Program Finder Audit
UND's Program Finder is the #1 place prospective students go to learn about our academic offerings, attracting almost 2 million visitors in 2024.
We need your help to update the Program Finder. You know your programs best and it's critical your top selling points are reflected on your program pages.
How to Complete The Audit
Marketing is conducting an annual Program Finder audit. Every page must be reviewed by the respective academic department/program/college by April 4, 2025. To ensure page accuracy, programs must work together to consolidate feedback and complete one form per program.
- Review the program spreadsheet to identify program pages needing review. This spreadsheet lists all programs alphabetically. The spreadsheet is updated weekly throughout the audit process.
- Follow links to review your Program Finder page content. This includes the program's index/homepage, how to apply, how online works, tuition etc.
- Complete one Program Finder Audit Form for each program you are reviewing. This form must be completed even if you are not requesting changes so that we know the content was reviewed.
- Review Admissions application program list (instructions below).
When reviewing program pages, please look for inaccuracies and missing selling points. Pages will not be completely rewritten.
AUDIT Form
Admissions Application Program List
In addition to reviewing program pages, Admissions would like programs to review the list of programs on the UND application to ensure accuracy.
How to Review Application
- Create an account to view the UND application from the student perspective. Please use an email account other than your UND email. Please use the word "Test" in your first and last name so your test doesn't get counted as an inquiry.
- Please review the list of programs, plans and sub-plans associated with your department as well as delivery method. Verify the application deadlines and start terms offered are accurate. Once you’ve started an application, please review all the requirements that are currently being asked of the student.
- Do not submit your application. If there are any inaccuracies with the UND application program list, please contact Lisa Panzer, Associate Director of University Admissions.
Things to Watch For
Program pages are built in similar fashion. Content is written specifically for prospective students with selling points they are most interested in.
Program Homepage Standard Content
Each index/homepage includes:
- Program snapshot including modality (online or on-campus), estimated years to complete and credit hours (verified by Office of the Registrar)
- Why Study at UND
- Unique tracks/offerings/specializations, combined programs
- Accreditation
- Application deadlines (verified by Admissions and School of Graduate Studies)
- Program Highlights
- Clubs/organizations
- Hands-on learning opportunities
- Research opportunities
- Collaboration with other programs or organizations
- Career Outcomes
- Job placement rates
- National career outlook
- Where alumni work
- Future careers (job titles)
- National Rankings and Accreditation (if applicable)
- Courses You Could Take
- Highlight up to six courses
- Course descriptions are pulled from the academic catalog (CourseLeaf)
- FAQs (if applicable)
- Videos/Stories
- Footer
- Link to college (undergraduate program)
- Link to program or department (graduate program)
- Link to faculty listing (graduate program)
- Program contact (graduate programs only, undergraduate programs are directed to Admissions)
- Link to related programs
Have you noticed the program name and page headings were adjusted? This was done on purpose.
We performed advanced search engine optimization (SEO) work on all Program Finder pages to get them to rank higher in search (i.e. Google) resulting in a 16.5% increase in organic search traffic. Using national search data, we learned many of our program names are not doing us any favors in search. We are targeting what people are searching for – which isn’t always the program’s full name. However, we do make sure the full program name is spelled out on the page in non-SEO critical locations.
If you do not want your program to use SEO, we will revert the pages back to the full program name. Please be aware reverting back to full names will result in:
- Removal of SEO tracking for that program.
- Removal of digital ads that may be going to that page.
- Elimination of the program from planned SEO work with an external vendor.
Undergraduate and graduate programs have degree/admission requirements for the current term. Plans are auto-pulled from the academic catalog (CourseLeaf) and edits cannot be made by the Web Team. If you have edits to your program’s academic catalog content, you must make changes in CourseLeaf. Once changes have been made with the Registrar's office, edits will be reflected on your requirements page.
Some graduate programs have specific degree requirements that are not published in the catalog. In these instances, page content can be edited by the Web Team.
Tuition and fees for current and next term are auto populated by the Quick Cost Estimator. The Web Team works with Student Finance to ensure accuracy.
The purpose of the How to Apply page is to instruct prospective students how to take the next step in the recruitment funnel and apply to UND. How to Apply pages contain general application information and is typically standard for all programs.
Application deadlines are on the program homepage. Marketing collaborates with Admissions and the School of Graduate studies to ensure application
Online programs have different course formats. 'How Online Programs Work' content explains the type of online format for particular program. Please make sure the following is clearly explained:
- 100% online courses (if applicable)
- Asynchronous or synchronous format (populated with a standard asset on all pages so the format if consistently explained across programs)
- Online with campus visit(s) (if required)
Marketing & Communications is working with Manaferra, a third–party partner, to improve organic traffic to the Program Finder. Manaferra identified several opportunities to improve search engine optimization (SEO), focusing primarily on 50 Tier 1 programs identified as having the greatest search potential.
A new FAQ section was added to 50 Tier 1 program pages in 2024. The purpose of an FAQ section on the page is increased organic search traffic and prospective student inquiries. Questions were selected based on keyword research. FAQs were routed and approved through college marketing reps and program directors.
Request a New Program
If your department is launching a new program, submit a Marketing Request Form to request a new program page be added to the Program Finder. The page will not launch until approved by the Registrar's office to market.
What is the Program Finder?
UND’s Program Finder provides prospective students a central location to explore all academic programs offered at UND. Program Finder pages are built to be a prospective student’s front door to UND when researching online.
The number one goal of Program Finder pages is for prospective students to complete the Request More Information form. Capturing contact information allows Marketing and Admissions to communicate with prospective students and encourage them to take the next step of applying to UND.
Performance Data
Annual data on specific program performance is provided to UND Administration, Deans, Chairs, and all Marketing Council members. Please contact your Marketing Council representative if you did not receive this information.