Curriculum Development and Revision

Office: Office of the Provost

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Curriculum Review

Student learning is at the core of Pratt Institute. The Institute is committed to offering a curriculum that is intellectually rigorous and pedagogically effective, educating artists, designers, architects, scholars, and creative professionals to become leaders in their professions and responsible contributors to society.

Pratt utilizes many strategies to ensure the excellence of the curriculum, including a rigorous approval process at the Departmental, School, and Institute levels. There is shared responsibility between faculty and administration to ensure the academic quality, integrity, and continuous improvements to Pratt’s educational programs.

Pratt’s Curricular Review Policy articulates the policies and procedures for curriculum proposal and review at the Institute. Proposals for new or revised credit-bearing programs, or courses that affect those programs, are reviewed by department and school curriculum committees, as well as the Institute Curriculum Committee of the Academic Senate, along with department chairpersons and school deans. All other curriculum proposals are reviewed by curriculum committees and administrators at the department and school levels. In all cases, oversight in the Provost’s and Registrar’s offices complete the loop.

See diagram below showing the review process for the curriculum described above.

A flow diagram that's titled, Pratt Institute Curriculum Submission, Review, and Approval. A subtitle reads, FACULTY initial program and/or course proposals, consulting with Department Chairs and the Registrar in advance. The first flow path is titled, New or Revised programs and Required courses. The steps are: 1. FACULTY; 2. Department Curriculum Committee and Department Chairperson; 3. School Curriculum Committee and Dean of School; 4. ICC; 5. Provost with Registrar. The second flow path is titled, New or Revised Elective Courses. The steps are: 1. FACULTY; 2. Department Curriculum Committee and Department Chairperson; 3. School Curriculum Committee and Dean of School; 4. Provost with Registrar. The third flow is titled, Provisional Courses or Non-Content Course Changes. The steps are: 1. FACULTY; 2. Department Chairperson; 3. Dean of School; 4. Provost with Registrar.

In addition to the curricular review policy, the following guidelines are available for integrative, interdisciplinary, and individualized curricula.

Minor Programs

Pratt offers minors that enable students to supplement their work in their departmental concentrations with focused study in another field. If interested in proposing a minor, please read these guidelines, then complete a Concept Proposal and subsequently the Minors Proposal form.

Customized/Individualized Minor

Students may also wish to create a Customized Minor. Students interested in proposing a customized minor should read these guidelines, then complete the Customized Minor form along with the Customized Minor Student Worksheet.

Independent Study

Independent Study provides opportunities for students to explore academic topics that are not covered in the established curriculum. An Independent Study is a for-credit course carried out under the supervision and mentorship of a faculty member. Additional details, including forms and FAQs, are available through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.

Coursedog Curriculum Management

Pratt Institute uses Coursedog to manage curriculum proposals. The following curriculum proposals can be submitted and reviewed through Coursedog:

New and Revised Programs
New and Revised Courses
Provisional Courses (expedited review, expire after 2 years)
Non-Content Course Changes (see curriculum review policy)

Coursedog is available to Pratt faculty and staff via login with their OneKey credentials.

For help using Coursedog, please consult the following materials:

All questions regarding curriculum proposals may be sent to curriculum-proposals@pratt.edu.

Course Syllabus Template

The Course Syllabus template is maintained by the Office of the Provost, and changes are reviewed by the Institute Curriculum Committee. Pratt faculty and staff can contribute to a comment version of this template with proposed changes, which will be periodically reviewed. For further assistance in developing your course syllabus, please contact the members of your department curriculum committee or your chair.