Ponder the online course you want to propose. Jot notes to yourself, such as why students would find it interesting, what value it adds to the institution and what you hope to accomplish with the online course. Identity what makes it different, better and more educational than others.
Review other online course proposals and study the way your colleagues have written theirs. Pay attention to the style and tone, as what works in one academic department may not in another.
Find on your particular institution's website the form required to submit an online course proposal. Identify the department, the title of the online course, the estimated enrollment, the start time and the credit hours per term. Generally this is a fill-in-the blanks section of the online course proposal form.
Write a brief description of the course as it will appear in the program of studies. Think of this as your executive summary, and make it informative and appealing to encourage students to enroll. This is perhaps the most important step, so keep working on it until you achieve the right tone and clarity.
Write an expanded description of the course. Address topics such as the purpose and nature of the course, the main topics, the principal readings and any special aspects of the format.
Identify the amount of work required. Estimate the amount of reading per week. Detail how student assessments will be carried out: through assignments, group presentations, term papers and exams.
Print a hard copy of your online course proposal and edit it for typos. Give it to a colleague to review, and ask for comments and suggestions on anything you may have overlooked.