Ministry of Advanced Education

Degree Authorization

New Mandate Applied Degrees Ministry Review

Institutions planning to offer new mandate applied degrees will submit a ministry review template to the ministry, either before they post the full program proposal on the Post Secondary Institution Proposal System website, or when the proposal is posted. For each program, complete the attached template and send electronically to Applied.Degree@gov.bc.ca. Please refer to the ministry ’s expectations (below) when completing the template.

The ministry expects that new mandate applied degrees will:

• Focus on skills and knowledge that help students pursue careers that no existing diploma or undergraduate programs will prepare them for, or for which an academic degree is inappropriate because of the practical skills involved.
• Provide access to a specific occupation. Applied degrees are not bachelor of arts or science degrees that take a generalist approach. Nor are they ‘umbrella’ degrees that combine several loosely related programs to provide an advanced credential.
• Be supported by relevant employer sectors. This support will ideally take the form of active involvement in all stages of program design and implementation. It should be more than letters solicited by the institution.
• Be recognized by licensing, regulatory, accrediting and professional bodies. Institutions are expected to work with these bodies to have part, or all, of the program recognized as meeting professional educational requirements.
• Include a diploma exit option for applied undergraduate degrees, where appropriate.
• Not duplicate existing degree programs offered by universities and university colleges unless it can be shown that duplication is warranted – for example, where the demand for graduates exceeds the system’s capacity to produce them.

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New Mandate Applied Degrees Ministry Review Template (Revised as of May 31, 2006)

Submission should be in PDF or Word format submitted to the ministry by e-mail at
Applied.Degree@gov.bc.ca .

Provide information for each of the four areas below. Submissions may be in the same format as used for internal approval by education councils and boards of governors. If you are submitting documents used for internal approval , please identify the sections where the following information can be found.

We expect most submissions will be a maximum of six pages, although length may vary based on program specifics.

1. Fit with institution’s mandate and academic/education plan.

Describe how the new applied degree fits with institution’s current mandate and expertise. Please attach a copy of your institution’s current academic/education plan.

2. Student demand

Demonstrate student demand for the proposed degree program (where possible, provide survey results and numbers reflecting demand in similar programs, etc.).

3. Labour market demand

Provide labour market analyses illustrating a need for graduates of the program (where available, include quantitative data in support of projections), and; Include letters of support from relevant professional or licensing bodies and major prospective employers.

4. Duplication

Identify other degree programs with similar learning objectives offered in other B.C. post-secondary institutions, and justify any duplication. Describe collaborative planning discussions with other public post-secondary institutions offering similar programs.