Course Development Process Guidelines

As the Mailman School continues to diversify and expand our course offerings, including the introduction of school-wide and center-based courses, a standardized course development process is essential to creating clear and efficient approval procedures. The steps below describe how departments and centers can move smoothly through the course development process, accessing appropriate support along the way to ensure quality educational experiences for our students.

Step 1 | Instructor/Faculty/Department and/or Center identify a need or desire for new coursework

• Instructor/faculty member completes the Course Proposal Form for electronic pre-review.

• The form identifies whether the course will be an interdisciplinary school-wide course or department based, describing criteria for each.
• In order to adhere to the School’s Course Duplication Policy, the form identifies criteria for avoiding duplication and promoting meaningful collaboration between departments where content may overlap.
• The form identifies the proposed modality (fully online, hybrid, face-to-face, etc.) so that timelines and resources can be allocated appropriately with related campus partners (Center for Teaching and Learning, etc.).

Step 2 | Faculty develop course syllabus and submit to department curriculum committee for pre-review

FOR DEPARTMENTAL OR CENTER-BASED COURSES

• Office of Teaching and Learning is available for syllabus clinics, support workshops, and one-on-one consultations.
• Faculty follow internal departmental policies for submitting syllabus to curriculum committee for review and feedback.
  • Dept committee review syllabi for all courses, assuring all are current according to MSPH Curriculum Committee standards.
  • Assure course aligns with departmental goals and competency statements.
  • The department representative on the school-wide Curriculum Committee must review the course before it can be submitted to the Committee for final review and approval and ensure sign-off by the Department Chair.
  • Ensure course does not conflict with school’s course duplication policy. 

Step 2 | Departments meet with Office of Education leadership (Vice Dean or Associate Dean for Educational Initiatives) to ensure alignment with criteria for school-wide courses.

FOR SCHOOL-WIDE COURSES

• Pending sign-off by OE leadership, faculty develop course syllabus.
• Office of Teaching and Learning is available for syllabus clinics, support workshops, and one-on-one consultations.
• Course is submitted to Office of Teaching and Learning and/or Online Learning for electronic review and feedback.
  • OTL/OL review syllabi for all required courses, assuring all are current according to MSPH Curriculum Committee standards.
  • Assure course align with competency statements.

Step 3 | School-wide Curriculum Committee Review and Approval

FOR BOTH

Once the new coursework has been developed and a syllabus produced, it is submitted to the school-wide Curriculum Committee. The Committee reviews the course to ensure that it meets the School’s standards, namely:

• • Alignment of content, assessment, learning objectives, competency statements, and department goals
  • Use of current MSPH Course Syllabus Template
  • Adherence to School policies for grading (maximum class participation at 20% of overall grade, no single assessment >40% of overall grade)
  • Inclusion of page numbers for assigned reading
  • Adequacy of workload for proposed credits
  • Compliance with Course Duplication Policy

Step 4 | Results of review process

FOR DEPARTMENTAL COURSES

• • If approved, the course receives a course number and students may register.
  • If approved pending approval, the course number is generated but faculty or departments must complete required revisions and resubmit to Chair of Curriculum Committee.
  • If not approved
    • Due to concerns about duplication: course must be revised (see Course Duplication Policy).
    • Due to pedagogical or quality concerns: course is referred back to proposing dept or center, with encouragement to collaborate Office of Teaching and Learning or Office of Online Learning.

FOR SCHOOL-WIDE COURSES

• • If approved, course is referred to registrar for course number generation.
    • School Office of Finance and Budget identifies support.
    • If not approved
    • Due to concerns about duplication: course must be revised (see Course Duplication Policy).
    • Due to pedagogical or quality concerns: course is referred back to proposing dept or center, with encouragement to collaborate Office of Teaching and Learning or Office of Online Learning.

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