Graduate Program Review

Graduate programs (including professional programs except the JD, MD and PharmD) are reviewed on a seven-year cycle. If a master's and PhD or professional doctorate in the same discipline exist in the same department, the two degrees are reviewed as one, with separate data provided for each. Programs scheduled for review are given a report template in January of the year of the review, and a meeting with the relevant graduate program director(s) is held in early spring. The report is due to the Graduate College by July 1. Two reviewers, one external to the University of Cincinnati and one internal, are selected by the Graduate College Dean from a list provided by the program director(s).

External reviewers must meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. Reviewers may not be current or past employees of the University of Cincinnati.
2. Reviewers may not be former advisors, students or relatives of current program faculty.
3. Reviewers may not be past or current collaborators of any program faculty member.
4. Reviewers must be well acquainted with the training of graduate students in the discipline of the program under review and preferably have experience with the administration of a graduate program.
   
5. Reviewers must have no professional or private conflict of interest that would bias their review of the program in either a positive or negative fashion.

Reviewers are given a copy of the program director's report in mid-August, and the review on campus including on-site by the external reviewer occurs during fall semester. A reviewer's report is the basis for discussion with the program and program's college deans, with recommendations or requirements for changes, and investment is also possible. If warranted, the Dean of the Graduate College may require a subsequent review sooner than the usual seven years.

Graduate Program Review Schedule, 2022-2032 (PDF)

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