Programs: New Occupational Program
The New Occupational Program processes allow for the addition of approved certificates and degrees. Prior to the development of a curriculum proposal for a new occupational program, the initiating college must ensure that the MCCCD New Occupational Program Early Alert process is complete and the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs has approved the development of the program.
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A new program leading to an AAS degree may contain:
A certificate
A series of certificates
A series of certificates that constitute steps leading to a degree
College Specific, District-wide Programs, Shared Programs (Program Availability) (Back to Top)
New occupational programs can be developed and offered in three distinct ways. This is referred to as program availability and is described below. The development of the program would allow for:
College specific: program to be offered at one of the MCCCD college.The development of district-side programs would involve faculty representatives from each of the college and the communication is such that all colleges are kept informed with regard to the development of the new district-wide program. (See the New Occupational Program Early Alert section for information on Program Alerts for shared and district-wide programs.
District-wide: program to be offered at all MCCCD colleges. The requirements for the program are identical at all the colleges offering the program.
Shared programs: program to be offered at multiple colleges but not available at all colleges. The requirements for the program are identical at all the colleges offering the program.
Development of these types of new programs involves collaboration with all colleges “sharing” the program. (See the Occupational Program Modification and the Occupational Program Deletion section of the Curriculum Procedures Handbook for specific information on shared programs.)
The primary college (the college that brought the idea forward and initiated the New Occupational Program Early Alert) has the responsibility for the coordination of the development of the new curriculum with faculty representatives at the other college.
The primary college Occupational Administrator and faculty should consider establishing a multi campus or joint program advisory council whenever possible to represent and serve the needs and interest of all the colleges participating in the program. The primary college would have the responsibility to coordinate and facilitate the advisory council meetings, disseminate meeting minutes etc. Council member selection should be a collaborative effort by all colleges participating in the program.
The program availability status for district wide and shared programs is subject to change when programs are modified or deleted. These actions could also require the identification of a new primary college. (See the Occupational Program Modification and Occupational Program Deletion sections for specific information.)
Program Title Guidelines (Back to Top)
The program title appears on the diploma or certificate awarded for successful completion of an occupational program.
Where possible, titles of programs should indicate the occupational field, such as Emergency Medical Technology. Program titles should not indicate the job title for which the program provides competency development and preparation, such as Emergency Medical Technician.
Lengthy program titles should be avoided as they present problems in the different computer systems that support curriculum and student services. Program titles may also be truncated in the processes of supporting other official documents or computer system information and the focus or emphasis of the program may be lost in the truncation of the title.
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New Occupational Program Components (Back to Top)
There are seven (7) components in the new occupational program (NOP) proposal: need statement, description, competencies, program requirements, course Pre-/Corequisites Flowchart, Advisory Committee Minutes and a copy of the New Occupational Program Early Alert. At district level not all the components are required as attachments to the proposal being processed. For example the Advisory Committee Minutes and the New Occupational Program Early Alert do not have to be submitted with the new occupational program proposal. A copy of the New Occupational Program Early Alert is distributed by the initiating college and received by the MCCCD Center for Curriculum and Transfer Articulation prior to the development of the program. Thus, there is no need to resubmit the MCCCD Occupational Program Early Alert as a proposal attachment.
The following provides information on several of the program components listed above. The Curriculum Procedures Handbook contains additional information on several of these components in their respective section:
New Occupational Program Early Alert Form:
Program Description:The New Occupational Program Early Alert form provides justification for development of a program.
A program description is included in the catalog of the college where the program is based. The program description explains to students the general nature and purpose of the program.
In writing a program description the following are essential elements included in the description:
Purpose of the program
A general overview of program content
Identification of the program award type (Example: Associate in Applied Science...)
Unique features of the program
Information on degree (AAS) to certificate (CCL) relationship or vice versaInformation on accrediting agencies may be appropriate to include in a program description if the colleges deem it necessary as well as references to generic fields related to job opportunities/descriptions. References regarding exam preparation may also be included and the District Center for Curriculum and Transfer Articulation may be contacted for examples of standard statements to be used.
Program descriptions should not include:
Courses or course information, or program credit hours as this information is subject to change
References to client types
Statements regarding employment needs
Information regarding content meeting training needs
References to general exit skills
College level contacts for students to obtain additional information as this is subject to change
Information on when the program is offered (day/evening)
Information identifying audiences the program is targeting or not targeting (who the program is for/not for
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Program Competencies:
Program Requirements:Program competencies are written for critical content required in the program. They reflect a list of observable, and measurable skills students develop within the program. Program competencies are the minimum skills that students achieve after completing the program.
