Changing or Adapting a Registered Program

Step #1: If your change involves renaming a degree program, a market analysis is required before any other steps can occur. To request a market analysis, complete this form. The market analysis must be reviewed and approved by the Dean before proceeding to the next step.
Step #2: Review changes and adaptations that require State Education Department Approval as described on the NYSED Change or Adapt a Registered Program Form.
Step #3: If the only change to a currently registered program is the addition or deletion of courses (less than one third of the minimum credits required for the award), re-registration with NYSED is NOT required. Go directly to the Adding/Deleting Courses directions. You do not need to follow steps 4-10 below.
- NOTE EXCEPTION: Any change in credit hours to a certificate or advanced certificate requires NYSED approval before the change becomes effective.
Step #4: If the only change to a currently registered program is the title, you can skip steps 5-10 below and follow this process:
- Work with RIT Enrollment Management to request a market assessment for the new title. To request a market analysis, complete this form.
- After the Market Assessment is complete and approved by the Dean, complete the NYSED Title Change Request for Registered Programs form.
- The Dean submits the completed NYSED Title Change Request form, along with the RIT Market Assessment, to the Office of the Provost.
- Skip steps 5-10 below.
Step #5: Please refer to Curricular Action Approval Process Chart to determine which curriculum review body approval is needed for the type of curricular change being proposed such as:
- Courses within an approved program
- Substantitive changes to a currently registered program
- Change to the title ONLY of a currently registered program
- Changes to a program's focus or design
- Adding or eliminating an option or concentration
- Eliminating a requirement for completion, including an internship, clinical, cooperative education or other work-based experience
- Altering the liberal arts and science content in a way that changes the degree classification
- Program award change
- Adding distance education
- Discontinuing a program
- Format change
- Change in the total number of credits of a certificate or advanced certificate program
- Change a non-licensure-qualifying program to one that is licensure qualifying
Step #6: Complete the NYSED Change or Adapt a Registered Program Form. For programs listed below, please use the Application to Change or Adapt a Registered Professional Education Program form.
- Architecture
- Dietetics/Nutrition
- Engineering
- Interior Design
- Physician Assistant
- Certified Public Accountants
- Public Accountants
Step #7: Make appropriate changes to Table 1 document(s) already on file in the college and forward an updated table 1 document(s) to the Office of the Provost. RIT's definition of full-time status for graduate students is 9 or more semester credit hours, so include a Table 1 showing 9 credits per semester. NYSED regulations indicate that full-time status is 12 credit hours per semester, for both undergraduate and graduate programs. When preparing NYSED applications for new or changed graduate programs, be sure to include a second Table 1 that shows how a student could complete the program with 12 credit hours per semester. If a 12 credit hour table is not provided, NYSED will request that the program be registered as part-time. If the program has options or concentrations, include them on the Table 1. Options/concentrations can range from 6 credits and up, 9-12 credits is typical.
Step #8: Be sure changes are reviewed and approved by required curriculum review bodies.
Step #9: Submit materials with Department and College support letters to next approving body as detailed on the Curricular Action Approval Process Chart. Depending on the curricular action, this is either the ICC/Grad Council or The Office of the Provost.
Step #10: Following review, the Office of the Provost forwards materials to Provost for approval and then to NYSED for review and approval.

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