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Academic Department Sitemap Guide

This guide provides a sample recommended structure for building academic department websites from scratch or auditing the organization of an existing site. This can be used as your starting point when planning your department's web presence.

Important Notes:

This is a maximum potential structure, not a requirement. Not every department will need every page listed here. Only include pages and sections that are applicable to your department's programs, resources, and audiences. You may need to also add pages for features that are unique to your department.

Fewer pages = easier maintenance. The more pages you create, the more content you'll need to manage and keep updated. Depending on the amount of content you have, you may want to:

  • Use sections within a page instead of creating child pages for brief content
  • Split dense pages into focused sub-pages

Additional Resources:

For more detailed guidance on creating effective department websites, please refer to:

  • Content Audit Guide
  • Naming Conventions and URL Best Practices Guide
  • Navigation Best Practices
  • Content Maintenance Schedule Worksheet

 

Click the preview for a full graphical representation of the sitemap as listed below.

A sitemap diagram showing the hierarchical structure of a university website. The index page branches into major sections such as About, Academics, People, Resources, Research, Events, Contact, and Giving, with Academics and People containing deeper subpages like undergraduate and graduate programs, certificates, courses, and individual profile pages. The graphic visually represents how all site sections relate to one another.

 

Sample Sitemap and Recommended Content

HOME

  • Department landing page with key highlights, news, announcements, and quick links

 

ABOUT (/about)

  • Chair's Message: Welcome from department leadership
  • Mission & Values: Department philosophy and goals
  • History & Achievements: Department milestones and notable accomplishments
  • News & Announcements (/news): Latest department updates, featured stories, and announcements
  • Career Opportunities: Faculty and staff job openings - link directly to Taleo so you don't have to worry about managing active listings on your static page

 

Facilities (/facilities)

    • Highlights of physical spaces and resources, including research and teaching labs, classrooms and special learning spaces, and/or specialized facilities like galleries and studios

 

ACADEMICS (/academics)

  • Overview of all academic programs

 

Undergraduate Programs (/undergraduate)

    • Landing page with program highlights, student testimonials, career outcomes and links to the other pages in this section

 

Prospective Students (/undergraduate/prospective-students)
      • Why choose this program/department, application requirements and deadlines, how to apply (step-by-step process), transfer credit policies, visit and tour information, contact information for admissions questions, frequently asked questions

 

Current Students (/undergraduate/current-students)
      • Degree requirements and curriculum, course registration procedures, academic advising information, awards and scholarships, student organizations and clubs, academic resources and support services, important forms and documents, key contacts for student services

 

Majors (/undergraduate/majors)
      • Available major tracks (if your department offers multiple concentration areas)

 

Minors (/undergraduate/minors)
      • Minor program requirements and curriculum

 

Honors Program (/undergraduate/honors)
      • Departmental honors requirements, benefits, and application process

 

Graduate Programs (/graduate)

    • Landing page with program comparison, graduate student experience, career outcomes and links to the other pages in this section

 

Prospective Students (/graduate/prospective-students)
      • Application requirements and deadlines, how to apply (step-by-step process), funding information, financial aid and stipends, visit opportunities and campus tours, contact information for graduate admissions questions, frequently asked questions

 

Current Students (/graduate/current-students)
      • Degree requirements and academic milestones, course registration procedures, academic advising and mentorship, funding and fellowships, professional development opportunities, important forms and documents, key contacts for graduate student services

 

Master's Programs (/graduate/masters-programs)
      • MA/MS program details, thesis vs. non-thesis options

 

Ph.D. Programs (/graduate/phd-programs)
      • Doctoral program details, requirements, typical timeline to completion

 

Certificate Programs (/certificate-programs)

    • Information on certificate programs, if offered by your department

 

Courses (/courses)

    • Link to official university course bulletin, explanation of course numbering system, distinction between undergraduate (typically 100-499) and graduate (500+) courses, prerequisites and co-requisites, information about independent study courses, special topics courses, course rotation schedules (if applicable)

 

PEOPLE (/people)

  • Department directory overview

 

Faculty (/faculty)

    • Primary/tenure-track faculty with research interests and expertise
    • Adjunct faculty: part-time and visiting faculty members
    • Emeritus faculty: retired faculty who maintain connection to the department

 

Staff (/staff)

    • Administrative and support staff directory with contact information

 

Other “People” Sections

    • Including current doctoral students and their research areas, etc.

 

Individual Profile Pages (/person-name)
      • Each of the lists above can link to detailed biographical information, research interests, publications, courses taught, contact information or anything else applicable to that person

 

RESEARCH (/research)

  • Overview of department research strengths and scholarly impact
  • Research areas: Thematic areas of departmental expertise and focus
  • Link to Facilities page if you highlight research groups, labs, and affiliated research centers

 

Publications & Impact

    • Recent publications, citations, media coverage, research highlights

 

Undergraduate Research

    • Opportunities for undergraduates to participate in faculty research projects

 

RESOURCES (/resources)

 

For Current Students

    • Forms and documents, academic support services, computing resources, tutoring and writing centers, student organizations and clubs, mental health and wellness resources

 

For Faculty & Staff (/faculty-staff)

    • Teaching resources and syllabi templates, administrative forms (travel, reimbursement, etc.), internal policies and procedures, committee information, professional development opportunities, IT and technical support, HR and benefits information

 

Alumni & Friends

    • Ways to stay connected
    • Alumni Spotlights: success stories, career profiles, notable achievements of graduates
    • Link to events page if you have alumni gatherings, reunions, professional networking opportunities
    • Support the Department: information about giving opportunities, cross-link to main Giving page

 

EVENTS (/events)

  • Upcoming Events: calendar view of future departmental events
  • Seminars & Colloquia: regular speaker series, research presentations, guest lectures
  • Past Events: keep current academic year fully accessible, create summary sections for previous years to reduce clutter

 

CONTACT (/contact)

  • Office location & hours: main office address, visiting hours, reception information
  • Who to contact for specific needs (undergraduate advising, graduate admissions, etc.)
  • Directions and parking

 

GIVING (/giving)

  • Why Give: impact of donations, funding priorities, student support needs
  • Ways to Give: donation methods, planned giving options, endowment opportunities
  • Donor Recognition: named funds and scholarships, honor roll of donors