The Vice Provost for Data, Academic Planning and Institutional Research (VP-DAPIR), on behalf of and in conjunction with the Provost, is the authority and assigns program CIP codes in consultation with UW System Administration (Office of Policy Analysis and Research).
Outside of the university and UW-System, CIP codes are the unique identifiers of our programs. We do not report and are not compared to our peers by program names. CIP codes assignments must be defensible to questions from internal and external audiences, including students, accrediting bodies, and the federal Department of Education.
Every student declared in a program must have new data submitted to the National Student Clearing house if the program's CIP code is revised. This may impact their federal financial aid.
UW-Madison use CIP codes for reporting, Department of Education requirements, and benchmarking. For these reasons, it’s imperative to accurately report and represent our program’s CIP codes based on the above principles and determined by the governance approved content in Guide. CIP codes maintain integrity and utility of educational data. Peers, ranking models, and other features of reporting are not determined by the program.
Examples of reporting by CIP code
- Federal reporting requires institutions to report program data by CIP code, such as degree completions and enrollments.
- The Association of American Universities (AAU) uses CIP codes for categorization in various data exchanges.
- Rankings organizations use data in IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), Common Data Set, and additional UW-Madison submitted data includes or excludes programs from rankings and as indicators in rankings models, including in U.S. News, Washington Monthly, and other national and international rankings.
- NACM (national alumni career mobility survey) uses CIP codes for peer benchmarking (UW-System requirement).
- The US Census Bureau’s Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) provides aggregate median earnings data for graduates of certain programs one, five, and ten years post-graduation based on CIP codes.
- UW-Madison Tableau Vizes for common comparisons. Requires UW-Madison login (campus internet or VPN).
Program's CIP code assignments are rarely revised. Absent a trigger (release of the taxonomy, program drift, etc.), CIP code revisions are generally not considered. CIP code changes are only made effective a fall term to ensure that there is no disruption to student financial aid disbursement, international student visa considerations, and associated federal reporting requirements that factor in CIP code assignment.
There are three scenarios when a program's CIP code may be reassigned:
- When the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES; Department of Education) updates the CIP Code taxonomy. This may include directives to move programs to a new CIP (i.e. Veterinary Medicine moved to 01 from 51), or CIP codes may be discontinued and require a new assignment by the VP-DAPIR.
- When the VP-DAPIR determines a more appropriate CIP code exists for a program (new CIP codes released from NCES, program drift since original implementation, and/or a significant change has occurred in the program without a request from the program to update the CIP code).
- When the curriculum, learning outcomes, and/or program name have changed since the original program proposal and initial assignment of a CIP code. There must be evidence to support the program fits into a different CIP code.
National Center for Education Statistics updates
The Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics updates the CIP code taxonomy every ten years (years ending in 0, ex. 2010, 2020). Typically, the revised list of taxonomies is published in the federal register prior to implementation. With the updates, there may be new, changed, or discontinued codes.
The VP-DAPIR reviews the revised list of CIP codes and determines the impact on existing programs, if applicable:
- If CIP codes are discontinued, the VP-DAPIR assigns the next best available CIP code based on the above factors.
- If there are revised CIP codes, the VP-DAPIR reviews the programs associated with that CIP code and review the above factors to ensure that the program still fits in that CIP code. If not, DAPIR planners submit a Lumen Programs proposal or Lumen Structures (depends on timing and whether there are other changes to the proposal) with the new CIP code.
- The VP-DAPIR considers new CIP codes and assesses whether programs would benefit being placed into a different code. DAPIR planners will consult with the school/college academic planners in this scenario.
Program requested CIP code reconsideration
If a department feels their program no longer meets the definitions of their CIP code, they (school/college) may request a review by the VP-DAPIR for consideration of CIP code reassignment. Proposals to request a STEM-OPT CIP will not be entertained based solely on desiring the attribute for international graduates. Any changes that relate to STEM-OPT must be defensible to the US government as there is higher scrutiny related to international students and financial value transparency and gainful employment.
The VP-DAPIR reviews:
- the program’s current CIP assignment compared to the elements of the above factors (link to determination list above).
- the original assignment of the CIP code and the evolution of the program over time. There must be substantial evidence that the program is no longer the same program as originally proposed.
If the VP-DAPIR agrees that the CIP code no longer reflects the program, DAPIR planners submit a proposal to revise the CIP code with an effective term of the following fall.
Submitting a request for reconsideration
Email lumen@provost.wisc.edu with the following information:
- The program's current CIP code.
- The desired CIP code.
- Rationale, including why the current CIP no longer applies.
- Implications (to students, reporting analyses, financial aid, certification/licensure, etc.)
Program revisions with evidence to support a CIP code revision
Departments may submit changes to a program's curriculum, learning outcomes, and program name at the same time. If the program revisions are the impetus for a CIP code change, please indicate that in the proposal abstract to initiate a discussion about the overall revisions. This may result in a new program proposal instead of a revision to the existing program.
If departments are making revisions to the program name, curriculum, learning outcomes without a request of a CIP code reconsideration, the VP-DAPIR reviews the overall proposal to ensure it still matches the current CIP code.