Program Development

Academic innovation at most institutions focuses on the creation of new courses, programs and degrees, and sometimes on the review and renewal of existing programs. Most challenging is the process of review that leads to the discontinuation of programs that have outlived their relevance, either to the labour market, prospective students, or the scholarly community -- but it is often vital to "sunset" programs and reallocate resources to create innovative new centres of excellence.

Academica's consultants work with academic units to:

• provide market context (competitive scans, labour market forecasts, and market research with prospective students, parents, employers and other influencers)
• communicate the need for innovation across the campus
• develop a transparent, equitable process of program review and innovation
• demonstrate marketplace demand for proposed new programs, and evaluate the potential of proposed new programs. 

The Competitor Analysis consists of comparisons with key competitors related to institutional characteristics, program offerings, price, admissions selectivity, perception, student recruitment efforts, market position, and much more.

Our objective is to assist our institutional clients in ensuring that their program offerings anticipate student and industry needs and expectations, and align with institutional strengths and capacity.