When writing program competencies:
Use behavioral verbs that are measurable and observable to describe what the student should be able to do upon completion of the program (See Suggested Verb List for Writing Behavioral Objectives for additional information)
State minimum job skills, not learning skills needed within the program
Write them for all courses in the Required Course area EXCEPT when a lower level course provides learning skills as prerequisites to job skills developed in a more advanced course (e.g., ELT101 prepares students for skills developed in ELT102)
List after each program competency the course(s) under Required Courses area which support the competency
Write competencies in terms that can be clearly understood by students and prospective employers
Program requirements include:
Program Notes (Includes grade requirements such as, “Students must earn a grade of “C” or better for all course required within the program”.), (May also include statements such as, “+ indicates course has prerequisite and/or corequisites”.)
Admission Criteria (critical information for students regarding admittance to the program. This should not be confused with program prerequisites. Admission Criteria would also include information regarding required program application to be completed and acceptance into the program. Special items required for program participation may also be included.)
Program Prerequisites (may be prerequisite course(s), licensure prerequisites, competency level)
Required Courses (courses that provide skills specified by program competencies)
Restricted Electives (a list of specified courses from which a student must select an established number of credits, if applicable)
Free Electives (an established number of credits students must take from any discipline. Courses do not need to be specified but may be recommended under this category if applicable)
General Studies (courses annually approved by the MCCCD Governing Board)
Hidden Prerequisites (Back to Top)
If pre-/corequisites for a program prerequisite, required course and restricted elective in a program are not contained in the program requirements, they are termed "hidden" pre-/corequisites. In effect the pre/corequisite course is not listed as part of the requirements and is “hidden” from the student.Colleges must account for all courses that constitute the total requirements for the program. It is understood that the placement of the courses within the program areas may vary among prerequisites, required courses and restricted electives. However, programs are designed or developed in such a way that the requirements are clearly listed on the program and communicated to the student.
If a course in any of the above areas has pre/corequisites, the faculty initiator, working with the curriculum developer, must decide if the content of the course is required as a program prerequisite or as part of the required courses or is placed as an elective. When pre/corequisites for a course are placed in the Restricted Electives area, the pre/corequisite becomes an option for the student along with the rest of the courses listed in the Electives area. Courses in the electives area generally compliment the required core of courses and provide for additional opportunities for students to further develop knowledge and skill in a particular area. Thus, placement of the corequisite in question in the electives may be appropriate in some cases and the student advised as needed in terms of course selection. Placement of a prerequisite in the electives area is questionable and may not be approved for a course listed in Program Prerequisites or Required Course area, especially when the content of the prerequisite is needed for the student to be successful in other courses.
It is understood that some courses have as an option in the pre/corequisite area, “permission of instructor”. Permission of the instructor in the curriculum process is treated as an exception and not the rule. Permission of the instructor assumes some level of assessment on the part of the college and is a college-based decision dealt with on a case-by-case basis with regard to a student’s course selection.
Course Pre-/Corequisites Flowchart (Back to Top)
The Pre-/Corequisites Flowchart illustrates the pre-/corequisite flow for all courses numbered 100 or above in the Program Prerequisite area, Required Courses and Restricted Electives for certificates and degrees.
Courses that do not need to be included in the Flowchart are general studies, cooperative education and special projects courses.
The following is an example of a course pre-/corequisites flowchart. The pre-/corequisites are listed on the flowchart until all pre-/corequisites for the particular course are accounted for.
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Advisory Committee Minutes
Advisory Committee Minutes are not required as attachments to the occupational program proposals. Colleges are responsible for keeping on file a set of the Advisory Committee Minutes that support the curriculum proposals processed through the District Curriculum Committee and MCCCD Governing Board. The college staff must follow the approved format for the development of the minutes. An Advisory Committee Minutes template is included in the Handbook for college use.
The proposals will include a statement that indicates the Minutes are available at the college initiating the proposal, and the Minutes can be submitted to any college or district staff person requesting that information.
Types of Information Required on the Proposed Program Requirements Pages (Back to Top)
In listing program requirements, use a format that includes the following:
Type of proposal
Name of college initiating the proposal
Effective first year/term term
Title of proposed program
Total program credit hours
Program description
Program notes (a variety of notes may be provided to clarify requirements. Examples are Program notes such as grade requirement for the program, Area notes would contain information unique to the area, for example, C grade required for Required Courses area, Course notes are seldom used but an example may be the listing of a grade requirement unique to the course.)
