Rule 3357:15-13-01 | Instructional programs.
Instructional programs, certificates, and courses of study shall be developed and offered in accordance with the provisions of the Ohio department of higher education in the fulfillment of Stark state college.
(A) Associate degree programs. The Ohio department of higher education defines an associate degree as an award that requires completion of sixty semester credit hours. Per the Ohio department of higher education, each associate degree program should not exceed sixty-five semester credit hours unless it can be shown that the additional coursework is required to meet professional accreditation or licensing requirements. Programs requiring hours beyond the sixty-five-hour maximum in order to meet accreditation or licensing requirements are expected to align similarly to like programs at other two-year public institutions and shall not exceed seventy-three semester credit hours.
(1) Degree titles. Upon evidence of satisfactory completion of an approved program previously authorized by the Ohio department of higher education, the board of trustees may confer the following degrees:
(a) Associate of arts and associate of science degrees are designed for students wishing to complete the first two years of a bachelor's degree, as well as those desiring two years of a liberal arts education.
(b) Associate of applied business and associate of applied science degrees are awarded in recognition of successful completion of career technical education programs and prepare students for immediate employment upon graduation. The curricula for applied associate degree programs are described in terms of technical and non-technical studies. Non-technical studies include general education and courses that serve as a base for the technical field (sometimes referred to as applied general education or basic coursework). Non-technical studies should make up at least thirty semester hours of the degree.
(c) Associate of technical study degrees are awarded for successful completion of an individually planned program of study designed to respond to the need for specialized technical education. The program must have an area of concentration which is equivalent to at least thirty semester credit hours in technical studies and a clearly identifiable career objective. The area of concentration can either be formed by: type aa coherent combination of technical courses selectively drawn from two or more technical programs currently offered by the college to serve a career objective that would not be adequately addressed by one of the existing programs alone; or type bcourses completed or training received by a student at other institutions of higher education, career centers, or other educational enterprises judged by the institution to be of college level and for which the institution awards degree credit.
(2) Certificate. The Ohio department of higher education defines a certificate as a formal award certifying the satisfactory completion of an organized program of study at the postsecondary level. In accordance with the Ohio department of higher education, certificates are designed as building blocks toward future degrees and with the intent of articulating the program into the next degree. Students can earn general or technical certificates.
(a) General certificates require completion of an organized program of study and are classified by IPEDs as less than one year or at least one but less than two academic years.
(b) Technical certificates are designated as one year or less than one year.
(i) One year technical certificate: Certificates awarded by a post-secondary institution for the completion of an organized program of study in at least thirty semester credit hours, with the majority of the coursework completed in a prescribed technical area. While the certificates are designed to have value apart from a degree, these certificates should serve as building blocks to an associate degree. The technical certificate is designed for an occupation or specific employment opportunities. These certificates should prepare students for a valid occupational license or third-party industry certification, if available, related to the field of study.
(ii) Less than one year technical certificate: Certificates awarded by a post-secondary institution for the completion of an organized program of study in less than thirty semester credit hours that are designed for an occupation or specific employment opportunity. These certificates should prepare students for a valid occupational license or third-party industry certification, if available, related to the field of study.
(c) Non-credit instruction. A course or activity for which the student does not receive academic credit that applies to a degree, certificate or diploma.
(d) Contract training. Training offered to business, industry, health care facilities, and non-profit organization. Contract training services are convenient, cost effective, and customized to meet the unique needs of individual companies.
Last updated June 7, 2021 at 10:36 AM
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