Plan and sub-plan definitions
A change to undergraduate curriculum definitions
As of 12/15/10 with certificate definition updates identified in BOLD and Underlined on 9/25/12
Introduction
This proposal has been developed to untangle and streamline curriculum, address a number of difficulties or complexities in current definitions, add more flexibility into curriculum design, and minimize existing inconsistencies of application of curricula definitions.
The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) established definitions about plan and sub-plan elements in April of 2002. Much of our curricula follow these definitions with two notable exceptions – the BS/BA IS and the BAS.
Extended introduction and background information Accordion Closed
The changes incorporate NAU recommendations on curriculum design strategy. The changes result in:
- the collapsing of the current major/extended major definitions into one all-encompassing definition of a major,
- clarification and simplification of sub-plan and sub-sub-plan terminology,
- specifications for differentiating plans and sub-plans from other plans and sub-plans, and
- removal of the requirement that a minor must always be coupled to a major.
The option of a degree program requiring a minor(s) is permitted, and the students’ desire to take minor(s) and/or certificates is unaffected by this proposal.
Except for the collapsing of the major/extended major terminology, which is effective fall 2011, the implementation of other proposed features would happen incrementally, at the future time when a plan or sub-plan is changed. The impact of collapsing the definition of a major to our current FlgMtn curricula was previously discussed in earlier versions of this document. The few plans that are impacted have been working to address the implications. In addition, the AVP is working with the BIS/BAS Council on some language revisions to better align their plans to the new undergraduate curriculum definitions.
We currently (which has been effective for fall 2010 graduates) identify and print the degree (e.g. BS, BA, etc.), plan name (e.g. major, minor and/or certificate), and sub-plan name (i.e. emphasis) on transcripts. Please note that the terminology of “plan” and “sub-plan” are PeopleSoft language. NAU offers three items that are at the plan-level: majors, minors, and certificates. The new curriculum definition yields one sub-plan item – emphasis – and one sub-sub plan item – concentration. Please refer to below for more details.
It is unclear whether or not the ABOR policy (2-202) that is relevant to these curriculum items is being enforced. This policy specifies (1) the approval process for minors where there is no existing degree program and (2) the development of sub-specializations (i.e. emphases) as a function of required units in the major. Given the current uncertainty about the validity of this policy, it has not been incorporated here at this time.
Comparison of newly adopted definitions vs previous definitions Accordion Closed
The following table captures two types of information: first, the working definitions of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, and second, the academic catalog rendition of the definitions.
| Current undergraduate curriculum definitions | Proposed undergraduate curriculum definitions |
|---|---|
| (These details are not found in the catalog) Plan-Level Major: A planned group of courses within a specific subject matter area containing 36 or more credit hours. Each discipline should offer only one major; unless there are distinct sub-disciplines that are commonly organized as separate majors/degree programs and there is sufficient student demand for the additional majors/degree programs. Similarly, a major is differentiated from another major by required course commonality: 24 units of the required credit hours of a major must be unique, (i.e. not common or not dual use as a required element in another major), to that major. Alternatively, specialized degree paths can be judiciously created through the use of major emphases (sub-plans), of which 24 credit hours of the major must be common to all plan/sub-plan combinations. Minor: A planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas in which the University already hosts ABOR-approved majors, consisting of at least 18 hours and no more than 24 hours. At least 15 hours of the minor must be unique to that minor to differentiate it from other minors. Certificate: A planned group of courses within a single discipline or selected from among two or more related disciplines containing a minimum of 15 hours. At least 12 hours of the certificate must be unique to that certificate. A certificate is best used when there is a compelling market-place need. Sub-Plan Level (only applies to Majors) In the context of a major plan, a sub-plan refers to a lower order grouping of thematic coursework within the major. Sub-plans provide a way to structurally group this coursework so that students completing defined emphases (i.e., major sub-plans) can have this identified in their records (i.e., transcripts) upon graduation. Similar to the convention of outlining written text, a sub-unit within a unit occurs only if there is more than one sub-unit. This familiar hierarchy is applicable to sub-plans, where it is not logical to have only one emphasis within a major. Explicitly, sub-plans do not stand alone, they are always coupled to a major, and there is always more than one. Emphasis: A planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas, consisting of at least 18 hours. At least 15 hours of the emphasis must be unique to that emphasis to differentiate it from other emphases. Other sub-sub groupings within the major (not printed on transcript) A major may also label smaller groupings of courses as concentrations within the major. Concentrations will not be printed on the transcript, and are not structurally defined curricula elements like major plan and sub-plan elements are. Concentrations are permitted for the purpose of communication clarity and convenience. | (These details are not found in the catalog) Plan-Level Major: A planned group of courses within a specific subject matter area containing 36 or more credit hours. Each discipline should offer only one major; unless there are distinct sub-disciplines that are commonly organized as separate majors/degree programs and there is sufficient student demand for the additional majors/degree programs. Similarly, a major is differentiated from another major by required course commonality: 24 units of the required credit hours of a major must be unique, (i.e. not common or not dual use as a required element in another major), to that major. Alternatively, specialized degree paths can be judiciously created through the use of major emphases (sub-plans), of which 24 credit hours of the major must be common to all plan/sub-plan combinations. Minor: A planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas in which the University already hosts ABOR-approved majors, consisting of at least 18 hours and no more than 24 hours. At least 15 hours of the minor must be unique to that minor to differentiate it from other minors. Certificate: A planned group of courses within a single discipline or selected from among two or more related disciplines containing a minimum of 15 hours. At least 12 hours of the certificate