{"id":1223,"date":"2026-03-19T13:15:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T13:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test-uwsp-multi.pantheonsite.io\/office-of-the-registrar\/?page_id=1223"},"modified":"2026-04-30T20:02:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T20:02:33","slug":"curricular-policies","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/curricular-policies\/","title":{"rendered":"Curricular Policies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Program Policies<\/h2>

This section outlines the required naming conventions and general guidelines that govern how academic programs are structured, titled, and maintained. These standards ensure consistency across the catalog and support accurate communication, governance, and student understanding.\n<\/p><\/div>

\n
General Information<\/summary>
\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • New Pre-Professional Programs should be vetted by the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar will then review with the Catalog Editor and submit the vetted program to the CuC to be recorded as an informational item on the department’s behalf. This ensures that the program is recorded with an appropriate start term.  Effective Fall 2023 catalog.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Programs that include foundational math courses that do not count towards the program GPA will use the following note at the beginning of their program, with each course marked accordingly: Note: Required courses marked ** below have Math prerequisites. Depending on your placement score, additional courses may be required. <\/strong>Effective Fall 2023 catalog.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • There should be no courses with \u201cHidden Prereqs” in programs, i.e. if a course has a prerequisite that is not listed in the major, it must be added as a required course. Effective Fall 2023 catalog.<\/em>\n
          \n
        • All prerequisites will be listed in the course catalog for required courses<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • All courses listed will count toward the program GPA<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • Departments wishing to move programs to a different department must inform the Office of the Registrar of their intention so that a search can be conducted of what may be impacted. A Program Revision Form should be used to document the move, with both departmental votes recorded and the Dean’s acknowledgement of the move so that it can be recorded as an informational item through governance.  Effective Fall 2023 catalog.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • Programs that suspend admission will be reviewed after a period of two years and a notification will be sent to the department to check on status of the program. At that time, the department will be asked to review the program and formally put forth a resolution to delete the suspended program or submit revisions to restore the program. If a suspended program is not formally deleted in the span of five years, it will be automatically removed through UW-System. Effective Fall 2023 catalog.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n
              \u200bProgram Naming Conventions<\/summary>
              \n

              <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              General \u200b\u200b\u200bNaming Conventions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              • No program should start with the words Major, Minor, or Certificate. All programs will end with these terms (ex: Business Major, Accounting Minor, Environmental Justice Certificate). Effective Fall 2023 catalog.\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                • Graduate Certificates will have the word \u201cGraduate” in the title before the word Certificate (ex: Data Science Graduate Certificate). Effective Fall 2023 catalog.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  \u200b<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

                  Teacher Education Program Naming Conventions <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
                    \n
                  • Teaching Majors will either have the terms \u201cEducation Option” or \u201cSecondary Education Option” if there is a non-teaching counterpart. If there is no teaching counterpart, the major will simply be \u201cXXX Education” (ex: German: Education Option (BA) as German (BA) exists without teaching; Elementary Education has no non-teaching counterpart; therefore, is simply Elementary Education). Effective Fall 2023 catalog.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      \n
                    • Minors and Certificates that require Education courses should be named: \u201cxxx Education Minor\/Certificate.” <\/strong>Effective Fall 2023 catalog.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        \n
                      • \u200bMinors and Certificates that have the language: \u201cThis minor\/certificate program is intended for, but not limited to, those students pursuing a degree in xx education.” in the description in the Catalog and have a 2.75 GPA requirement but contain no Education courses should have the naming convention of: \u201cxxx for Educators Minor\/Certificate.”  \u200b<\/strong>Effective Fall 2023 catalog.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

                        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        \u200bSubject Code and Course Policies<\/h2>

                        This section explains the required rules for creating or revising course subjects, numbers, prerequisites, repeat rules, and service\u2011based pricing language to maintain clear and consistent academic standards.<\/p><\/div>

                        \n
                        Naming and Numbering Standards<\/summary>
                        \n

