Policy on Collaborative Program Development

Policy Number: 4.12

Current Effective Date: 06/11/2026

Original Effective Date: 09/16/1998

Revision Dates: 12/05/2003, 06/12/2009, 12/04/2009, 06/15/2012, 03/15/19, 09/17/2021, 06/12/2025, 06/11/2026

Revision Number: 7

Revision Summary: revision to comply with HB 619 (2026)

Responsible Official: Board of Regents and KCTCS President

References: 


Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) collaborative program development processes shall meet criteria specified by the accrediting bodies of the respective community and technical colleges and any required programmatic standards.

KCTCS program development shall prioritize collaboration, consistency, efficiency, and responsiveness to student, workforce, and community needs. Collaborative models may include, but are not limited to, systemwide curricula, shared programs, jointly administered programs, articulation agreements, transfer pathways, and other approved structures. 

KCTCS offerings shall include programs that lead to the awarding of: Associate in Science Degrees; Associate in Arts Degrees; Associate in Fine Arts Degrees; Associate in Applied Science Degrees; Certificates; Diplomas; and Continuing Education Units. (See Attachment B)

High quality and responsive programs developed through collaborative processes shall address state, regional, and local needs; support transfer and career advancement; strengthen workforce readiness; and enhance the quality of life and economic mobility of Kentuckians. The President, or designee, shall establish procedures, standards, and operational frameworks necessary to implement this policy. All program development, revision, suspension, and closure processes shall comply with applicable Board policy, accreditation requirements, state approvals, and internal governance procedures.

The KCTCS President is authorized to develop appropriate procedures and criteria in order to implement the policy.
 

Attachment 4.12 - A

Program Collaboration Continuum

KCTCS colleges may collaborate in varying degrees to expand access, improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary duplication, and meet student and workforce needs. Collaboration models range from highly integrated to limited transfer arrangements.

Collaboration Type Definition Typical Features Approval/Oversight Considerations  
Program Sharing Program sharing is defined as a collaborative effort between two or more institutions where they may share courses and/or resources such as faculty, facilities, instructional materials, and support services to offer a program through innovative methods of delivery. 

Shared faculty, shared curriculum, multiple delivery sites, and/or common standards. 

 Requires program sharing agreement defining applicable components, governance, finances, student support, assessment, and credential responsibility.  
Joint Program A program developed by KCTCS and one or more institutions. 

Shared ownership, common curriculum, coordinated admissions, and completion requirements.  

 Requires formal MOU/MOA by participating institutions and any required external agencies.   
Lead College/Partner College Program One college serves as primary administrative owner while partner colleges support enrollment, instruction, or student access.

Centralized curriculum with distributed delivery.  

 Agreement must define lead responsibilities and partner expectations.   
Course Sharing  Course sharing is defined as colleges collaborating on the offering of individual courses. 

Serves as an expressed programmatic purpose in meeting accreditation requirements, expanding access to programs, addressing teaching needs, and/or supporting low-enrollment or resource-constrained programs maximizing expertise and efficiency.  

 Requires scheduling, tuition, and student access coordination.   
Articulation/Transfer Agreement Agreements establishing transfer with receiving institutions to create pathways for transfer that benefit students and the participating institutions. 

Seamless transfer, reduced credit loss, framework for transfer pathways. 

 Requires review and approval of multiple stakeholders.   
Avoidance of Unnecessary Duplication Colleges coordinate offerings to reduce inefficient duplication while preserving access and mission alignment. 

Regional specialization, shared capacity planning. 

 Decisions should consider student demand, geography, workforce needs, and access.   

Attachment 4.12 - B

KCTCS Program Description

Associate in Science Degree

  1. An Associate in Science (AS) degree is designed to transfer into a Baccalaureate of Science degree at a four-year institution. It consists of a general education core requirement of 33 credit hours and additional degree requirements of 6 credit hours and 21 credit hours of electives for 60 credit hours.
     
