UWM faculty members are very involved in all curricular matters. All courses are approved through a multitiered process that involves department, school and college, Graduate School and campus-wide course and curriculum committees. Departments determine faculty qualifications and the Academic Program and Curriculum Committee (APCC) reviews the vitae of faculty members proposing courses. Departments determine curricular content and the APCC sorts out questions of curricular overlap. All new undergraduate courses and changes to the undergraduate programs must be approved by the APCC. The Audit and Review Procedures of the Academic Program and Curriculum Committee and the graduate-level Committee on Reviews require review of the qualifications of faculty and instructional academic staff of undergraduate programs being evaluated.

To teach courses carrying graduate credit; to serve as a major professor, advisor, or committee chair for master’s or doctoral students; or to serve on a doctoral committee, faculty members  must have graduate faculty status, as defined by criteria established by the Graduate School. (Departments, schools or colleges may have additional criteria for reaching graduate faculty status.)  Membership on the graduate faculty is reviewed by the Graduate Curriculum Committee and approved by the Graduate Faculty Council.