New Academic Programs

When considering the development of a new academic (doctoral or master's) or certificate program, the Associate Provost and Dean for Humanities and Social Sciences should be contacted early in the process at 212-817-7280 or apaa@gc.cuny.edu.

A "Letter of Intent" must precede the proposal for a new academic program. See CUNY's Faculty Handbook for the Preparation of New Academic Programs [PDF] for instructions. Both the letter of intent and the proposal require the approval of The Graduate Center's Committee on Curriculum and Degree Requirements and of the Graduate Council prior to being presented before the CUNY Board of Trustees, and subsequently before the State Education Department, for approval. For further information, see the SED's Steps in the Review of Doctoral Program Proposals [PDF]. Certificate programs follow the same procedure after obtaining the approval of the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee (see Section 4 of the Graduate Center Governance document).

Please note that a CUNY-wide Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC), chaired by the President of The Graduate Center, serves in an advisory capacity to the senior colleges in the review of all proposed master's programs and all major revisions of their curricula. For further information regarding GAC, including current members, please contact Ms. Alice Eisenberg at AEisenberg@gc.cuny.edu.