  2. General Education Core Requirements:
    Written Communications
    Students who complete ENG 105 must take an additional 3 credit hours of General Education from any of the General Education categories.
    Oral Communications -  3 credit hours
    Arts and Humanities - 6 credit hours
    One course must be selected from Humanities and one course from Heritage.
    Quantitative Reasoning 6 credit hours
    Natural Sciences - 6 credit hours
    One science course must include a laboratory experience.
    Social and Behavioral Sciences - 6 credit hours
    Two disciplines must be represented and different from those in the Arts and Humanities category.
                                                  Subtotal - 33 credit hours
     
  3. Associate in Science Requirements (Beyond the Core Requirements):
    Six (6)credit hours must be selected from Quantitative Reasoning and/or Natural Sciences. Students are advised to choose hours to satisfy pre-major requirements at the institution to which they are transferring.
                                                  Subtotal - 6 credit hours
     
  4. Other Requirements: Electives*
    Students are advised to choose hours to satisfy pre-major requirements at the institution to which they are transferring.

                                                          Subtotal - 21 credit hours

                                                                                                Total - 60 credit hours

*Computer/digital literacy must be demonstrated either by competency exam or by completing an approved computer/digital literacy course. Students must also complete a college success course or approved equivalent.

Note: General Education Category Certification - All required hours have been completed within a specific category in the general education core requirements.
General Education Full Certification - All 33 hours of general education core requirements have been completed.

Associate in Arts Degree

  1. An Associate in Arts (AA) degree provides a foundation in liberal arts and is designed for transfer into a Baccalaureate of Arts degree at a four-year institution. It consists of a general education core requirement of 33 credit hours and additional degree requirements of 6 credit hours and 21 credit hours of electives for 60 credit hours.
     
  2. General Education Core Requirements:
    Written Communications  - 6 credit hours
    Students who complete ENG 105 must take an additional 3 credit hours of General Education from any of the General Education categories.
    Oral Communications - 3 credit hours
    Arts and Humanities - 6 credit hours
    One course must be selected from Humanities and one course from Heritage.
    Quantitative Reasoning - 3 credit hours
    Natural Sciences - 3 credit hours
    One science course must include a laboratory experience.
    Social and Behavioral Sciences - 9 credit hours
    Two disciplines must be represented and different from those in the Arts and Humanities category.
    Quantitative Reasoning OR Natural Sciences - 3 credit hours

                                                     Subtotal - 33 credit hours

  3. Associate in Arts Requirements (Beyond the Core Requirements):
    Six (6) credit hours must be selected from Arts and Humanities and/or Social and Behavioral Sciences and/or Foreign Language and/or Oral Communications. Students are advised to choose hours to satisfy pre-major requirements at the institution to which they are transferring.

                                                     Subtotal - 6 credit hours


     
  4. Other Degree Requirements: Electives*
    Students are advised to choose hours to satisfy pre-major requirements at the institution to which they are transferring.

                                                             Subtotal 21 credit hours

                                                                                                Total - 60 credit hours

    •  

*Computer/digital literacy must be demonstrated either by competency exam or by completing an approved computer/digital literacy course. Students must also complete a college success course or approved equivalent.

Note: General Education Category Certification - All required hours have been completed within a specific category in the general education core requirements.

General Education Full Certification - All 33 hours of general education core requirements have been completed.
 

Associate in Fine Arts Degree

  1. An Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) degree is designed to transfer into a Baccalaureate of Fine Arts (BFA) program at a four-year institution. It consists of a general education requirement of 24 credits, a fine arts core of 18 credit hours, and 18 additional credit hours of concentration for a 60 credit hour minimum.
  2. General Education Component:
    Written and Oral Communications - 9 credit hours
    Students who complete ENG 105 must take an additional 3 credit hours of General Education from any of the General Education categories.
    Arts and Humanities - 3 credit hours
    The course chosen to satisfy this requirement must be from a discipline other than the discipline in the Fine Arts Core and/or Concentration.
    Quantitative Reasoning - 3 credit hours
    Natural Sciences - 3 credit hours
    Must include a laboratory experience for general education certification in the Natural Sciences category.
    Social and Behavioral Sciences - 6 credit hour

                                                       Subtotal - 24 credit hours
     
  3. Fine Arts Core*
                                                       Sub-Total - 18 credit hours
     
  4. Concentration
                                                       Sub-Total - 18 credit hours

                                                                                                    Total - 60 credit hours

*Computer/digital literacy must be demonstrated either by competency exam or by completing an approved computer/digital literacy course.

