Please submit the following forms through the new Data Submission Portal:
Please submit through old Document Submission Portal:
View instructions for accessing and submitting forms through the new portal.
Please note: If your program approval process includes submission of the forms to THECB by a system office, the new forms and portal will continue to allow for this submission process. Please contact your system office with questions related to internal routing of program approval forms.
Effective June 1, 2023, an online planning notification form must be submitted for academic associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees prior to submission of the full degree program proposal (Texas Administrative Code 2.41). Planning notification for all doctoral and professional programs must be submitted one year prior to submission of the full proposal (Texas Administrative Code 2.143). Note: Multidisciplinary, applied, and embedded associate degrees are exempt from the planning notification requirement.
Please see below for THECB Doctoral Program Approval Timeline Guidance
Effective September 1, 2023, UHRI academic certificates do not require 50-mile notification or approval by the THECB prior to delivery. Institutions must notify Academic and Health Affairs within 90 days of delivery of a new certificate program.
Academic Certificate Inventory Dashboard (coming soon!)
The budget & enrollment spreadsheet below is required to be submitted with requests for new doctoral & professional programs, new bachelor’s or master’s degree with more than 50% new content, and new applied bachelor’s degrees at community colleges.
The THECB approval process for new doctoral programs has several stages, including internal staff review at the Coordinating Board, a desk review from an external expert reviewer, a virtual site visit from external expert reviewers, site visit reports and responses, and final approval from the Committee on Academic and Workforce Success (CAWS) and the full Board. The entire process can take up to 20 months at the very least from the time the Coordinating Board receives an institution’s planning notification. Once the full proposal is received at least one year after the planning notification, the approval process takes from 6-9 months. Please keep in mind that accrediting agencies may set earlier deadlines for full Coordinating Board approval of new doctoral programs. All degree program requests submitted are required, by statute, to be approved or denied within 1 year of being deemed administratively complete.
Timelines below are ESTIMATES ONLY. The quarterly board meeting at which the degree program is approved is dependent on complicating factors such as requests for additional information or revisions to an application, availability of reviewers, speed of the contracting process, or a high volume of doctoral program applications at one time.
Fall Semester Launch |
Spring Semester Launch |
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Year 1 |
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| Planning Notification | August | December |
Year 2 |
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| Submit Full Proposal | September | January |
| 30-Day Comment Period Ends | October | February |
| Initial Staff Review | November – December | March – April |
| Desk Review/Site Visit | January – March | May – June |
| CAWS/Board Meeting | April or July | July or October |
Year 3 (minimum timeline)Year 4 (recommended timeline) |
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| Program Launch | September | January |
Please note:
For questions related to degree program forms and approval, contact the Academic & Health Affairs division.
AHA@highered.texas.gov
