Overview of Curriculum Management
Curriculum Management supports the development, review, approval, and implementation of UMass Lowell academic courses, programs, and policies.
Faculty use Curriculog (Modern Campus Curriculum) to submit academic proposals and move them through department and college review, faculty governance, external approvals when required, and final implementation in university systems.
Faculty Senate reviews academic proposals related to:
- Courses — new courses and changes to existing courses
- Programs — new academic programs and changes to existing programs
- Academic Policies — new and revised policies at the department, college, and university levels
Planning a Curriculum Change
Most curriculum proposals are reviewed during one academic year for implementation in the following academic year's catalog. New majors require a longer review and approval process and should be planned on a two-year timeline, at a minimum.
Submission timelines vary by proposal type. Deadlines take into account Faculty Senate and committee meeting schedules as well as any required external approvals and the time needed to implement approved changes across university systems.
Factors that may affect implementation include:
- Faculty Senate committee and meeting schedules
- UMass President's Office (UMPO) approval
- Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) approval
- admissions application and recruitment cycles
- academic catalog production
- advising and registration periods
- updates to university academic and administrative systems
View the Curriculum Proposal Deadlines 2026-2027 (pdf) to determine the recommended timeframe for launching your proposal in Curriculog.
Faculty are encouraged to submit proposals during the fall semester whenever possible. Earlier submission provides more time for governance review, required external approvals, and implementation.
2026-2027 Curriculum Cycle
Curriculog forms for the 2026–2027 approval cycle are available August 1, 2026 through March 1, 2027.
Proposals reviewed during the 2026–2027 academic year are generally intended for implementation in the 2027–2028 academic catalog.
Proposals launched before March 1, 2027 that reach the appropriate Faculty Senate committee step by the agenda deadline — one week before the applicable meeting — may be reviewed during the 2026–2027 Faculty Senate cycle.
However, review during the 2026–2027 cycle does not guarantee implementation in the 2027–2028 catalog. Proposals requiring UMPO or DHE approval must receive those approvals early enough for implementation and other affected university processes.
Important Dates
- August 1, 2026 — 2026–2027 Curriculog forms open
- March 1, 2027 — Deadline to launch new proposals for the 2026–2027 approval cycle
- June 1, 2027 — Important implementation deadline for proposals affecting Admissions
- August 1, 2027 — Curriculog forms reopen for the 2027–2028 approval cycle and changes intended for the 2028–2029 catalog or beyond
New Programs
New programs require additional planning because of external approval and implementation requirements.
The Department of Higher Education requires a 60-day waiting period following DHE approval before UMass Lowell may announce a new program.
Admissions also requires significant lead time to add new or changed programs to applications and recruitment materials. Proposals that reach the Admissions implementation step by June 1, 2027 may affect program offerings available for Spring 2028 and Fall 2028.
Using Curriculog
Curriculog, also known as Modern Campus Curriculum, is UMass Lowell's system for managing academic curriculum and policy proposals.
Curriculog provides a single location for proposals to move from the Originator through department and college review, faculty governance, external approvals when applicable, and final implementation.
- Keeping the entire proposal and approval history in Curriculog:
- provides a shared record of the proposal and its revisions;
- reduces reliance on individual email inboxes;
- helps prevent version-control issues;
- allows reviewers to see previous approvals and comments; and
- preserves institutional knowledge for future faculty and administrators.
Need assistance? Visit Curriculog Help for instructions and resources.
Life of a Proposal
A proposal begins when an Originator creates and launches a form in Curriculog.
Depending on the type of proposal, it then moves through the applicable department and college approvals before reaching Faculty Senate governance. Some proposals require additional approval from the Provost, Chancellor, UMass President's Office, and/or Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.
After all required approvals are complete, the proposal moves through UML System Updates so the approved changes can be implemented in the appropriate university systems.
These updates may include:
- SiS
- the academic catalog
- degree pathways
- advisement reports
- Admissions applications
- program, department, and college webpages
- marketing and recruitment materials
The Originator can follow the proposal throughout this process in Curriculog.
Understanding the Approval Workflow
The exact workflow depends on the type of proposal. A proposal may include some or all of the following steps:
- Originator
- Department Chair or Program Coordinator
- College Curriculum Committee
- College Dean or Designee
- Undergraduate Policy Committee (UPC) or Graduate Policy and Affairs Committee (GPAC)
- Faculty Senate
- Provost and Chancellor
- President's Office (UMPO)
- Department of Higher Education (DHE)
- UML System Updates
Not every proposal requires every approval listed above. The Curriculog workflow is configured according to the proposal type and identifies the approvals required for that proposal.
Where Is My Proposal?
Open the proposal in Curriculog and select the Workflow Status tab. This shows:
- which workflow steps have been completed;
- the current step where the proposal is being reviewed; and
- the remaining steps in the approval process.
Forms and Templates
Some program proposals require supporting documentation for UMass Lowell, UMPO, or DHE review. Templates are available for:
- Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes
- Curriculum Outlines (Form A)
- Degree Pathways and Catalog Requirements
- DHE Name Change Plus requests
- DHE Phase I Letters of Intent
- DHE Forms A–D
- DHE External Reviewer materials
- DHE Phase II Full Academic Program Proposals
- DHE Forms E–F
- Faculty CVs and resumes
- Course syllabi and course summaries