must be unique to that certificate. A certificate is best used when there is a compelling market-place need. The following provisions must also be met (new information approved on 9/25/12new information approved on 9/25/12): -- At least 60% of the course work must be upper division -- At least 60% of the course work must receive a letter grade (A,B,C,D,F) with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 achieved in these courses -- At least 60% of the course work must be resident credit (awarded by NAU) -- Up to 40% of the course work may include individualized study courses such as Cooperative Education, Fieldwork Experience, Undergraduate Research, Independent Study and/or credit received through proficiency examinations acceptable to the unit awarding the certificate. The chart below indicates how the 60%/40% will be interpreted for Certificate programs of from 15 to 27 hours: Hours 60% 40% 15 9 6 16 10 6 17 10 7 18 11 7 19 11 8 20 12 8 21 13 8 22 13 9 23 14 9 24 14 10 25 15 10 26 16 10 27 16 11 Sub-Plan Level (only applies to Majors) In the context of a major plan, a sub-plan refers to a lower order grouping of thematic coursework within the major. Sub-plans provide a way to structurally group this coursework so that students completing defined emphases (i.e., major sub-plans) can have this identified in their records (i.e., transcripts) upon graduation. Similar to the convention of outlining written text, a sub-unit within a unit occurs only if there is more than one sub-unit. This familiar hierarchy is applicable to sub-plans, where it is not logical to have only one emphasis within a major. Explicitly, sub-plans do not stand alone, they are always coupled to a major, and there is always more than one. Emphasis: A planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas, consisting of at least 18 hours. At least 15 hours of the emphasis must be unique to that emphasis to differentiate it from other emphases. Other sub-sub groupings within the major (not printed on transcript) A major may also label smaller groupings of courses as concentrations within the major. Concentrations will not be printed on the transcript, and are not structurally defined curricula elements like major plan and sub-plan elements are. Concentrations are permitted for the purpose of communication clarity and convenience. |
| Current catalog text | New catalog text |
| To receive a bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona, you must complete a least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and other university requirements including diversity, minimum cumulative GPA, and other restrictions on units. Some academic degree programs also require you to select an emphasis within your major. Additionally, many academic degree programs have additional requirements such as minor(s) or certificate(s) that you must complete. Students also may elect to pursue additional minors or certificates beyond the requirements of their degree programs. You may use a course or courses required for your degree to meet both major and liberal studies requirements as long as the academic prefix of the course(s) to be used is different from the prefix of your major. A major is a planned group of courses within a specific subject matter area containing 36 or more credit hours. An emphasis is a sub-unit of a major and is a planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas consisting of at least 18 hours. Emphases are identified on transcripts. A concentration is a grouping of courses within a major smaller than an emphasis and is not identified on a transcript. An undergraduate minor is a planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas consisting of at least 18 hours and no more than 24 hours; completed with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. A non-degree certificate is a planned group of courses within a single discipline or selected from among two or more related disciplines containing a minimum of 15 hours; completed with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. You choose a minor or a certificate with your advisor’s guidance from those described in the section titled Northern Arizona University’s Academic Plans to complement your major and your personal academic goals. See the complete list of undergraduate minors and list of undergraduate certificates. You may be required to complete a minor or certificate in a field different than your major. You may use the same course or courses to satisfy requirements in a major and a minor or in a major and certificate as long as at least fifty percent of the units in the minor or certificate have a different prefix than the major. You may also use the same course or courses to meet both liberal studies and minor or certificate requirements as long as you meet all requirements for the minor or certificate. | To receive a bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona, you must complete a least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and other university requirements including diversity, minimum cumulative GPA, and other restrictions on units. Some academic degree programs also require you to select an emphasis within your major. Additionally, many academic degree programs have additional requirements such as minor(s) or certificate(s) that you must complete. Students also may elect to pursue additional minors or certificates beyond the requirements of their degree programs. You may use a course or courses required for your degree to meet both major and liberal studies requirements as long as the academic prefix of the course(s) to be used is different from the prefix of your major. A major is a planned group of courses within a specific subject matter area containing 36 or more credit hours. An emphasis is a sub-unit of a major and is a planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas consisting of at least 18 hours. Emphases are identified on transcripts. A concentration is a grouping of courses within a major smaller than an emphasis and is not identified on a transcript. An undergraduate minor is a planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas consisting of at least 18 hours and no more than 24 hours; completed with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. You may use the same course or courses to satisfy requirements in a major and a minor as long as at least fifty percent of the units in the minor have a different prefix than the major. Removed provision “at least fifty percent of the units in the certificate have a different prefix than the major” on 9/25/12 A non-degree certificate is a planned group of courses within a single discipline or selected from among two or more related disciplines containing a minimum of 15 hours; completed with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. You choose a minor or a certificate with your advisor’s guidance from those described in the section titled Northern Arizona University’s Academic Plans to complement your major and your personal academic goals. See the complete list of undergraduate minors and list of undergraduate certificates. You may be required to complete a minor or certificate in a field different than your major. You may also use the same course or courses to meet both liberal studies and minor or certificate requirements as long as you meet all requirements for the minor or certificate. |