Guiding philosophies for what goes on college pages vs degree search
Academic unit websites should support official sources of truth.
Degree Search is ASU’s centralized digital home for official degree information, including program descriptions, curricular requirements, admissions criteria, modality and campus options. Academic unit websites should guide users to Degree Search for authoritative program details and link to official ASU pages and tools for shared information, such as tuition, financial aid, admission steps, academic calendars, maps and student resources.
Unit websites should tell the story around the degree.
College, school and academic unit websites should help students understand the academic experience behind ASU’s degree offerings. Content should focus on the learning environment, faculty expertise, research strengths, student work, facilities, industry connections, hands-on learning and other differentiators. Units should use storytelling tools such as video, photography, student and faculty quotes and profiles, testimonials and project examples to make the experience tangible and compelling. Unit websites can highlight events, information sessions, auditions and workshops to prospective students.
Program content should follow a “help vs. hype” philosophy.
When unit websites reference programs, content should help students make informed decisions without duplicating, overstating or fragmenting official degree information. Unit pages may include short introductory content, student-centered storytelling and clear links to Degree Search degree detail pages. The goal is to inspire exploration while keeping factual program information accurate and current.
Use SEO to clarify page purpose, not compete with Degree Search.
Academic unit websites should use keywords, H1s, title tags and metadata to help students and search engines understand the unique purpose of the page. Unit pages should not use the same H1s, title tags or metadata as Degree Search degree detail pages, as this can confuse search engines, fragment authority and make it harder for students to identify the official source of degree information. SEO should reinforce the unit page’s distinct role, such as explaining the academic experience, school-level strengths, student outcomes or related opportunities, while directing users to Degree Search for official degree details.
Graduate audiences may need deeper decision-making support.
Graduate content may include supplemental information that helps students understand fit and prepare to apply, such as faculty alignment, research interests, assistantships, funding, portfolio expectations, writing samples, professional preparation or what makes an application competitive. In general, avoid creating unique pages for each graduate degree. Where possible, develop pages that support groups of related degrees, with official requirements pointing back to Degree Search.
Exceptions should be limited and reviewed case by case.
Some programs may require additional context because of language, specialized accreditation requirements, market, delivery model or audience needs, such as programs delivered in Mandarin for Mandarin-speaking students or programs limited to members of the military. These exceptions should provide clear user value without creating competing sources of truth. If you believe a program meets these exceptions, please email Katie Jensen Ord and Anna Consie.
This work should create a more unified student experience across ASU.
Prospective students, current students and their families experience ASU as one university. Academic unit websites should work in concert with Degree Search and other official university resources to reduce fragmentation, support search and AI discovery, and present a consistent, student-centered view of ASU’s academic offerings.
Keep Degree Search and unit content current.
Each year, academic units are invited to review and update their Degree Search content to ensure official degree information remains accurate, relevant and compelling. Unit websites should be reviewed on a similar annual cycle so storytelling, examples, events, outcomes, faculty information and student opportunities stay fresh. Keeping both Degree Search and unit content current supports search performance, improves usefulness for AI and large language model discovery, and helps students move confidently from exploration to action.
