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Policy Name: CIP Code Policy
Policy Number: 02-01-013
Accountable Senior Administrator: Office of the Provost (in collaboration with the Registrar and Office for Institutional Effectiveness)
Issued: November 15, 2021
Last Updated: November 14, 2021

Policy Statement

The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) system is used by the U.S. Department of Education to ensure standardization of academic program titles across institutions. Institutions are obligated to assign accurate CIP codes to programs. To ensure this accuracy, this policy establishes a process for assigning and changing CIP codes.   

Reason for the Policy

Assigning and changing CIP codes must be done in a carefully considered manner to ensure that they reflect the curriculum learning outcomes of the program to which they are assigned. This policy establishes and communicates a consistent process to ensure that the University accurately and thoughtfully assigns CIP codes.

As the standardized method of classifying academic programs, CIP codes are used by the public, internally by institutions, by state governments, and by federal agencies and systems.  The latter include The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE), the Office of Special Education (OSE), Department of Commerce (Bureau of the Census), the Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics), Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Uses of CIP codes include, but are not limited to, program searches by prospective students, market studies for new program development, curriculum review and revisions, peer and competitor comparisons, and resource alignment and reallocation studies.  Program CIP codes can also be used to determine international student eligibility for a STEM OPT extension (see related documents).

Stakeholders Affected by Policy

Individuals and offices impacted by this policy include:

• Prospective Students, Current Students, Graduates
• Academic Departments / Office of the Deans
• Admissions Office
• Financial Aid Office
• Office for Institutional Effectiveness
• Office of Global Initiatives
• Office of the Provost
• Registrar

Definitions

• CIP Code – The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) is a federal taxonomy code maintained by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and is used to identify instructional disciplines. The purpose of this six digit cataloging system is to track and report program enrollments and completion data at all higher education institutions.
  
  CIP codes are formatted at XX.YYZZ, and are broken into three levels/series
  • XX – the first two numbers indicate the most general grouping of related programs. This is known as the CIP area. This is also called the two-digit CIP series.  Example: Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs have a CIP area of 09.
  • YY – the second two numbers indicate sub-areas of the first general grouping and classifies programs by similarity in content and objectives.  This is referred to as the four-digit CIP series. Example: 09.01 refers to Communication and Media Studies programs, 09.04 refers to Journalism programs, 09.10 refers to Publishing programs, etc.
  • ZZ – the last two numbers indicate specific instructional programs.  This is also called the six-digit CIP series.  Example: 09.0100 refers to General Communication program, 09.0101 refers to Speech Communication and Rhetoric programs, etc.

A screenshot from the 2020 taxonomy is below:   

Source:

• Taxonomy – a system of classification
• Visa – Broadly defined as government endorsed documentation that allows the holder official permission to enter, leave or stay in a country for a specified time period. As per the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, there are two types:
  • Nonimmigrant – for travel to the U.S. on a temporary basis
  • Immigrant – For travel to live permanently in the U.S.

Policy Text

To ensure that ¿ìèÆƽâ°æ meets its obligation of accurately assigning CIP codes to programs, this policy requires that all accountable stakeholders follow the established procedures for CIP code assignment and CIP code changes.

As this policy addresses academic programs, the Office of the Provost is the primary accountable party.  Academic departments and dean offices are accountable for providing accurate information regarding programs to the Office of the Provost. The Registrar and Office for Institutional Effectiveness are accountable for recording and submitting information related to CIP codes to relevant organizations.  The Admissions Office, Financial Aid Office, and Global Initiatives Office are partners in the process.

There are two types of CIP code assignment procedures, one for initial assignment for a new program and one to change an existing CIP code. Careful consideration should be taken before assigning CIP codes and before making any CIP code change. Changes are always made with the intention to improve the accuracy of the assigned CIP code.

The university approves code changes under the following circumstances: (1) the current CIP code has an error, or (2) the academic program has evolved and the existing code no longer best describes the program, or (3) changes by federal agencies necessitate review of current CIP-to-program alignment.

Procedures

Initial Assignment of CIP Code to a New Program

The process for assigning a CIP code to a new program is:

1. In conjunction with the program proposal process, the academic department submitting the program suggests a CIP code for the program.
2. The Office of the Provost reviews the suggested CIP, in consultation with the Registrar and Office for Institutional Effectiveness.  If appropriate, consultation is also made with the Admissions Office, Financial Aid Office, and Global Initiatives Office.  Review criteria include:
   1. Alignment with curriculum of proposed program
   2. Relationship of suggested CIP code to other NJCU programs and CIP codes
   3. Relationship of suggested CIP code to similar programs at other institutions
3. The Provost Office finalizes the CIP code for the program before the completion of the proposal review process and notifies the academic department of the final decision.  As appropriate, the Admissions Office, Financial Aid Office, and Global Initiatives Office are also notified.
4. Upon full approval of the program, the CIP code is entered into the PeopleSoft system by the Registrar.  The Office for Institutional Effectiveness utilizes CIP code information in PeopleSoft for mandated reporting and for internal analyses. 

Changes to an Existing CIP Code

Changes to an existing CIP code can be initiative by an academic department or by action through the Office of the Provost. Changes are made twice per year, in the Fall and Spring semesters.  Changes are not made in summer terms.  Deadline for submission of change request are August 15 for changes effective in Fall and December 15 for changes effective in Spring.

Changes to a CIP Code of an Existing Program Initiated by an Academic Department

A department requesting a change will adhere to the following procedure:

1. After consultation with the respective Dean, the department submits a CIP Code Change Request form available on the webpage of the Provost Office <<link will be added to a form that will be posted on the Provost Office webpage>>.
2. The Office of the Provost reviews, in consultation with Registrar, Institutional Effectiveness, and other appropriate offices.
3. The Office of the Provost sends notifications as follows:
   • If the CIP change request is approved, the Provost Office notifies the department, the Registrar, Financial Aid, and Institutional Effectiveness of the change approval
   • If the CIP change request is not approved, the Provost Office notifies the department
4. As appropriate, the Registrar and Office for Institutional Effectiveness enact changes.

Changes to a CIP Code of an Existing Program Initiated by the Office of the Provost

In some instances, changes to CIP codes will be initiated by the Office of the Provost. This could occur when notice of potential error in a CIP code is brought to the attention of administration, rather than the academic department offering the program.  In this case, the Provost Office reviews the information and, if appropriate, direct the department to initiate a CIP code change, following the procedure outlined previously.

A Provost-initiated CIP code change may also occur when the NCES makes a periodic update to its classification schema. In this case, changes are administered centrally by the Provost Office, the Registrar, and the Office for Institutional Effectiveness. See responsibility matrix for additional details. 

Violations

Inaccurate CIP codes may violate the university’s Title IV Program participation agreement and can ultimately result in interruption of receipt of federal financial aid for students, ineligibility for student loan forgiveness programs, or in the case of international students, impairment of visa extension/residency status.

Related Policies and Documents

• CIP Code listing: 
• STEM OPT-extension:
• DHS-Approved CIP Codes:
• U.S. Department of State:
• CIP Code Change Request Form: CIP Code Change Request Form

Responsibility

The following matrix outlines responsibilities of key parties:

Contact for Questions

Office of the Provost
Associate Provost for Academic Affairs
(201) 200-3003

Office for Institutional Effectiveness
Associate Vice President
(201) 200 3073

Office of the Registrar
Registrar
(201) 200-3334