Curricular programs should possess certain characteristics. These characteristics are used in the evaluation of new programs. Whether a degree program or a sub-option within one, each instructional program must be internally coherent. The aggregation of courses must accomplish more than simply "covering" subjects within the discipline. The course work must establish an interrelated overview of the discipline and its methodology.
The program requirements should build upon and reinforce course work in basic intellectual skills and should take advantage of courses offered in other academic disciplines. The course requirements should be established so that a defined sequence of learning develops from basic and general courses to specific, advanced ones that integrate earlier learning experiences and that provide direction to further advanced study. Graduate programs should build upon strong undergraduate preparation. For undergraduate programs, the program requirements should provide for integration with the General Education program of the university. The pattern of courses and individual course structure must be planned to afford easy incorporation of new developments within the discipline. The course work must establish depth of understanding sufficient so that the student can appreciate the scholarship of the discipline and respond to it by synthesizing new facts, experiences, and opinions including her/his own, or by original research and scholarship. The program must incorporate administrative procedures that provide for the following:
