New Academic Programs and Organizational Units
The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost coordinates the approval processes for the University of Nebraska's academic programs and organizational units after proposals have been developed and approved by campus faculty and administrators.
Depending on the program/approval type, final approval is granted by either the University of Nebraska President, the Board of Regents, or the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE). The full sequence of approvals is outlined in the “Approval Timeline and Process” section below.
Fiscal Year 2024-2025
New Programs
UNK
Health Education, MA in Education
Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences
College of Education
Science 7-12 Teaching Endorsement, BS in Education
Department of Physics and Astronomy
College of Arts and Sciences
UNL
Business Analytics, BS
Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics
College of Business
Computational Artificial Intelligence, Graduate Certificate
School of Computing
College of Engineering
Computer Engineering, PhD
School of Computing and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
College of Engineering
Esports Media and Communication, Undergraduate Certificate
College of Journalism and Mass Communications
Internet of Things, Graduate Certificate
School of Computing
College of Engineering
Irrigation and Agricultural Water Management, Undergraduate Certificate
Department of Biological Systems Engineering
College of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources
Sports Promotion, Graduate Certificate
College of Journalism and Mass Communications
Wildlife Habitat Management, Undergraduate Certificate
School of Natural Resources
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
UNMC
Emergency Nurse Practitioner, Graduate Certificate
College of Nursing
Pharmaceutical Sciences, BS
College of Pharmacy
UNO
Applied Leadership Studies, BS
College of Public Affairs and Community Service
Artificial Intelligence, BSAI
Department of Computer Science
College of Information Science and Technology
English Dual Enrollment, Graduate Certificate
College of Arts and Sciences
Geographic Education, Graduate Certificate
College of Arts and Sciences
Healthcare Logistics and Supply Chain Management, MS
College of Business
Studio Art and Art History, BA
School of Arts
College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media
UNL/UNO
Artificial Intelligence, MS
Department of Computer Science (UNO), School of Computing (UNL)
College of Information Science and Technology (UNO), College of Engineering (UNL)
New Organizational Units
UNL
Nebraska Children's Justice and Legal Advocacy Center
College of Law
UNO
Center for Competencies, Skills, and Workforce Development
Division of Innovative & Learning-Centric Initiatives
Fiscal Year 2023-2024
New Programs
UNK
Communication and Instructional Development, Graduate Certificate
Department of Communication
College of Arts and Sciences
Media Studies, BS
Department of Communication
College of Arts and Sciences
UNL
Agronomy, Graduate Certificate
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Early Childhood and Family Policy
Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies
College of Education and Human Sciences
Entomology, Graduate Certificate
Department of Entomology
College of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources
Social Entrepreneurship, Undergraduate Certificate
School of Global Integrated Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
UNMC
Medical Science, DMSc
College of Allied Health Professions
Doctor of Nutrition and Dietetics, DND
College of Allied Health Professions
UNO
Urban Leadership, Graduate Certificate
School of Public Administration
College of Public Affairs and Community Services
Internal Audit, Fraud, and Control, Undergraduate Certificate
School of Accounting
New Organizational Units
UNMC
Center for Drug Design and Innovation
College of Pharmacy
Fiscal Year 2022-2023
New Programs
UNK
Public History, MA
Department of History
College of Arts and Sciences
UNL
Data Science, BS or BA
Department of Mathematics
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Statistics
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
School of Computing
College of Engineering
UNO
Business, Executive Graduate Certificate
Executive and Professional Development Program
College of Business Administration
Business Analytics, Executive Graduate Certificate
Executive and Professional Development Program
College of Business Administration
Business Leadership, Executive Graduate Certificate
Executive and Professional Development Program
College of Business Administration
Conducting, Graduate Certificate
School of Music
College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media
Dyslexia Specialist, Graduate Certificate
Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders
