Judgment of Compliance

Narrative

All undergraduate programs at Sam Houston State University require at least 120 semester credit hours, and all graduate programs require at least 30 semester hours. Sam Houston State University does not offer any associate degrees. All programs are expressed in semester credit hours. New programs are proposed at the departmental level and reviewed by curriculum committees at the departmental, college, and university levels prior to submission to the Academic Affairs Council, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the President, the Board of Regents of The Texas State University System, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, as outlined in compliance standard 2.5. The curriculum cycle requires a justification for the length of the program and ensures that no baccalaureate or graduate program is approved with less than 120 or 30 hours, respectively.

Undergraduate Programs
Prior to fall 2008, all undergraduate programs at Sam Houston State University required a minimum of 128 hours [1]. Effective fall 2008, all baccalaureate degree programs at Sam Houston State University are required to have a minimum of 120 semester credit hours [2]. Each undergraduate program includes the core requirements, major courses, and electives to meet the required semester credit hours. The Undergraduate Catalog details the courses required for each program. The course requirements for Bachelor of Arts in English [3], Bachelor of Business Administration in Management [4] and the Bachelor of Science in Biology [5] show how the programs allocate the semester hours to meet all requirements for fall 2007.

Proposals for new programs are evaluated at the departmental, college, and university levels. All proposals for new programs must include a description of the curriculum to include length and rationale for program requirements, the need for the program, and whether or not there are sufficient resources to offer the program as evidenced in the recent proposal for a Bachelor of Science degree in History [6].

Graduate Programs
Sam Houston State University offers 52 master’s level degree programs and 5 doctoral degrees. All graduate degree programs at Sam Houston State University have at least 30 semester hours [7]. The University’s general graduate degree requirements [8] and academic guidelines are available in the Graduate Catalog. Each master’s program defines the number of semester hours needed to complete the degree program. The Graduate Catalog details the courses required for each program. The degree requirements for the Master of Arts in Psychology [9], the Master of Science in Chemistry [10], the Master of Education in Administration [11], and the Master of Business Administration [12] identify the courses required to meet program requirements.

Each doctoral program defines the number of semester hours needed for completion of the doctoral degree. A full description of each doctoral program is in the Graduate Catalog; each program contains the minimum of 30 semester hours. The degree requirements for the Ph.D. in Criminal Justice [13], the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership [14], the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology [15], the Ph.D. in Counseling Education [16], and the Ed.D. in Reading [17] identify the courses required to meet program requirements.

Similar to new proposals at the baccalaureate level, proposals for new graduate programs are evaluated at the departmental, college, and university levels. All proposals for new programs must include a description of the curriculum to include length and rationale for program requirements, the need for the program, and whether or not there are sufficient resources to offer the program as evidenced in the recent proposal for a Master’s of Science degree in Accounting [18].

Program Review Procedure
The University‘s curriculum review process, described in the Faculty Handbook [19], includes an annual review of courses by departmental curriculum committees. For new programs and substantive changes to degree programs, the University follows the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Policies and Procedures Manual [20]. Each departmental committee makes recommendations for new courses and degree programs to the dean of their college. The colleges submit the new courses and degree programs sequentially to the University Curriculum Committee [21], the Academic Affairs Council [22], the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President before final approval by The Texas State University System’s Board of Regents and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Supporting Documentation