Penn State World Campus reviews program ideas via a multi-step process, which has been continuously refined to ensure that good decisions are made. This has brought structure, thoroughness, rigor, risk analysis, and financial responsibility to the program selections process. As a result, more than 95 percent of the programs selected have been productive in terms of enrollment and financial criteria for both the academic partner and the World Campus.

Origination of Ideas

Program ideas for World Campus typically originate from one or more of three sources. These include:

  • Academic Units: Faculty members, department heads, and deans may propose a program idea to World Campus.
  • World Campus: Some ideas are generated through day-to-day discussions among World Campus staff around the curriculum of undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs offered by the World Campus. These discussions can reveal holes in the curriculum as well as points of synergy.
  • Market Scans: Outreach Marketing Research completes market scans for World Campus on a regular basis. Changing employment trends and hiring patterns can suggest emerging markets and the need for new programs.