The Academic Catalog is the primary source of information for student curriculum requirements. It is often referred to as the university's "contract" with students and in rare situations where there is a discrepancy between the Catalog and information distributed by colleges and academic units (such as advising guides), the Catalog is considered the accurate source. While the Catalog is primarily a student tool, it is also used by internal and external stakeholders for accreditation, compliance and transfer articulation.
The Academic Catalog is published on June 1 each year. Curriculum changes follow Catalog Year Policy, with a deadline of May 1 for most course and program changes.
The following table outlines when changes are visible in the Catalog based on the requested term of an approved curriculum proposal. Please note, summer is the start of the academic year. When submitting a curriculum proposal, any effective term may be requested but the Catalog Coordinator in the Office of the Registrar will determine the final effective term in accordance with Catalog Year Policy, based on the approval date of the proposal. Effective term refers to the implementation date of the new or changed course or program. Refer to the following examples:
Proposers should always check the final effective term of their proposal when they receive the approval email notification.
|
Requested Term
|
New Courses
|
New Programs | New Program Location | Course & Program Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer, this academic year | Effective term will be changed to fall term if approved before week 7 of summer | Effective term will be changed to fall term if approved before week 7 of summer | Effective term will be changed to fall term if approved before week 7 of summer | Effective term will be changed to summer, next academic year |
| Fall, this academic year | Week 7 of summer term | Immediately, if approved before week 7 of summer term | Immediately, if approved before week 7 of summer term | June 1, next academic year |
| Winter, this academic year | Week 7 of fall term | Immediately, if approved before week 7 of fall term | Immediately, if approved before week 7 of fall term | June 1, next academic year |
| Spring, this academic year | Week 7 of winter term | Immediately, if approved before week 7 of winter term | Immediately, if approved before week 7 of winter term | June 1, next academic year |
| Summer, next academic year | June 1, next academic year | June 1, next academic year | June 1, next academic year | June 1, next academic year |
| Fall, next academic year | June 1, next academic year | June 1, next academic year | June 1, next academic year | June 1, next academic year |
| Winter, next academic year | Week 7, next fall term | Week 7, next fall term | Week 7, next fall term | June 1, next academic year |
| Spring, next academic year | Week 7, next winter term | Week 7, next winter term | Week 7, next winter term | June 1, next academic year |
Program pages in the Catalog (majors, minors, options, certificates) can only be changed through the curriculum proposal process. Some of the information on those pages is not subject to Catalog Year Policy because it is not curricular in nature, but a proposal is needed to make any changes. Examples include the overview content describing the program, formatting changes and spelling errors. The Catalog Coordinator will determine if the proposal is eligible to be expedited and if the change can be made immediately and/or if further review is needed.
College requirements and reorganizations, such as department mergers and name changes, impact programs and are therefore considered curriculum changes under Catalog Year Policy.
Academic Regulations (ARs) can only be changed with approval from Faculty Senate, on the recommendation of the Academic Regulations Committee. Changes to ARs appear in the Next Catalog, published on June 1.
Information that does not appear on program or college pages in the Catalog, such as admissions, financial aid, advising and accreditation, can be changed during the annual non-curricular editing period. This typically opens in March and ends on May 1. During this time, approved faculty and staff are given access to the unpublished Catalog website and make changes using an online editing tool. The changes are submitted to the Catalog Coordinator for review and if approved, will appear in the Next Catalog, published on June 1. Faculty and staff can be added to the editor list with approval from a member of their academic unit's leadership team. Requests to be added as an editor and other editing inquiries should be directed to the Catalog Coordinator.
Changes to contact information, such as phone numbers, can be made immediately by emailing the Catalog Coordinator.
Non-credit Courses: Transcripted learning experiences governed by the Non-credit Courses Policy.
For an explanation of the policy and procedural guidelines for catalog year implementation, see the official policy in the catalog.
At the time of graduation, all students, including transfer students, must use a catalog that is not more than 10 years old. A student may petition to the head advisor of their college for any extension of a catalog greater than 10 years from their expected graduation term.
The catalog term of the curriculum record governs the catalog year used to evaluate baccalaureate core and university degree requirements in MyDegrees. The term here should reflect the term of the student’s admission and matriculation at a particular student level or their term of readmission at a particular student level. For Degree Partnership Program students, the first term the student is admitted to OSU will be the matriculation date and will determine the catalog year for institutional and baccalaureate core requirements.
Also, changing degree type (e.g., BA to BS degree) does not necessitate a change in the curriculum record unless that degree type was not available in that college and major at the original time of matriculation.
The 'field of study' is a major, minor, option, or certificate. Each field of study can carry a different catalog term from one another and from the curriculum catalog term. The field of study catalog term is determined by the term in which that particular field of study was officially declared by the student and entered into Banner. However, if the student is pursuing a major and option, the major and the first option associated with that major must have the same catalog term. If the option being declared did not exist at the time of the major declaration, then the major catalog term must be moved forward to the term the new option was declared. Subsequent majors/minors/options/certificates will be assigned a catalog term based on the term they were declared.
Students can choose to move their field of study catalog year forward by consulting with their academic advisor. The student's advisor can submit a program change with the new catalog year information in the comments. Catalog terms can be moved forward in time, but not backward, (with the exception of moving the first option back to synchronize it with the major).
Course prerequisites and corequisites are established by curriculum proposals and enforced by Banner. Refer to the information on prerequisite enforcement.
Six-Year Moratorium on the Re-Use of Course Numbers
If a non-credit or academic credit-bearing course is discontinued, that course number may not be re-used within six years of the last time that course was offered at Oregon State University. Any exceptions to this rule are solely at the discretion of the University Registrar.
Curriculum changes approved by Faculty Senate Curriculum Council are implemented according to the Catalog Year Policy. Proposals are submitted by academic units through the university's proposal system and are approved by Curriculum Council throughout the academic year (September to June).
New program proposals for majors and certificates approved prior to 2011 were reviewed and processed on paper. Contact the Office of Curriculum Management/Assessment and Accreditation for assistance locating a historical proposal.
Proposals approved between 2011 and June 2020 are recorded in the archived Curriculum Proposal System (CPS). Curriculum Inventory Management (CIM) began a soft rollout in October 2019 but course proposals were approved in the CPS through June 2020.
Contact the Catalog Coordinator if you have questions.