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Division of Academic Affairs Division of Academic Affairs

Process for CIP Code Assignment

 

This document establishes guidelines and best practices for the assignment, management, and review of Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes to ensure accuracy, compliance, and consistency across all academic programs. Accurate CIP code assignments are critical for federal and state reporting, accreditation, and licensure eligibility.

This process applies to all degree and certificate programs offered by Wayne State University, including new majors, revised majors, those in moratorium, and discontinued majors. It involves all relevant stakeholders, including academic departments, Institutional Research, the Office of the Registrar, and the office of the Vice Provost for Academic Programs.

The Vice Provost for Academic Programs, Assessment & Accreditation oversees the CIP assignment process, in consultation with academic units, the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Institutional Research and Data Analytics. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for recording the CIP code in the ERP and housing the program’s justification in the curriculum management system.  The Office of Institutional Research and Data Analytics is responsible for ensuring program CIP codes are reported accurately to federal and state agencies that require it.

Definitions

  • NCES CIP Code: A six-digit code assigned to academic programs, as defined by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), used to classify programs of study. CIP codes are used for the awarding of financial aid, enrollment reporting to the US Department of Education, the State of Michigan and to the US Department of Homeland Security. CIP codes may also be included in other reports and survey responses. CIP codes allow for “apples to apples” comparisons between like programs at peer institutions and thus should be aligned with the curriculum and program’s learning outcomes.
  • CIP Taxonomy: The official taxonomy provided by NCES that describes and categorizes academic programs. The first two digits of the CIP represent the high-level discipline area as determined by NCES. The last four digits provide more program specificity based upon the curriculum and program learning outcomes.
  • Optional Practical Training (OPT) Status:  OPT is one type of work permission available for eligible visa-holding students. Optional practical training allows students to extend their time in the United State to get real-world work experience related to their field of study. OPT training is generally limited to STEM disciplines and is governed by the Department of Homeland Security which maintains a list of eligible program CIP codes. DHS is the sole authority for determining if a degree/major is eligible for STEM OPT.
  • Primary Focus: The dominant subject area or discipline of a major, determined by its curriculum and learning outcomes.
  • Program: For purposes of this process, program and major may be used interchangeably. CIP codes are assigned to majors and courses, not to the degree program level (BA, MS, PhD, etc.).

Initial Assignment

  1. Program Proposal: The originating academic unit proposes a CIP code assignment during the program proposal submission process in the curriculum management system (i.e. CourseLeaf).  This is endorsed by the dean of the respective school/college as part of the normal curriculum management process.
  2. Review Criteria:
    • The proposed code should be the best match between the primary focus of the program as outlined in the program proposal’s curriculum and learning outcomes and the list of possible CIP codes from the NCES list.
    • Consistency should be maintained with respect to the predominant coding of similar programs at peer institutions, where applicable. Generally, CIP codes are assigned on a one-to-one basis with majors. 
    • The proposed CIP code should be transparent “truth in advertising” and be able to withstand scrutiny by stakeholders such as Higher Learning Commission and the Department of Homeland Security.
  3. Evaluation & Recommendation: Following the criteria above, the CIP Code Review Workgroup (OR, IRDA and the Office of Academic Programs) evaluates the proposed code based on curriculum content and structure, program learning outcomes and course content.  Where the workgroup concurs with the proposing program’s request, they will endorse the proposal to the Vice Provost.  Where the workgroup does not concur with the proposing program’s initial request, they will indicate so to the Vice Provost and will provide a rationale based on criteria in (2) above and recommend an alternative.  The workgroup may request additional information from the proposing academic unit. 
  4. Decision: Where Vice Provost concurs with the endorsement of the requested CIP, the workgroup finalizes the CIP code assignment and communicates the decision to program developers.  In cases where the Vice Provost does not concur with the code proposed by the originating unit, the Vice Provost will communicate the disagreement along with a basis for the disagreement and a rationale for an alternative CIP assignment, seeking a mutually agreeable solution. If the disagreement is not resolved at this point, the proposing unit may appeal the Vice Provost’s code assignment to the Provost. 
     

Additional Considerations in CIP Assignment

  1. OPT disciplines: Programs seeking OPT eligibility should consult the US Department of Homeland Security list of Eligible CIP Codes for the STEM OPT Extension, and document how the proposed curriculum aligns with the requested CIP code. Eligibility for STEM-OPT does not consider minors or concentrations, but rather only to the 6-digit CIP code of the student’s primary degree major. Therefore, the major program’s CIP must be eligible for OPT as a STEM discipline.
  2. Course CIP Codes: CIP codes are also assigned to courses. Course CIP codes are managed by the Registrar as part of course creation. They are assigned based the primary major they are associated with but also consider factors such as the course description and courses that are similar in content. Section codes may not have different CIP codes from the course.

Review and Maintenance

  1. The OR will maintain records for all CIP code assignments, including:
    • Program name and description
    • Assigned CIP code
    • Justification for the assignment
  2. CIP code assignments should be reviewed by academic units regularly. Such reviews should be conducted as part of regular Academic Program Review and accreditation processes and procedures.
  3. Changes in the NCES CIP taxonomy will prompt an institutional review to ensure alignment. 
  4. Records will be accessible to relevant institutional stakeholders. These records will be available in Banner and in the curriculum management system.

Updating Codes

This process recognizes that program requirements and learning outcomes will naturally evolve over time and may require a re-evaluation of the assigned CIP.

  1. Requests for changes must follow the same process as initial assignments, and proposals must be submitted via the curriculum management system.
  2. Changing a CIP code to gain eligibility as a STEM program for OPT purposes is typically not allowed unless supported by changes in the curriculum and learning outcomes since the initial assignment. The academic unit will provide a rationale that clearly states why the proposed code is a better match to the curriculum than the current code.
  3. Based on reporting cycles and the need to update student records, changes to university databases will take effect at the start of the next academic year. CIP codes that are changed to reflect updated curricula will not be updated for prior semesters.
  4. The Office of the Registrar will be responsible for notifying internal and external stakeholders when a CIP code has been approved for change and will manage the timing of the change. The Office will work with programs to ensure student records are updated to meet the university’s external reporting requirements.

Interdisciplinary and Emerging Programs

  1. Identify the closest primary discipline.  Program proposers should use the curriculum and learning outcomes as guides for determining dominant disciplines.
  2. Use “General” or “Other” CIP codes judiciously. NCES guidance states that these fields should be reserved for fields of study that are not yet well-established or represented within the current CIP taxonomy. When “Other” codes are used, the IPEDS data survey asks for additional data to identify potential needed changes to the CIP taxonomy. 
  3. The Office of the Registrar and the Office of Institutional Research and Data Analytics will monitor updates in the NCES taxonomy to assign more specific codes to interdisciplinary or emerging fields when available. These updates generally occur every ten years.

Training and Communication

  1. The Office of the Vice Provost will support orientation and training of faculty, department chairs, and administrative staff involved in program development regarding the significance and assignment of CIP codes.
  2. Process documents and resources, including NCES guidelines, will be made available via the Division of Academic Affairs website.

Compliance and Reporting

  1. All CIP code assignments must comply with federal reporting standards (e.g., IPEDS).
  2. State reporting and accreditation requirements will be considered during the assignment process.
  3. The institution will conduct internal audits to ensure compliance.

Process Review and Revisions

This process will be reviewed as needed to reflect changes in NCES guidelines, institutional priorities, or external regulations.