Frequently Asked Questions

The Illinois Board of Higher Education oversees the higher education system in Illinois. As such IBHE approves new degree and certificate programs as well as changes to existing programs. Without IBHE approval new programs cannot matriculate new students and existing programs cannot act on their proposed changes.

The following programmatic changes need IBHE approval: 

• Change in degree title 
• Change in the program’s classification of instructional (CIP) code 
• Change in program admission requirements including the pre-requisite course titles, course content, and credit hours 
• Change in program requirements for retention of students (does not include any federal changes to Title IV status) 
• Change in program graduation requirements by adding or removing courses 
• Adding a new organized set of courses within an approved degree program (e.g., option, concentration, specialization, or sequence) 
• Adding a new minor 
• Creating a joint degree program from two previously approved programs 
• Adding a certificate program in a field in which there is already an approved program:
  • a. Undergraduate certificate from a baccalaureate program; 
  • b. post-baccalaureate certificate from master’s program; 
  • c. post master’s certificate from doctoral degree program; 
  • d. post-degree professional practice doctoral certificate from professional practice doctoral degree program (for example, a post professional certificate in psychiatric mental health from the DNP program in psychiatric mental health). 
    
    The 6-digit Classification for Instructional Program (CIP) code for the certificate program needs to be identical to the degree program that already exists. 
     
• Request to use another named entity to offer all or part of credit-earning instruction
• Changing degree designation but remain at the same level (e.g., MA to MBA)
• Change the program status:
  • a. active to phase down; 
  • b. active to temporarily inactive; 
  • c. phase down to eliminated status; 
  • d. phase down to active, and temporarily inactive to active. 
• Creating a new instructional location within a higher education region for which the institution has approval to operate and offer degrees)

The Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (VpAA) is the liaison to IBHE and the Accreditation Liaison Officer to the Higher Learning Commission (the university accreditor). As such, all requests and communication to IBHE and HLC are made through them. The VpAA submits all requests to both organizations.

• Once a change for a program or and establishment of a new program is approved by the program a notification to the VpAA should be made.
• Once the change or new program is approved by the college’s curriculum committee a change request should be made to UCC
• Once UCC approved the change/new program the VpAA sends the request to IBHE

UCC’s and IBHE’s requirements for approval and notification are different. In general, all changes required approval by UCC also require approval by IBHE; however, many of the changes require UCC notification only do not require approval by IBHE. When in doubt please consult with the VpAA.

If the program doesn’t add or remove courses but instead adds and subtracts credit hours for existing courses, and if the change in credit hours does not change the total credit hours of the program, there is no need to submit a request for IBHE. However, if the change in hours results in total credit hour change an approval for IBHE is needed.

Yes. If a program adds and removes courses, the request to IBHE should be submitted whether the course change results in credit hour change or not.

IBHE’s process is a two-step application:

• The first step is submission of a Notice of Intent (NOI) with a brief summary of the new program.
• Once the NOI is approved the expanded application is submitted. The expanded application is very lengthy and is put together by the program and VpAA. The expanded application includes five sections (institutional structure and accreditation, academic curriculum, facilities, faculty and staff, fiscal)

No. There are two phases in sundowning a program. First the program needs to submit a request to IBHE to phase down the program while there are still students in the program. Once the last student graduates a request to eliminate the program should be submitted to IBHE.

• For programmatic changes – 3 to 4 months 
• For new certificate and degree programs – 6 to 9 months

It is recommended to plan program changes and new programs as far in advance as possible from the date the changes planned to be applied or new programs planned to matriculate students.