Maryland Higher Education Commission

New Area of Concentration

An area of concentration is a sequential arrangement of courses within a program, which at the undergraduate level exceeds 24 semester credit hours, at the master's level, exceeds 12 semester hours, and at the doctorate level exceeds 18 semester hours.  Steps

• An institution completes a proposal using guidelines (PDF) in accordance with State regulations (see COMAR Title 13B.02.03 (PDF) for the full set of regulations).
   
• An institution submits the proposal to Secretary of Higher Education
   
  • Electronic Submissions (Preferred)
  • Hard Copy Submissions
     
• The Commission staff performs a preliminary review of the proposal to ensure its completeness and adherence to regulations.
   
• The Commission staff verifies that the existing degree program is part of the academic inventory and that the new concentration relates to the existing degree program. 
   

Guidelines for Submission

• Cover letter addressed to Secretary of Higher Education from chief academic officer requesting approval/endorsement of the new area of concentration within the existing academic program
   
• Academic Proposal Form for Non-USM Institutions (PDF)
   
• Academic Proposal Form for USM Institutions (PDF)
   
• Rationale for the Program
   
• Educational objectives of the Program
   
• Description of program as it would appear in the catalog
   
• List of courses
   
• Expected student learning outcomes
   
• Faculty resources
   
• See COMAR Title 13B.02.03 (PDF) for the full set of regulations