New Degree Programs

Betty Capaldi, Provost

The Gainesville Sun recently reported that 41 new degree programs were approved for placement on the Master Plan for UF. We have received many inquiries from students wishing to enroll in these degree programs and have explained to them that placement on the Master Plan is only the first step in offering a degree program. The next step involves preparation of an extensive document that requires a number of on campus approvals prior to submission to the Board of Regents for their approval. We do not plan on requesting implementation of all of these degree programs immediately, and the earliest any of them could actually be implemented is probably at least a year from now. The Board of Regents staff is in the process of defining exactly what steps are necessary to request implementation and as soon as we know what those steps are we will be working with each college to process those degree programs they would like to implement immediately. The Master Plan specifies which degree programs we have authority to submit for implementation within the next five years (1998-2003). We are not required to implement the degree programs if our priorities change.