Associate in Applied Science Degree

  1. An Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree prepares students for technical employment within a two-year period and consists of a minimum of 60 credit hours including a minimum of 15 credit hours of general education and meets the distribution of credit described below: 
  2. General Education Component:
    Quantitative Reasoning - 3 credit hours
    Natural Sciences - 3 credit hours
    Social/Behavioral Sciences - 3 credit hours
    Heritage/Humanities - 3 credit hours
    Written Communication - 3 credit hours

                                                      Subtotal - 15 credit hours

    The above are minimum general education requirements; additional hours may be required in specific program curricula.

  3. Technical & Support Component*

                                                      Subtotal - 45-53 credit hours


    *Computer/digital literacy must be demonstrated either by competency exam or by completing an approved computer/digital literacy course.

    General Education and Technical & Support Components must be distributed so that programs do not exceed 68 credit hours.

                                                                                                     Total - 60-68**credit hours
     

**Existing Approved Programs:

  • An approved program with a curriculum of 60-68 credit hours does not require KCTCS Board of Regents action.
    An exception to the total credit hour limit may be made by the KCTCS Board of Regents if a program has external degree requirements which must be met necessitating an exception request. Documentation (such as specialized accreditation requirements and/or the results of a detailed industry validation of a specialized curriculum) must be submitted to the KCTCS Board of Regents with the request for an exception to the total credit hour limit.

**New Programs:

  • New programs require KCTCS Board of Regents action.
  • New programs should be designed with a 60-68 credit hour total limit.
  • An exception to the total credit hour limit may be made by the KCTCS Board of Regents if a new program has external degree requirements which must be met necessitating such a request. A request for an exception to the total credit hour limit, including appropriate justification, must be submitted with the program proposal. Once the credit hour exception has been approved by the KCTCS Board of Regents, additional changes to the program credit hours may be approved by the KCTCS President within a five credit hour range. Any changes to reduce the number of program credit hours requires no formal approval.

     D.  Certificates and diplomas should, whenever feasible, align with industry-validated competencies and be embedded within higher-level credentials to support seamless stackability and progressive educational advancement.
                                                                     

Diploma Program

  1. A diploma program is designed to prepare students for technical employment within a one- to two-year period (36-60 credit hours). The total number of credit hours for the diploma must not exceed those required for a degree in the same program of study. A prescribed program of technical and general education courses is designed to prepare students for a specific job title.

    Diploma programs provide: preparation for a specific occupation, credit toward an associate degree, and continued training opportunities for certificate program graduates.
     
  2. General Education (select six credits from the following areas)
    Area 1 = Written/Oral Communications, Humanities, or Heritage - 3 credit hours
    Area 2 = Social/Behavioral Sciences, Natural Sciences, or Quantitative Reasoning -  3 credit hours

                                                     Subtotal - 6 credit hours

    The diploma program contains general education courses emphasizing employability or workforce effectiveness skills that are critical to entry-level workforce success for persons prepared at the diploma level.
     
  3. Technical & Support* 

                                                     Subtotal - 30-54 credit hours

    *The Technical and Support requirements must include a work experience component between 1 and 12 credit hours.
     
  4. Computer/digital literacy must be demonstrated either by competency exam or by successfully completing a computer/digital literacy course as outlined in the program of study.

                                                                                                        Total - 36-60 credit hours

Certificate Program

  1. The primary purpose and features of certificate programs of study are to provide marketable, entry-level skills in a program of fewer credits than that required for diploma or associate degree programs. Certificates are organized programs of study consisting of courses designed to meet a defined set of competencies. Certificates qualify students to take external licensure, vendor-based, or skill standards examinations in the field. If standardized external exams are not available in the field of study, certificates prepare students at skill levels expected of employees in an occupation found in the local economy. Certificates may be stackable, i.e., each certificate embedded in a program of study builds to higher level credentials (diploma or degree) to provide for progressive educational advancement.
     
  2. Certificates may contain general education courses emphasizing employability or workforce effectiveness skills that are critical to entry-level workforce success for persons prepared at the certificate level and associated with the diploma or associate degree program.
     
  3. Program Length
    A certificate requires completion of an academic program in less than one academic year or is designed for completion in less than 30 semester credit hours by a student enrolled full time. Certificates generally range from 12-30 credit hours. Those certificates with fewer than 12 credit hours or greater than 30 credit hours must include a compelling rationale for either a shorter or longer program.