Academic Program Inventory

Overview

The statewide academic program inventory contains all credit-bearing academic programs offered in Kentucky by public postsecondary and licensed private institutions.

Expectations

Institutions must ensure that the statewide academic program inventory is current and accurately reflects institutional academic offerings. 

Institutions are responsible for maintaining the following fields in the statewide academic program inventory:

• Program Name
  • Name of the major.
• Program Description
  • Description from the institution's catalog.
• Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code
• Degree Level
  • Associate, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral.
• Degree Designation
  • For example, Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science.
• Minimum Credit Hours
  • Minimum credit hours required to earn the credential.
• Maximum Credit Hours
  • Maximum credit hours permitted to earn the credential.
• Modality (more than one option may be selected)
  • Face-to-face
  • Distance Education
    • 100% Online
    • Hybrid
    • Correspondence Courses
  • Competency-Based
    • Direct Assessment
    • Course/Credit
  • Prison Education Program
• Status
  • Pending implementation, active, suspended/closing, or closed.
• Track(s)
  • Set of courses that develop expertise within a major or area.
• Stackable Credential
  • Indicates whether the credential can be combined with another credential(s) that builds toward a higher credential.
• Stackable Credential Description
  • Credentials within the pathway that may be stacked toward a higher credential.
• External Organization Certification
  • Indicates whether the program is certified by an external organization (e.g., Quality Matters).
• Programmatic Accreditor
  • Specialized accreditor for the program, if applicable.
• First Degree Reporting Year
  • First year the program was reported in CPE data collections.

Changing Information Related to a Program

Institutions may submit requests to modify academic programs for Council staff review. Council staff will review all requested program modifications.

Institutions proposing an increase in the credit hours required to complete a program may be asked to provide justification for the additional credit hours.

Institutions requesting a change to a program's CIP code must provide the following information:

• Explanation of why the current CIP code is not an appropriate fit.
• Explanation of how the proposed CIP code better reflects the program.
• Course-level comparisons of the program with programs offered by other Kentucky public institutions at the same degree level and within the current CIP code, demonstrating where curricula differ and where they are similar.
• Course-level comparisons of the program with programs offered by other Kentucky public institutions at the same degree level and within the proposed CIP code, demonstrating where curricula differ and where they are similar.

If requesting a CIP code designated as STEM+H (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and healthcare), the institution must also provide detailed information demonstrating the extent to which the program's curriculum includes STEM+H content.

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Resources

• CIP Code Change Request Form
• CPE’s List of STEM+H CIP Codes

Guiding Legislation

• Powers and duties of the Council (KRS 164.020(5) and (13))

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Please direct any questions to Sheila Brothers at sheila.brothers@ky.gov.