideration by the General Education Council. Proposers of a new course may submit the application for General Education designation for that course simultaneously with the proposal for new course approval.  

For more complete information, please consult the Course Approval Procedure Guide below.

The Course Approval Procedure Guide

The Course Approval Procedure Guide is maintained by the Faculty Senate. Download the guide below to learn more or to find specific information.  

Download the Guide

Use the link below to download the Course Approval Procedure Guide.