Major modifications constitute “significant changes” to existing academic programs. The impact on the quality of the program and degree of significance can be measured qualitatively and/or quantitatively.

The following examples are offered by the Quality Council to illustrate what will normally constitute a “significant change” and therefore a “major modification”.

a) Requirements that differ significantly from those existing at the time of the previous cyclical program review or at the time the program was first approved. Examples may include:

• Substantive changes to a significant proportion of courses in the program (institutions have typically chosen one-third when defined in quantitative terms)
• New pathway and / or option for degree completion (e.g., adding a course-based option to an existing thesis-based program)
• Major changes to the course configuration that delivers the program-level learning outcomes (for example: a course that meets a specific PLO is moved onto an elective list)
• The merger of two or more related programs, in the absence of any other significant changes (e.g., to the degree designation, learning outcomes, etc.)
• New bridging options for college diploma graduates (e.g., 2+2 arrangements)
• Significant change in the laboratory time of an undergraduate program
• The introduction or deletion of an undergraduate thesis or capstone project
• The introduction or deletion of a program-level work experience such as a co-op option, internship or practicum, or portfolio
• At the master’s level, the introduction or deletion of a research project, research essay or thesis, course-only, co-op, internship or practicum option
• The introduction or deletion of the requirements for graduate program candidacy examinations and/or comprehensive examinations, or field studies

b) Significant changes to the learning outcomes [1]. Examples may include:

• Major changes to program content, other than those listed in a) above, that affect the program-level learning outcomes, but do not meet the threshold for a ‘new program’
• Substantial changes to one or more of the program-level learning outcomes that alter the meaning of the learning outcome(s) but collectively do not meet the threshold for a ‘new program’
• Addition or deletion of one or more program-level learning outcome that also requires curricular changes

c) Significant changes to the faculty engaged in delivering the program and/or to the essential resources as may occur, for example, when there have been changes to the existing mode(s) of delivery (e.g. different campus, online delivery, inter-institutional collaboration). Examples may include:

• The establishment of an existing degree program at another institution or location, including a new dual degree option or new pathway to degree completion
• Changes to the mode of delivery that affect a significant number of courses in an existing program
• Addition of a full- or part-time program option
• Changes to the essential resources, where these changes impair the delivery of the approved program
• Changes in faculty expertise that result in changes to the program curriculum; e.g., a large proportion of the faculty retires affecting the curriculum offered; new hires alter the areas of research and teaching interests
• A change in the language of program delivery

The following additional examples of what constitutes a minor modification, a major modification or a new program have been developed by the Quality Council.

Minor Modifications:

1. A university introduces a new minor where an existing major already exists. Any modifications to an existing minor would also be considered a minor modification.
2. A change in name for an emphasis, minor or stream at the undergraduate level, or to a field at the graduate level, would be considered a minor modification.
3. Changes to the mode of delivery for one course, or only a small number of courses, would be considered a minor modification.
4. Minor changes to existing Collaborative Specializations can be handled through a university’s protocol for minor modifications. The creation of a new Collaborative Specialization, however, is an example of a major modification, as is the modification of an existing Collaborative Specialization.

Major Modifications:

1. A university is in the midst of dissolving its collaborative nursing degree program with a partner college and plans to take over delivery of the full 4-year program. The degree and its associated curriculum were originally developed and approved by the university, the learning outcomes will not be changed, the majority of the courses will remain the same and other programmatic changes will not be significant. This would be viewed as a major modification.
2. Changing a degree designation, for example, from a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts to a Bachelor of Fine Arts, without also substantially changing the program requirements, curriculum or learning outcomes, would be viewed a major modification.[2]
3. A BA in Gerontology and a BA in Health Studies program are to be merged into a BA in Health, Aging and Society. Because of the close connection of the two disciplines, the programs’ objectives and learning outcomes could remain largely the same, with only minimal changes to the courses. The two original programs would need to be closed in accordance with the university’s IQAP and reported to the Quality Council accordingly. The merging of the programs to a BA in Health, Aging and Society would be considered a major modification. (See also New Program example 14).
4. A university has a program that has undertaken a significant curriculum review, resulting in new required and elective courses, and changes to the admissions requirements. The program has retained its original program learning outcomes. This would be viewed as a major modification.
5. A university has several approved programs in Mathematics (Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics), which it wishes to combine into one Major in Mathematics. This would be viewed as a major modification.
6. A Bachelor of Fine Art program of mixed studio/lecture/seminar format wishes to revise a significant number of its subject area courses to a “blended” mode of delivery (i.e. within each section, some classes will be delivered online, some classes in person). The number of course changes is significant and would significantly affect the students’ experience of the program however the program learning outcomes remain unchanged. This would be viewed as a major modification.

