Program Credential and Title

Credential Selection

The Ontario Qualifications Framework (OQF) lists all credentials available through Ontario Post-secondary Education providers, including public and private colleges and universities. Public Colleges in Ontario (such as Algonquin College), can confer the following credentials:

  • College-Approved Certificates
  • Ontario College Certificates
  • Ontario College Diplomas
  • Ontario College Advanced Diplomas
  • Ontario College Graduate Certificates
  • Bachelor’s Degrees (three-year)
  • Bachelor’s Degrees: Honours (four-year)

The OQF highlights the parameters for each credential type, including duration, hours, admissions standards, and levels of competency.

The credential type cannot be changed for existing programs. A New Program Development process is required to replace an existing credential with a new credential type.

Program Title

Once the field and credential type have been selected, a corresponding Ministry of Colleges and Universities’ (MCU) code and program title is identified. The MCU code is used by the Ministry to determine funding levels for programs and helps to identify program titles used by other colleges in a particular program area. MCU codes are recorded and published on an annual basis. To find the MCU code, download a recent version of the MCU’s Approved Program Sequence Codes (APS Table).

Program titles will fall under two categories: Provincial Program Standards and Provincial Program Descriptions. If the program has a Program Standard, the title must be adopted exactly as published in the standard, unless a modifier reflecting a specialized focus in the program is approved.

If a program standard does not exist, the program has a Program Description, which allows for some flexibility in program titling. However, if a similar program already exists at one or more other college, a similar program title should be used.

The title of an existing program may need to be changed due to changes to industry or in response to other requirements. The title can only be changed through a Program Modification process.

Credential Validation Services (CVS) validates that proposed programs and modifications are consistent with accepted college system nomenclature and published Titling Protocols.