Memoranda of Agreements

Guidelines to Create a Joint/Dual Degree or Certificate Program with a Foreign Institution

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I. Introduction

This document provides guidelines for the approval, modification, and review of joint, dual, and cooperative degree programs as well as certificate programs. It also provides guidelines for curriculum and governance structures, suggests standards for admission, continuation, and completion for each program and offers possible models for these programs. Previously approved programs will not require alteration of basic parameters (i.e., credit requirements) in order to comply with these new guidelines.

Colleges pursuing these programs need to consider carefully the strategic rationale for creating these programs as well as the benefits to Texas A&M University and the foreign institutions. These will need to be articulated in the process of gaining approval to proceed.

II. Definitions

Joint Degree Programs

Key characteristic: More than one institution’s name is on the degree. That is, the degree is jointly offered and jointly awarded by more than one institution.

A joint degree program leads to a single credential or degree conferred by all participating institutions. All institutions share responsibility for all aspects of the program's delivery and quality.

Curriculum of the joint degree program is under the direction of a joint program faculty, with representation from each participating institution.

For purposes of this document, joint degree programs sponsored by two or more units within a single institution are not discussed.

Approval: Joint degree programs cannot be offered without the approval of the president of the institution. Most joint programs will require the university to notify the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the regional accrediting agency.

Accreditation considerations: The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) expect member institutions to ensure the quality of all joint programs. It also has special requirements when a partner is not regionally accredited. SACS policy documents on joint curricular ventures, collaborations with foreign institutions, substantive change approval processes, and distance education can be found here: http://www.sacscoc.org/policies.asp.

SACS degree requirements:

For undergraduate degrees:

3.5.2 "At least 25 percent of the credit hours required for the degree are earned through instruction offered by the institution awarding the degree. In the case of undergraduate degree programs offered through joint, cooperative, or consortia arrangements, the student earns 25 percent of the credits required for the degree through instruction offered by the participating institutions."

For graduate degrees:

3.6.3 "The majority of credits toward a graduate or a post-baccalaureate professional degree are earned through instruction offered by the institution awarding the degree. In the case of graduate and post-baccalaureate professional degree programs offered through joint, cooperative, or consortia arrangements, the student earns a majority of credits through instruction offered by the participating institutions."

Dual Degree Programs

Key characteristic: Involves the articulation of existing degrees from two or more different institutions. Each institution only awards its own degree.

Usually, in a dual degree program, a student earns two degrees, one from each of two participating institutions. Each institution is primarily responsible for its own degree.

Curriculum of the dual degree program may be under the direction of a joint program faculty, with equal representation from each participating institution, or curriculum may be the separate responsibility of each institution.

For purposes of this document, dual degree programs sponsored by two or more units within a single institution are not discussed.

Approval: Requires institutional approval.

Accreditation considerations: Dual degree programs are not usually a major concern of the state or accrediting agencies.

Cooperative Degree Programs

Key characteristic: Senior degree-granting partner, junior, cooperating partner with no degree-granting authority. The state of Texas defines a cooperative degree program as a collaboration of a senior degree-granting institution and a junior, non-degree granting institution. For the state, there are two main reasons for cooperative degree programs: expanding access to education and helping a junior institution prepare for the eventual offering of the indicated degree.

Approval: Requires institutional, state, and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approval.

Certificate Programs

Key characteristic: Students receive a THECB-approved, transcripted, certificate for completing a prescribed number of Texas A&M courses. This is not simply a "certificate of completion"

A certificate program is a sequence of courses providing participants with specialized knowledge and skills for personal enrichment, professional advancement, and/or career change, providing a basic introduction to an established field of study, an interdisciplinary approach linking several fields, and/or a concentrated focus on a sub-field. Certificate programs function independently of degree programs, and lead to a certificate rather than a degree. These are typically designed for post-baccalaureate, graduate or post-graduate students.

Approval: The level of approval needed depends on the kind of certificate offered. The more a certificate program resembles a major—the heart of a degree program—the more likely that external approval will be required. Note: Any certificate program being offered outside the university should be approved by the president and submitted to SACS, our regional accrediting agency. Otherwise students in the program may not be eligible for federal financial aid.

III. Process to create a joint degree, dual degree, or certificate with a foreign institution

There are three steps in the process to create a joint degree, dual degree, or certificate program with a foreign institution. These are outlined in detail on the attached flowchart. It is anticipated that it could take from nine months to a year to complete this process due to the many approvals needed at the university, the state, and regional accreditation level.