New Programs:

1. A university has a major program in Spanish that focuses on language, and wishes to create a program in Spanish Studies that focuses on cultural studies. The Spanish Studies program is a new major and would be viewed as a new program.
2. A university has a major program in Sociology and wishes to create a program in Social Justice and Equity Studies that incorporates courses from other disciplines and requires the creation of new courses. The Social Justice and Equity Studies program is a new major and would be viewed as a new program.
3. A university has a minor program in X and wishes to create a major. The new major would be viewed as a new program since it had not previously been approved by the Quality Council or its predecessor.
4. A university has an approved Master’s program in Community Health Sciences offered by a department in a Faculty of Medicine; it wishes to offer an accredited program in Public Health that would draw on multi‐disciplinary expertise from Social Sciences, Philosophy, Nutrition and Statistics, as well as from expertise in Medicine. The Public Health program would be regarded as a new program, whatever its designation (e.g., MHSc or MPH).
5. A university has an approved BA program in Geography with a specialty available in Human Geography. As an extension of its strength in human geography and as a way of involving faculty from other disciplines, it now wishes to offer a program in Planning, with specialties in both Urban and Rural Planning. The BA in Planning is a distinct major and would therefore be regarded as a new program.
6. A university offers a BA in Linguistics. It now wishes to offer a BSc in order to draw on its growing research strength in Neurolinguistics. The BSc program will have different PLOs and program requirements. The BSc, as a new credential, would be viewed as a new program.
7. Chemistry has a field in Nano Applications, and it now wishes to establish a program in Nanoscience, in collaboration with other Departments, and involving existing courses from the other Departments, as well as several new courses. The Nanoscience program would be viewed as a new program.
8. A university has an EdD in Education, and it wishes to offer a PhD with a requirement for a dissertation. As a new degree type, the latter would be viewed as a new program.
9. A university wants to add a Graduate Diploma in Engineering composed of existing courses. As a new credential to be offered by the university that has not previously been approved by the Quality Council (or its predecessor), the new GDip would be a new program (requiring only an Expedited Approval from the Quality Council).
10. A university is in the midst of dissolving its collaborative nursing degree program with a partner college. The university did not originally develop the portion of the curriculum that was being delivered by the college and does not already have a separate standalone nursing degree program, but wishes to offer one. This would be viewed as a new program.
11. A university wishes to inherit or take over a program that another university has closed and that does not currently offer its own version of. This would be viewed as a new program.
12. A university offers an Honours BA program in Health Studies and wishes to introduce an Honours BA program in Health Administration. The two programs are distinct, with different program-level learning outcomes and courses. The BA in Health Administration will not replace the BA in Health Studies. The BA in Health Administration would be considered a new program.
13. A Bachelor of Technology program wishes to add two new major programs in Biotechnology and Automotive and Vehicle Technology. The new majors would be considered new programs.
14. A BA in Gerontology and a BA in Health Studies program are to be merged into a Health, Aging and Society BSc program. While the two disciplines are closely related, the degree designation change to a BSc has impacts on the program’s objectives and learning outcomes. In this case, the merging of the programs to a BSc in Health, Aging and Society would be considered a new program. (See also Major Modification example 3).