PVC Curriculum Website: Certificates

Certificates of Achievement Standards and Definition Title 5, § 55070

Certificate of Achievement as a credit certificate that appears by name on a student transcript, diploma, or completion award. All Certificates of Achievement must be submitted to the Chancellor’s Office for chaptering. The college can develop and propose a Certificate of Achievement that includes coursework taken to satisfy transfer patterns established by the UC, CSU, or accredited public postsecondary institutions in adjacent states. Certificates of Achievement that consist solely of basic skills and/or ESL courses are not permitted. Certificates of Achievement represent a well-defined pattern of learning experiences designed to develop certain capabilities that may be oriented to career or GE. Colleges must submit programs of 16 or more semester units or 24 or more quarter units of degree-applicable coursework for Chancellor’s Office chaptering. Colleges may submit programs of 8 or more semester units or 12 or more quarter units of degree-applicable coursework for Chancellor’s 90 Program and Course Approval Handbook California Community Colleges office chaptering in order that the program may be included in the student transcript, and be titles as a Certificate of Achievement. Community colleges may also award certificates for fewer than 16 semester units or 24 quarter units without Chancellor’s Office chaptering, but must call such certificates something other than “Certificate of Achievement.” Such certificates may not be noted on the student’s transcript. The award names “Certificate of Completion” and “Certificate of Competency” are likewise reserved for noncredit certificates and may not be used for locally approved credit certificates. Unit Thresholds and Requirements As detailed above, a certificate that requires 16 or more semester units or 24 or more quarter units of degree-applicable coursework must be chaptered by the Chancellor’s Office and must be called Certificate of Achievement. A certificate that requires fewer than 16 semester units or 24 quarter units may be submitted to the Chancellor’s Office for chaptering if it requires at least 8 semester units or 12 quarter units of degree-applicable coursework, and it must be called a Certificate of Achievement. Sequence of Courses According to Title 5, § 55070 the award of a Certificate of Achievement should represent more than an accumulation of units. It should symbolize successful completion of patterns of learning experiences designed to develop certain capabilities that may be oriented to career or GE. When a college creates a sequence of certificates in a single four-digit TOP Code, arranged such that a student must complete one level before taking another level and the set or sequence as a whole requires 16 semester units or 24 quarter units or more, then the entire certificate sequence must be submitted to the Chancellor’s Office for chaptering. For example, if a college creates the low-unit certificates listed below but then makes the Level I low-unit certificate prerequisite to Level II, the college has essentially created a 16-unit program: • Multimedia, Basic (or Level I) – 7 units • Multimedia, Advanced (or Level II) – requires completion of Level I or equivalent skills and knowledge plus an additional 9 units As such, the college needs to submit the entire 16 units for chaptering as a Certificate of Achievement. However, Chancellor’s Office chaptering of these two certificates would not be possible if the Basic (Level I) certificate is not required for the Advanced (Level II) because each certificate requires fewer than 8 semester units. 

Certificate of Completion:  Pursuant to Title 5, § 55151, students completing noncredit courses in a prescribed pathway, chaptered by the Chancellor’s Office, leading to improved employability or job opportunities, a Certificate of Completion may be awarded. A noncredit Certificate of Completion means a document confirming that a student has completed a noncredit educational program of noncredit courses that prepares students to progress in a career path or to take degree applicable credit courses (CCR, Title 5 §55151(h)). The Certificate of Completion must include the name of the certificate and the date awarded, be identified by a TOP Code number and program discipline, identify the goal of the program, and list the courses completed by the student.

5 CCR § 55070. Credit Certificates.

(a) Any sequence of courses consisting of 16 or more semester units or 24 or more quarter units of degree-applicable credit coursework shall constitute an educational program subject to approval by the Chancellor pursuant to section 55130. The college-awarded document confirming that a student has completed such a program shall be known as a certificate of achievement and may not be given any other designation. The award of a certificate of achievement is intended to represent more than an accumulation of units. Listing of the certificate of achievement on a student transcript symbolizes successful completion of patterns of learning experiences designed to develop certain capabilities that may be oriented to career or general education; provided however, that no sequence or grouping of courses may be approved as a certificate of achievement pursuant to this section if it consists solely of basic skills and/or ESL courses. For purposes of this subdivision, the term “general education” includes coursework taken to satisfy transfer patterns established by the University of California, the California State University, or accredited public postsecondary institutions in adjacent states which award the baccalaureate degree.

(b) Shorter credit programs leading to a certificate may be established without review and approval by the Chancellor after approval by the college curriculum committee and the district governing board. Such a certificate may be given any name or designation deemed appropriate by the district governing board, except that such a certificate may not be referred to as a certificate of achievement, a certificate of completion, or a certificate of competency, unless approved by the Chancellor pursuant to subdivision (c). Such a certificate may not be listed on a student's transcript, unless approved by the Chancellor pursuant to subdivision (c).

(c) A district may submit any sequence of courses consisting of 8 or more semester units or 12 or more quarter units of degree-applicable credit coursework to the Chancellor and request that it be approved as a program leading to a certificate of achievement. The Chancellor may approve such a program if he or she determines that it satisfies the requirements of subdivision (a) despite requiring fewer than 16 semester or 24 quarter units of degree-applicable credit coursework.

(d) Content and assessment standards for certificates shall be defined by the local curriculum committee and comply with the requirements of this chapter. Such standards should also ensure that certificate programs will be consistent with the mission of the college, meet a demonstrated need, be feasible, and adhere to guidelines on academic integrity which may be developed by the Chancellor, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges or other appropriate statewide bodies.

(e) A description of each approved program shall be included in the college catalog.

(f) The Chancellor shall develop forms and procedures for submission of applications for approval of a program leading to a certificate of achievement.

(g) Provisions of this section regarding the naming or designation of certificates shall become effective for the Fall 2008 term.

Note: Authority cited: Sections 66700 and 70901, Education Code. Reference: Sections 70901 and 70902, Education Code.