Step 1: Letter of Cooperation (LOC)

The Letter of Cooperation creates an informal agreement between the universities to develop an academic program together. A sample LOC designed for the purpose of creating a joint/dual degree or certificate with a foreign university is available on the International Programs website (http://intlcenter.tamu.edu\memoagree.asp) and at Attachment 1. The LOC ensures that departments have obtained sufficient university authorization to move ahead with the significant conversations needed to map out the details of these programs and gain internal and external approvals required through SACS and the THECB prior to finalizing the agreement. In order to be approved and signed, the LOC should have an attached statement describing the rationale for developing this program and outlining the benefits of the cooperative program both for Texas A&M and the foreign institution(s). See the attached LOC flowchart for specific steps in creating the LOC (Attachment 2).

Step 2: Academic Program Development

The academic elements necessary to create the program need to be outlined and agreed to by both institutions. Such details will need to be approved by all appropriate on-campus and off-campus (SACS and THECB) entities. For those programs requiring SACS and/or THECB approval, all issues they require must be addressed (see definition segment for web links and contact the Provost’s office for additional guidance with these regulations). Among the program elements that must be included for on-campus approval (if applicable) are the following:

  A. Program Goal/ Expected Outcomes/ Role Expectations of Graduates

  B. Program Requirements:

• Curricular design of the program
• Credit hour requirements
• Credit hour requirements for each institution
• Transfer hours allowable by each institution
• Admission requirements
• Detailed breakdown of credit requirements to include allowable independent study, research and classroom hours
• Options for physical institution location
• Residency requirements
• On-site requirements for each institution
• Cohort group design
• Language training/ support if necessary

  C. Academic Standing:

• Grade Point Ratio requirements
• Verification process for program completion
• Program time limits and consequences for failure to comply

  D. Administrative Arrangements:

• Registration logistics at one or both institutions
• Advisory board design and authority
• Single program director or coordinator from each institution
• Requirements for program faculty
• Joint faculty appointment possibilities
• Graduate advisory committees; if graduate program
• Graduate faculty status; if graduate program
• Approval process for program modifications
• Records maintenance for program participants
• General administrative support details to include admission services, registration, student financial aid, academic advising, laboratory and equipment support, library and media resources, pre-departure/ orientation programming
• Involvement requirements for each institution's faculty and administrators regarding the curriculum process and curriculum committee
• Possible delivery methods for each institution's requirements
• Technology requirements for distance or remote teaching
• Separate financial or administrative arrangements due to special circumstances

  E. Responsibility Sharing:

• Financial burdens for each institution to include marketing, administrative costs, technology, etc
• Subvention considerations for each participating institution
• Program publication responsibilities for each institution

  F. Program Assessment:

• Longitudinal study to assess program benefits
• Cost-benefit analysis for program long-term
• Trial period (if any) and contractual obligations thereafter
• Evaluation process and timeline for program evaluation

The department/college proposing the joint/dual degree or certificate program should be developing this document and seek approval through the standard process that already exists on campus (Attachment 3).

Step 3: Development of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA and a Supplement)

This is the final step in the process and requires that all approvals in steps 1 and 2 are obtained in advance. The MOA will consist of two parts: 1) an umbrella agreement between the institutions and 2) a special MOA supplement designed for a joint degree/dual degree/certificate program. There is a special template for the MOA supplement to establish a joint degree/dual degree/certificate program available on the International Programs website (See Attachment 4). In the final MOA package, the document created in Step 2 will become an addendum to the MOA.

IV. Necessary Steps to Obtain Approval

See Attached Flow Charts for each process:

  Step 1: Create the Letter of Cooperation (LOC) (Attachment 4)
  Step 2: Develop the Academic Program
  Step 3: MOA Development

The MOA is routed for approval in the same way as any other MOA with the exception of two new steps. These are highlighted on the attached flowchart (Attachment 5).

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• Search the MOA Database
• Letter of Cooperation: What is it?
• What is a Memorandum of Agreement? What is a Supplement?
• Joint/Dual degree guidelines
• Specific Information
• Stages of Development of Agreements
• Procedures for creating University-Wide REEPs
• Letter of Cooperation Model  
• Memorandum of Agreement Model  
• Standard Supplement Model  
• REEP Supplement Model  
• Joint/Dual degree Letter of Cooperation Model  
• Joint/Dual degree Supplement Model