                        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          \n
                        • New Subject Codes (Prefixes) must be vetted and approved by the Office of the Registrar.\u00a0See\u00a0Subject Prefix Guidelines\u200b\u00a0below for additional information.\u200b\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • Course numbers must wait a period of 10 years after the last offering (deletion) before the number can be reused<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • New Course numbers must be vetted and approved by the Office of the Registrar<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • Standard Course Repeat language is one of the following:\n
                            \n
                          • \u201cMay be repeated for credit” \u2013 denotes unlimited repeats (topics can be repeated)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • \u201cMay be repeated for credit for up to XX credits” \u2013 denotes repeatable up to a certain amount of credits (any topic can be repeated up to the maximum credit amount)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • \u201cMay be repeated for credit with different subtitles” \u2013 denotes each subtitle can be taken only once<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • \u201cMay be repeated for credit with different subtitles for up to XX credits” \u2013 denotes each subtitle can be taken only once up to the maximum credit amount<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                              \n
                            • \u200bStandard language for prerequisites with multiple courses is:\n
                                \n
                              • If there are two courses and both are required: \u201cBoth XX and XX”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                              • If there are two courses and either is acceptable: \u201cEither XX or XX”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                              • If there are more than two courses and all are required: \u201cAll of the following: XX, XX, and XX”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                              • If there are more than two courses and any are acceptable: \u201cOne (or other number) of the following: XX, XX, or XX” \u200b
                                <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                              • Stanard language for Service Based Pricing Courses is:\n
                                  \n
                                • “This course may not be listed as a requirement or eligible as an elective for any major, minor, or certificate program other than the following: XX” with the XX being the particular Service Based Pricing program(s) the course was created for.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

                                  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bSubject Prefix Guidelines<\/h2>

                                  This policy establishes protocols for the vetting, approval and creation of subject prefixes for courses and disciplines maintained in the student information system, academic catalog and in student records. Course subject prefixes are proposed through the official curriculum change process.<\/p><\/div>

                                  \n
                                  \u200bNaming Conventions\u200b<\/summary>
                                  \n

                                  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    \n
                                  • Subject prefixes are 2-4 alphabetical characters. No numbers or special characters are allowed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                      \n
                                    • Subject prefixes do not begin with or include the type of academic organization (D for Department) or degree type (e.g., M for master\u2019s, B for \u200bbachelor\u2019s).\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                        \n
                                      • \u200bSingle Word Discipline Rules   \n
                                          \n
                                        • Use the first 3-4 letters. (Astronomy = ASTR) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                        • If conflict exists, if the discipline is a compound word, use the first 1-3 letters of the first syllable and the first 1-3 letters of the second syllable. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                        • If conflict exists, try the first 2-3 letters and 1-2 additional letters to form a version of the word. (Japanese = JAPN) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                        • If conflict exists, consult with the Office of the Registrar. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                            \n
                                          • Dual Word Discipline Rules \n
                                              \n
                                            • Use the first two letters of each word. (Educational Sustainability = EDSU)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                            • If conflict exists, use the first letter of the first word and first three letters of the second word. (Natural Resources = NRES) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                            • If conflict exists, use the first two letters of each word. (Data Science = DS) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                            • If conflict exists, consult with the Office of the Registrar. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                                \n
                                              • \u200bThree Word Discipline Rules \n
                                                  \n
                                                • Use the first letter of each word. (Health Care Administration = HCA)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                • If conflict exists, use the first letter of each word and a second letter from one of the words. (Foreign Language Education = FLED) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                • If conflict exists, consult with the Office of the Registrar. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                                    \n
                                                  • Four or More Word Disciplines \n
                                                      \n
                                                    • Use the first letter of four words. (National Student Exchange Program = NSEP)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                    • If conflict exists, consult with the Office of the Registrar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n
                                                      Subject Prefix Approval<\/summary>
                                                      \n

                                                      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                        \n
                                                      • Most commonly, new subject prefixes are proposed and created in conjunction with a new academic program.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                      • \u200bCourse subject prefixes reflect a discipline or field of study, not the department in which the course is offered.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                      • Course subject prefixes are assigned to academic departments or disciplines, not schools or colleges, for purposes of review and reporting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                      • When requesting a new subject prefix, the department should articulate the rationale for a new, unique prefix and why an existing subject prefix does not sufficiently represent the proposed curriculum.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                      • Course subject prefixes are not approved for the sole purpose of marketing or differentiation of offerings based on instruction mode, tuition, or location.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                      • Course subject prefixes are not approved on an experimental or interim basis. Rather, trial or temporary courses are offered under existing department or program course subject prefixes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                      • Subject prefixes are not created for only one or two specialized courses within a broader discipline. Use the primary discipline subject code, when feasible, to facilitate class searches and readability of transcripts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                      • \u200bChanges to existing subject prefixes may be proposed when academic programs or disciplines are approved for name changes and the existing prefixes are no longer relevant. Upon approval, active courses under the former subject prefix are recreated with the new subject prefix. Courses with the former subject prefix are inactivated and systematically linked to courses with the new subject prefix for purposes of repeatability, grade replacement, degree audit, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                                      • Departments should consult with the Office of the Registrar to determine the availability of a new subject prefix prior to submitting curriculum materials for approval.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1223","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1223"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1538,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1223\/revisions\/1538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwsp.edu\/office-of-the-registrar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}