Specialized Curriculum Policies

Number: 
7-0201
Date Issued: 
02/22/2001
Updated: 
12/01/2010

The following Policy Guideline is designed to replace Informational Policy Memorandum (IPM) 85, issued December 11, 1995.

Courses under 100 hours in length and approved as part of a larger
curriculum (program of 100 hours or more):

These courses may be taught as stand-alone courses without submitting a separate course application. In order to offer such courses, the school must submit the following to the school's field supervisor:

  • the enrollment agreement for approval; and either
  • the Breakdown of Hours Chart (Item #18) which is stamped, "Approved"; or
  • the unstamped Breakdowns of Hours Chart (Item #18) with the curriculum title and ID number added and a copy of the valid approval letter for the curriculum
  • the course must be appropriate for the type of school license held (e.g., a trade course under a private school license; a business or computer course under a business school registration, etc.)

Schools should note that the entrance requirement to any of the courses with this non-explicit approval must be the same as the entire approved curriculum of which they are a part. Additionally, if the course required other instruction be completed before entering it as part of the approved curriculum, any of that prior instruction would become prerequisite of this stand alone course as well. For example, an approved Medical Assistant curriculum might have a phlebotomy skills course which a school would wish to offer separately. However, prior to that skills course, the student must have received some instruction in the theory as well as vascular anatomy and physiology. That additional instruction or knowledge would become an additional prerequisite to a stand alone phlebotomy skills course.

Schools wishing to alter the entrance requirements for the courses to something else must go through the regular course application process and receive an explicit separate approval for the course.

Curriculum/Course approvals for schools with more than one location:

Schools, which have additional licenses/registrations, can streamline the curriculum review process by establishing one main curriculum location and authorizing the other sites to use that curriculum once it is approved. This can only be done if each location of the school has the same school name. Otherwise, see the School to School Transfer of Curriculum/Course Approval listed below. To take advantage of this process, a school must:

  • Notify the Bureau of the intention to use this process and designate a main curriculum location;
  • Send two complete copies of the curriculum application for the main curriculum location for review and evaluation; and
  • Send two copies of the equipment inventory for each additional school site at which the curriculum will be offered.

When a curriculum application is approved through this process, the main location receives one copy of the entire application returned along with the curriculum approval letter. Only one curriculum ID number is issued which is assigned to the main curriculum location. One copy of an approved equipment inventory for the other site(s) will also be sent to the main school location. That main curriculum location is responsible for communicating the approval to the other school sites and providing them with a copy of the approved equipment inventory at that site.

The Bureau will file the remaining complete curriculum application with the other curriculum approved at the main curriculum location. We will also maintain a file of additional site(s) which have been approved to offer the curriculum. Because all approvals are linked to the main site, the expiration date of the main curriculum approval is the same for those at the other locations.

School to School Transfer of Curriculum/ Course Approval

Schools, which have permission to use courses or curricula already approved and currently valid at other schools, can streamline the curriculum review process by following the school to school curriculum/ course approval transfer process. To take advantage of this process, a school must:

  • Send two complete copies of the curriculum application including all components;
  • Send an originally signed letter from the director, owner, or president of the school where the course or curriculum is currently approved granting express permission for the use of the course/curriculum; and
  • Send two copies of the currently valid approval sheet for the course/ curriculum issued from the Bureau to the show that the course/ curriculum is currently valid.

When a curriculum application is approved through this process, the applicant school will receive one copy of the entire application returned along with its own curriculum approval letter. A new and unique curriculum ID number will be issued to the school, different from that issued to the school giving permission to use the course or curriculum. The expiration date of the course or curriculum will coincide with that of the original course or curriculum for which approval was issued.

Curriculum Amendments

Applications for curriculum or course amendment are no longer needed for all changes to an approved curriculum or course. If the prospective change will result in changed information on the computer-generated approval letter, or if the change involves the Breakdown of Theory, Skill, and Internship Hours (Item #18) on the application, then the application for amendment must be submitted according to the instructions. However, if the prospective change will not affect the information listed above, then the amendment request may be made in the form of a letter, submitted in duplicate, which includes a detailed description of the proposed change. The letter must include the title and ID number(s) of all approved curricula/courses which are to be amended. If the amendment is approved, one copy of the letter will be stamped and returned to the school to evidence that approval. The other copy will be placed in the Bureau curriculum files. This process will facilitate amendments to such things as textbooks and equipment inventories. Please realize that the school must have written approval of any course or curriculum amendment before Implementing the change.