# Make the case for a new academic program or degree

Builds a program proposal covering demand, fit, cost, outcomes, and approval requirements for a new degree or certificate.

- Topic: Business Strategy & Startups
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Research, Education, Write, Code, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/make-the-case-for-a-new-academic-program-or-degree

## Prompt

```text
Help me write a proposal for a new academic program.

**Program:** [degree or certificate, level, modality, e.g. "online BS in cybersecurity"]
**Why now:** [student interest, employer requests, workforce data]
**Fit with mission and existing programs:** [DETAILS]
**Faculty and courses available:** [what exists vs. new hires or courses needed]
**Competitors:** [nearby or online programs]
**Approvals needed:** [e.g. curriculum committee, faculty senate, board, state agency, accreditor substantive change]

Build the proposal with:
1. Need and demand: labor market data (job openings, wages), student demand, and employer support. Use only data I give; mark gaps [ADD DATA - e.g. state labor projections].
2. Program design: learning outcomes, curriculum map, credit hours, admission requirements, and how it stacks with existing credentials.
3. Enrollment projections: conservative, expected, and optimistic for 5 years, with the assumptions shown.
4. Cost and revenue: faculty, staff, technology, marketing, library, and accreditation costs against tuition revenue; the break-even year.
5. Risks: cannibalizing current programs, faculty capacity, low enrollment, and the stop rule if targets are missed.
6. Assessment plan for outcomes and program review.
7. An approval timeline working back from the target launch term.

Return the proposal in sections, plus a one-page summary for the board. Flag where a substantive change notification to the accreditor may be needed, marked [CONFIRM].
```

## What to fill in

- student interest, employer requests, workforce data
- DETAILS
- what exists vs. new hires or courses needed
- nearby or online programs
- ADD DATA - e.g. state labor projections
- CONFIRM

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.