Academic Program Review

Academic Program Reviews (APR) demonstrate UND's commitment to the quality and continuous improvement of educational programs and how student learning and success is promoted.

Program evaluation and review can help guide effective planning, resource allocation, and insight into how curriculum, scholarly activity, and service advance the university's mission, and serve the state, nation, and global communities.

APR Self-Study Template

All credentials in each academic program are required to complete the APR self-study prompts focusing on the topics outlined below. There are separate prompts for academic degrees and certificates. 

Self-Study Reports

All self-study reports are reviewed by:

1. A college review team.
2. The academic dean.
3. Either the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies & Student Success or the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, depending on degree level. 

A final report is submitted for each credential reviewed during the cycle by either the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies & Student Success or the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, for undergraduate or graduate programs respectively. 

External Review

• Programs and their academic credentials that do not have an external program accrediting body (e.g. ABET, ABBI, etc.) are required to undergo an external review once every 10 years. The external review step occurs before the college review team step in the overall APR timeline. 
• All certificates, whether graduate or undergraduate, are exempt from the external review requirement. 
• The additional steps required for those programs needing an external review are outlined in the annual timeline section below. 

EXTERNAL REVIEW PROMPTS

APR Data Sources

Many of the APR prompts can be answered with data from the reports provided by University Analytics & Planning (UAP). These reports are found in UND's Data Information Hub, linked below. 

UND Data Information Hub

Log in with your NDUS credentials. Within the UND Data Information Hub, select Academic Program Review. 

For assistance with navigating the UAP Academic Program Review dashboard, contact Dr. Matthew Berosik. 

How to Submit the APR Self-Study

We recommend first completing your self-study report using the word (.docx) templates provided above prior to submitting in the final report to Planning & Self-Study. 

HOW-TO: Submit APR Self-Study

Video Demonstration: Submitting APR Self-Study [6:55]

Log in with your NDUS credentials. Click on Planning & Self-Study. 

Submit APR Self-Study

Assistance with the Submission Process

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Accreditation provides assistance throughout the APR process. Office hours are outlined below for the summer and fall 2025. All sessions can be accessed through this Zoom link. 

Programs Being Reviewed

The following programs are being reviewed during the 2025-2026 academic year: 

Review Cycle

All academic degree and certificate programs will be reviewed on a 5-8 year cycle. 

5 Year Review Cycle

The five year review cycle applies to programs for the following reasons: 

• All programs with no programmatic or external accreditation.
  • These programs will also be required to have an external review. 
• If a program has an external accreditation with either a 5-year or 10-year cycle:
  • 5 years: AABI, AACSB
  • 10 years: NAST, ARC-PA, CAPTE, CAATE, NAACLS, CCNE, COA, APA, NASAD, NASM

6-8 Year Review Cycle

The 6-8 year review cycle only applies to programs with a programmatic or external accreditation and aligns with the specific accreditation cycle. 

• The 6-8 year cycle applies to programs with the following accrediting bodies: 
  • 6 years: ABET, ACS
  • 7 years: CAEP, ACEND, CEPH, ACOTE, NASPAA
  • 8 years: CAA, CSWE

The APR review will take place during the academic year after the external accreditation self-study and site visit occur to enable programs to use the information provided in their accreditation self-study report for the APR process. 

New degree programs and certificates (both undergraduate and graduate) will be reviewed after either the fifth year, or after the first graduating class or cohort, whichever is longer. 

Timeline

APR Annual Timeline

The timeline outlined below is for all programs going through the APR process for a given academic year. 

APR External Review Timeline

Programs requiring an external review should follow 1) all steps in the timeline outlined above, and 2) the additional steps outlined in the table below. 

FAQs

Guiding Principles of Academic Program Review (APR)

Continuous Improvement and Future Oriented

• APR aims for continuous enhancement of undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Provides critical information on program size, stability, future resources, strengths, areas of improvement, and contribution to UND's mission. 
• Guides goal setting, future direction, and ensures decisions are based on accurate data.

Benchmark Change

• Uses previous APRs, accreditation self-studies, and benchmarks to highlight achievements and improvements.
• Addresses past recommendations and assesses responses to previous concerns.

Integrate Academic Planning

• Describes academic planning, including strategic planning, budgeting, resource allocation, decision-making, governance, and program goals.

Assessment of Student Learning

• Documents assessment plans for student achievement and actions taken based on past assessment data.

Coordinate with Accreditation

• Aligns APRs with accreditation activities where applicable, using self-study reports and site visits as components of APR.
• Meets HLC accreditation requirements through regular reviews and actions on findings.

Monitor Progress

• Academic Deans, in coordination with academic leaders, schedule and monitor APR progress to ensure continuous improvement and strategic alignment.

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