Miami Online Services

Any degree or certificate program offered at Miami University must go through the appropriate approval process, both internally and externally. We collaborate with our partners in the Provost's Office and the Graduate School to address these steps. We also ask that departments sign the Miami Online Program Agreement (MOPA). The discovery phase of an online offering also requires extensive market research to determine the program's place in the market and industry.

Miami Online staff works with program coordinators, chairs, and faculty to create a program development plan, including program mapping, resource gathering, media strategy, determining a schedule of course offerings, and identifying faculty members to develop the courses. Of course, a vast portion of the program design process is course design; see the Online Course Design section below.

Miami University adheres to the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, commonly known as SARA. The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) supports the state authorization process for the university's distance learning offerings and provides information about programs that may lead to professional licensure. Additionally, all newly approved Miami Online programs are reviewed individually for their specific needs and requirements to ensure state authorization compliance further.

Learn more about state authorization and professional licensure on Miami Online's State Authorization page.

Miami Online staff coordinate with the Provost's Office (particularly the Director of Strategic Digital Marketing and Communication), University Communications & Marketing (UCM), Admission, and external vendors to market online programs appropriately and effectively.

When developing a fully online or low-residency program, there are many things to consider, including the time it will take to move through formal processes. Consider the following components:

• Program approvals: As outlined above, new programs must receive internal and external approval before any development can begin. An existing program converting to an online modality may take approximately one to twelve weeks to receive approval. An entirely new program could take several months to receive approval upon submission to the Higher Learning Commission, the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and NC-SARA.
• Curriculum management: The Office of the University Registrar, in consultation with the Office of the Provost, will provide consultation and advising before and during the course and curriculum approval process. The department must submit any changes to a program or course's curriculum through the Registrar's online forms. Also, consider the Council for Undergraduate Curriculum or Graduate Council's role in your decision-making.
• Budgeting processes: Miami's Board of Trustees must approve any funds allocated to new academic program development.
• Market research: A formal market analysis, typically conducted by a third-party vendor, may take several weeks to complete.
• Resource gathering: What learning materials will you incorporate into your course? Are you using publisher materials, open educational resources, third-party videos, etc.? What learning technology tools will you use?
• Media strategy: How much video or interactive media do you expect to use throughout the program? What is the look and feel of the program?
• Identify faculty and course sequence: What courses will your program include, and when will they be offered? Who will teach online classes once the program has launched? Who will be working with Miami Online learning designers to develop each course?
• Course development and media production: Again, one of the most significant pieces of online program development is the actual course development and media production. See the Course Design section below.
• Program code set-up for admission: We'll assist you in collaborating with the Office of Admission to ensure that your program is coded correctly in Miami's admissions and enrollment platform.
• Enrollment marketing: We strongly recommend a full year of marketing for the program's first admission cycle.
• Orientation materials: What information will students need to know when they start the program?