ÐßÐßÊÓƵ

On September 28, 2014, ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 850 (Block, 2014) authorizing the ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Community Colleges Board of Governors to establish the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program at 15 ÐßÐßÊÓƵ community colleges. In November 2014, the Academic Affairs division of the ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office sought applications from colleges that were interested in participating in the pilot program. In May 2015, the Board of Governors approved 15 colleges to participate. The first Baccalaureate Degree Program graduates received their degrees in spring 2018.

On October 6, 2021, ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Governor Gavin Newsom signed  authorizing the Board of Governors to expand and extend the operation of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program indefinitely. The bill amends  et seq. to authorize the Board of Governors to establish up to 30 baccalaureate degree programs in two applications cycles per academic year. The application cycles are open for submission approximately 60 days prior to the annual due dates of January 15 and August 15.

Approval of each program requires the ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to review documentation submitted by each applicant district that addresses numerous program criteria required by the legislation, including: program accreditation; the requirement that students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Dream Act application; the district’s administrative and fiscal plans for the program; the program’s curriculum, faculty, and facilities; enrollment projections; unmet workforce needs; the program and program curricula’s non-duplication of ÐßÐßÊÓƵ State University (CSU) and University of ÐßÐßÊÓƵ (UC) programs; and proof of consultation with the CSU and the UC regarding collaborative approaches to meeting regional workforce needs.

The Chancellor’s Office has developed a process for reviewing baccalaureate degree programs across nine required components:

• Policy Compliance: proposed BDP conforms to what is legally required
• Institutional Financial Stability
• Equitable Student Outcomes
• Program Quality: approval criteria and scoring rubric
• Non duplication and Intersegmental Agreement: negotiations with CSU and UC; written agreement required
• Institutional Capacity
• Curriculum and Program Design
• ACCJC Approval: required for programs to be established; colleges submit proof of approval
• BOG President Approval (informational item to the full board)

Upon completion of the application review process, applications that are policy compliant, earn a passing program quality review score, and have intersegmental agreement will be provided to the Board of Governors’ President for review and approval.

As a means of reviewing and scoring of BDP applications, the ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, in partnership with the BDP Implementation Workgroup, created both qualitative and quantitative baccalaureate degree program review criteria anchored in Education Code requirements, BDP application content, institutional stability and capacity, labor market demand, program and curriculum design, and equitable student outcomes. To assess these criteria, a scoring rubric and process were developed in which the quantitative criteria are verified and scored by the Chancellor’s Office, and the remaining qualitative criteria are reviewed and scored by the assembled BDP reader team.

Readers are assigned several applications to review  and no reader scores a BDP application from their affiliated district. Up to 15 applications are awarded either conditional or provisional status (pending Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) approval and/or intersegmental agreement and the Board of Governor's full approval. Applications that are not selected are eligible to revise and resubmit during a future application cycle.

BDP Application Approval Types

Resources to check for CIP Code Duplication

• (shared with permission)
• TOP-CIP Crosswalk

Establishing Workforce Need for a New Baccalaureate Degree Program: An Overview (PDF)

2025 Baccalaureate Degree Workshop Day 1 June 9 2025 (PDF) 

2025 Baccalaureate Degree Workshop Day 2 June 10 2025 (PDF)

2025 Baccalaureate Degree Program Workshop Recording 

Launching a ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Community College Baccalaureate Degree (PDF)

Program and Course Approval Handbook, 8th Ed.(PDF)

(shared with permission)

Equitable Placement (PDF)