PDC Form B - Major Program Changes
- the creation of a new collaborative specialization;
- the combining of two existing programs
- the establishment of a new articulation agreement or degree completion pathway
- the introduction or deletion of a thesis or major paper requirement
- the introduction of deletion of a practicum, internship, co-op work experience or portfolio requirement
- the introduction of a new specialization (including, field, option, stream, concentration);
- requirements for the program that differ significantly from those existing at the time of the previous cyclical program review (typically changes comprising 33% or greater of major requirements);
- the offering of an existing program substantially online where it had previously been offered in face-to-face mode, or vice versa;
- the change in program name and/or degree nomenclature, when this results in a change in learning outcomes.
- significant changes to the program-level learning outcomes that do not, however, meet the threshold of a new program;
- significant changes to the program’s delivery, including to the program’s faculty and/or to the essential physical resources as may occur, for example, where there have been changes to the existing mode(s) of delivery (eg., different campus and/or online/hybrid delivery);
- for graduate programs where a thesis was previously required, the addition of a course-based option
- new type 1 graduate diplomas
- adding a single new field to a graduate program. Note that universities are not required to declare fields for either master’s or doctoral programs. Note also that the creation of more than one field at one point in time or over subsequent years may need to go through the Expedited Protocol.
The deletion of an entire program, while significant, does not qualify as a major modification in that there is no program to modify. Deleting a program does not alter learning outcomes. Students enrolled in a program, at the time of its deletion, will be able to complete the program, within a reasonable timeframe. Proposals to delete a program should be submitted on a PDC Form C.
Depending on the type major modification proposed, the completion of portions of this form may not be relevant. In such cases, please mark “N/A”. The goal of this form is to clearly identify changes and additions to programs, while ensuring that the overall intent, structure, curriculum and resource implications of the revised program remain consistent with that which was originally approved.