College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Fiscal Year 2021-2022
New Programs
UNK
Spanish for the Helping Professions, Undergraduate Certificate
Department of Modern Languages; Social Work Degree Program
College of Arts and Sciences
UNL
Acting, BFA
Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film
Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts
Additive Manufacturing, Graduate Certificate
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
College of Engineering
Athletic Training, MS
Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences
College of Education and Human Sciences
Biomedical Engineering, PhD
College of Engineering
Bioanalytical Chemistry, Graduate Certificate
Department of Chemistry
College of Arts and Sciences
Chromatography and Analytical Separations, Graduate Certificate
Department of Chemistry
College of Arts and Sciences
Educational Neuroscience, Graduate Certificate
Department of Educational Psychology
College of Education and Human Sciences
Environmental Engineering, BS
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
College of Engineering
Financial Analytics, Graduate Certificate
Department of Finance
College of Business
Sales Excellence, Graduate Certificate
Department of Finance
College of Business
Special Education K-6 major, BSE
Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders
College of Education and Human Sciences
Statistics and Data Analytics, BS
Department of Marketing
College of Business
Strategic Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Graduate Certificate
Department of Economics
College of Business Administration
Urban Design, Graduate Certificate
College of Architecture
UNMC
Applied Health Informatics, Graduate Certificate
Department of Allied Health Professions Education, Research, & Practice
College of Allied Health Professions
Healthcare Quality Improvement, Graduate Certificate
Department of Allied Health Professions Education, Research, & Practice
College of Allied Health Professions
Medical Physiology, MS
Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology
College of Medicine
UNO
French, Graduate Certificate
Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
College of Arts and Sciences
History and Government, MA
Department of Political Science
College of Arts and Sciences
Homeland Security Focused Business Analytics, Graduate Certificate
Department of Economics
College of Business Administration
Machine Learning, Graduate Certificate
Department of Computer Science
College of Information Science and Technology
Sociology, Graduate Certificate
Department ofSociology and Anthropology
College of Arts and Sciences
Teaching Spanish to Heritage/Bilingual Learners, Graduate Certificate
Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
College of Arts and Sciences
New Organizational Units
UNL
School of ComputingCollege of Engineering
UNMC
Genome Editing and Education Center-Nebraska
Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience
College of Medicine
Nebraska Center for Women's Health Research
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
College of Medicine
Approval Timeline and Process
The typical process for obtaining academic program and organizational unit approval involves the following steps:
- Campus approvals obtained
- Proposal sent to the Executive Vice President and Provost (EVPP) with CC to the Vice Provost and EVPP’s Executive Assistant
- Screening by Vice Provost (Dialog on refinements conducted with campus representatives)
- Review and approval to move forward by EVPP; item placed on the monthly agenda for consent by NU Council of CAOs
- [Graduate program may require additional steps, but some graduate certificate programs can receive an Expedited Review.]
- If consented by CAOs, a Board of Regents (BOR) Agenda Item is prepared/refined with campus input and approvals
- Draft Agenda Item vetted by the President and Executive Cabinet
- Consideration at the bi-monthly meeting of the BOR Academic Affairs (AA) Committee (certain items are “reported” to the committee)
- If approved by the AA Committee, presented to the (full) BOR (as a motion for approval; certain items are “reported")
- The EVPP forwards BOR-approved and reported academic proposals to the CCPE
- CCPE staff review material; any questions are posed to the Vice Provost who seeks responses from program leaders/Deans. (Some items, such as simple name changes, may be approved without a hearing.)
- CCPE holds a public hearing (Vice Provost and campus program leaders/Deans typically in attendance)
- If approved, CCPE notifies EVPP, Vice Provost and campus administrators via email
- [Once CCPE approval has been granted, the program or organizational unit may start operation as proposed.]
Program Approval Resources:
- Academic Program Guidelines (New, Modifications and Deletions)
- Unit and Center Guidelines (New, Modifications and Deletions)
- Budget Tables (Academic Program, Organizational Unit/Center)