The Graduate Affairs Committee (GAC) oversees the approval of new graduate and professional degree programs, and changes to existing degrees.
Developing new graduate and professional programs involves approvals from central administration, the IU Trustees, and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE).
- Early Consultation: Discuss program goals with campus leadership, the IU Graduate School Indianapolis, and potential campus/off-campus partners.
- Pre-Proposal Submission: Submit a pre-proposal for any program or certificate of 13+ credits to Academic Affairs for initial approval.
- Full Proposal & GAC Review: Develop the full proposal and submit it to the Graduate Affairs Committee (GAC).
- Timeline: Allow 8–12 months between school approval and launch to complete all campus, trustee, and ICHE approvals.
All IU Indianapolis graduate and professional program changes require formal approval by both the school's dean or dean designee and the Graduate Affairs Committee. Examples of such changes include:
- Deletion of degree programs
- Changes to curriculum requirements
- Modifying or deleting program tracks, specializations or concentrations
- Changes to skill or language requirements
- Changes in exam administration or policies
- Converting existing on-campus academic programs to hybrid or online
- Program name change
Before proposing any changes, Graduate School programs should consult the current Indianapolis Graduate School Bulletin'sPolicies and Procedures and Degree Requirements, which provide broad outlines of university-accepted policies.