A Better Model for Academic Program Pages 

For prospective students, academic program pages are an education institution’s most important pages. They represent the principal reason for going to college — to learn in order to build a career and enrich a life.

Too often, however, academic program pages are out-of-date, incomplete, redundant, or loaded down with content pasted from an academic catalog or bulletin. Why so? Usually, these pages languish because of inattention or, more likely, the thorny issue of governance. Want to start a fight at the next university picnic? Ask who should own academic pages — marketing and communications, admissions, or the academic department.

Politics aside, what should academic pages look like? Effective pages will address the three main questions that prospective students and their parents have:

1. Why Study This?

• What is this program about?
• What will I study?
• What will my career options be?
• Where do alumni work, and what titles do they hold?
• Where do alumni go for graduate study?

2. Why Study Here?

• What’s the specific curriculum of the program?
• Who are the faculty I’ll be learning from?
• What special scholarships or financial aid opportunities are available?
• For community colleges, how do these classes transfer to four-year institutions?
• What facilities and resources will I be able to access?
• What accreditation does the program have?

3. What’s Next?

• How do I schedule a visit or attend the next open house?
• What specific admissions requirements, dates, and deadlines should I be aware of?
• Whom in the program may I call or write to for more information?
• What related programs should I consider or explore?

Looking for some good examples? Check out the following:

• Simmons College
• Columbia College Chicago
• Fordham University
• Messiah College

Coincidentally, I had the chance to talk with Kris Hardy at Messiah College about its academic program pages. Read about Messiah College’s approach.