Admission criteria
Program prerequisites
Required courses
Restricted electives
Free electives
General Studies
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code (assigned by occupational dean)
Major Code (assigned by district staff prior to submission of the proposal to MCCCD Center for Curriculum and Transfer Articulation)
Minimum overall program GPA (Grade Point Average)
NOTE: The GPA is separate and apart from the grade requirements
noted above.
Development of a New Occupational Program Proposal (Back to Top)
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The following steps must be followed by college curriculum personnel in completing a New Occupational Program proposal:
On the first page of the proposal form:
Identify the award type (AAS, CCL) for the program.
Identify the first year term of the program. MCCCD Terms are as follows: Year followed by Semester (Spring, Summer I, Summer II or Fall): Examples 2008 Fall, 2009 Spring, 2010 Summer I.
Provide the Overall G.P.A. for the program.
Provide the full title for the program.
Identify the initiating college. The standard acronyms used in identifying the colleges are as follows:
| CGCC (Chandler Gilbert Community College | PC (Phoenix College) |
| EMCC (Estrella Mountain Community College) | PVCC (Paradise Valley Community College) |
| GCC (Glendale Community College) | RSC (Rio Salado College) |
| GWCC (GateWay Community College) | SCC (Scottsdale Community College) |
| MCC (Mesa Community College) | SMCC (South Mountain Community College) |
Identify the Program Availability status of the current program. Place an X in the appropriate area. If multiple colleges share the program, provide the college acronyms of the colleges currently sharing the program in the Participating Colleges area.
Provide the total credits for the program.
Provide the major code for the program.
Type the name of the faculty initiator.
Provide the CIPS Code.
Type the name of the Instructional Council(s) receiving the proposal. Provide the numeric code for the Instructional Council in parenthesis after the name of the Instructional Council. This code is found on the Instructional Council Membership List distributed by the MCCCD Center for Curriculum and Transfer Articulation. It is referred to as the Instructional Council Code.
Every effort should be made to ensure stability with regard to instructional council assignment to program. In effect, programs should not be tentatively assigned to councils with the anticipation of introducing change to this relationship once the program is approved. This allows for minimized impact and delay of programs entered in the new student systems.
Provide the Development Date (the date the proposal was finalized by the initiating college).
Enter the District Curriculum Committee Online Agenda Dates and the MCCCD Governing Board
agenda date. These dates can be found on the Curriculum Processing Calendar on the MCCCD Center for Curriculum and Transfer Articulation website for the respective months.
Special Note: All of the above entries are treated as a running header on the program proposal and facilitates the identification of the proposal pages for processing purposes.
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On the first page of the proposal, provide a Maintenance Date if the proposal was revised after it was finalized. Note: the Maintenance Date will be revised/updated by the college and the District Center for Curriculum and Transfer Articulation (CCTA) staff as needed if the proposal is modified anytime after the initial submission of the proposal to the CCTA.
Provide the name of the Vice President of Academic Affairs who has given approval to release the proposal to the CCTA. Comments from the Vice President of Academic Affairs may be provided. This entry will allow the CCTA to begin the review and approval processes in preparation for placement of the proposal on the different agendas at District level.
Place an X in the approved area identifying the Instructional Council Recommendation (approved, disapproved, no response).
Provide the 30 character program title.
Provide a brief need statement for the new program and any additional information to help clarify the development of the proposal and facilitate the approval process.
New Occupational Program Early Alert must be submitted and is on file at the CCTA. Note: if the New Occupational Program Early Alert supported the development of multiple programs (AAS, CCL), it would facilitate the District processing of the proposals if the developer listed the programs that were part of the proposals in process for the specific month. The information would be included immediately following the New Occupational Program Early Alert text.
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Continuing with the remaining pages of the New Occupational Program Proposal in the Proposed section provide the program description and the rest of the required information following the established format (see NOP sample for additional information.
For program areas that do not have requirements, enter the word “None.”
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Sample: New Occupational Program Proposal Document - Revised August 6, 2008
Template: New Occupational Program Proposal Document - Revised August 6, 2008
The Curriculum Procedures Handbook is a product of the Maricopa County Community Colleges District. Any and all changes to the Handbook are monitored and coordinated through the District Center for Curriculum and Transfer Articulation. Please give credit to the Maricopa County Community College District if the Handbook or sections of the Handbook are duplicated.
