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Understanding Academic Programs

Academic programs in Mapademics represent structured educational pathways that group related courses together. They serve as the organizational backbone for your institution’s curriculum, connecting courses to career outcomes and industry standards. Programs can represent various educational structures:
  • Degree Programs: Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degrees
  • Certificate Programs: Professional certifications or specialized training
  • Diploma Programs: Technical or vocational qualifications
  • Pathway Programs: Preparatory or bridge programs
Programs are organization-specific and support multi-tenant architecture, meaning each institution manages their own program catalog independently.

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Creating New Programs

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Manual Program Creation

1

Navigate to Programs

From your dashboard, click Programs in the main navigation menu to access the programs management page.
2

Add New Program

Click the Add Program button in the top-right corner. This creates a new program with default settings that you can immediately customize.
A new program titled “Untitled Program” appears in your programs table, ready for editing.
3

Set Basic Information

In the programs table, you can directly edit:
  • Program Name: Click in the name field and enter a descriptive title
  • Program Code: Add your institution’s internal program identifier
  • CIP Code: Select from the Classification of Instructional Programs dropdown
Choose CIP codes carefully as they automatically generate related SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) codes that connect your program to career outcomes.
4

Save Changes

Your changes save automatically as you type. Look for the visual confirmation that your updates have been processed.

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Bulk Program Import

For institutions with many programs, use the bulk upload feature to import multiple programs simultaneously.
1

Access Bulk Upload

Navigate to Bulk Upload from the main menu and select Programs as your data type.
2

Download Template

Download the Excel template that includes the required column headers:
  • Name* (required): Full program title
  • Code: Internal program identifier
  • CIP Code: Classification code for industry alignment
  • Description: Detailed program overview
3

Prepare Your Data

Fill out the template with your program information. Ensure all required fields are completed and CIP codes are valid.
Verify CIP codes against the official database. Invalid codes will prevent proper SOC mapping and career outcome connections.
4

Upload and Import

Upload your completed Excel file and review the data preview before confirming the import.

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Program Structure and Organization

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Course Relationships

Programs organize courses into structured learning pathways. Each program can contain multiple courses, and courses can belong to multiple programs.
The program-course relationship is many-to-many, allowing flexible curriculum design where core courses can serve multiple programs.

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Course Ordering

Programs support custom course sequencing to reflect your institution’s recommended learning path:
  1. Prerequisites: Foundation courses students should complete first
  2. Core Curriculum: Essential program courses in logical sequence
  3. Specializations: Advanced or elective courses for program completion

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CIP Code Classification

The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) provides standardized categorization:
  • Industry Alignment: Connects programs to specific industry sectors
  • SOC Mapping: Automatically generates related Standard Occupational Classification codes
  • Reporting Benefits: Enables standardized program comparisons and analytics
Choose the most specific CIP code available for your program. More specific codes provide better SOC mappings and more relevant career outcome data.

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Detailed Program Management

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Editing Program Details

1

Access Program Editor

From the Programs table, click the edit icon (pencil) next to any program, or click the program name to open the detailed editing interface.
2

Update Basic Information

In the Program Information section, modify:
  • Program Name: The public-facing program title
  • Program Code: Your internal identifier or catalog number
  • Program Description: Comprehensive overview of program goals, outcomes, and requirements
Changes save automatically when you move between fields or click elsewhere.
3

Configure Classification

In the Classification & SOCs panel:
  1. Select the appropriate CIP Code from the searchable dropdown
  2. Review the automatically generated SOC codes that appear
  3. Verify these align with your program’s career outcomes
The SOC codes update immediately when you change the CIP code selection.
4

Build Program Map

In the Program Map section:
  1. Add Courses: Use the “Add Courses” panel to select from your course catalog
  2. Set Sequence: Drag and drop courses in the program map to establish the recommended order
  3. Remove Courses: Click the X button to remove courses from the program
The program map creates a visual course sequence that helps students understand their learning pathway.

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Advanced Program Settings

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Course Assignment Methods

Direct Assignment: Select individual courses from your catalog to add to the program. Bulk Assignment: Use the multi-select interface to add multiple courses simultaneously. Sequential Ordering: Drag and drop courses within the program map to establish the recommended completion sequence.

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Metadata Management

Programs support flexible metadata storage for:
  • Custom Attributes: Institution-specific program characteristics
  • Audit Trails: Automatic tracking of program changes and updates
  • Integration Data: External system identifiers and mappings

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Program Organization Best Practices

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Naming Conventions

Establish consistent program naming that includes:
  • Level Indicator: Certificate, Diploma, Bachelor’s, Master’s, etc.
  • Field of Study: Business, Engineering, Healthcare, etc.
  • Specialization: Marketing, Software Development, Nursing, etc.
Example: “Bachelor of Science in Computer Science - Software Engineering”

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Program Codes

Use systematic coding that reflects:
  • Department/School: CS (Computer Science), BUS (Business)
  • Level: 100 (Certificate), 200 (Diploma), 400 (Bachelor’s)
  • Sequence: 01, 02, 03 for different programs in the same area
Example: “CS-400-01” for the first Bachelor’s program in Computer Science

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Curriculum Structure

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Foundation Programs

  • Focus on prerequisite knowledge and basic skills
  • Shorter duration with essential courses only
  • Clear pathways to advanced programs

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Comprehensive Programs

  • Include full curriculum with prerequisites, core, and electives
  • Detailed course sequencing with semester-by-semester planning
  • Integration with stackable credentials

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Specialized Programs

  • Advanced or niche focus areas
  • Built upon foundation program completion
  • Industry-specific certifications and outcomes

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Bulk Program Management

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Import Strategies

New Institution Setup: Import your complete program catalog using the bulk upload template with all program details pre-populated. Program Updates: Use bulk upload to modify multiple programs simultaneously, such as updating CIP codes or descriptions across related programs. Curriculum Refresh: Import revised program structures when updating your academic catalog or adding new pathways.

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Data Validation

The system validates:
  • Required Fields: Program names and essential identifiers
  • CIP Code Accuracy: Verification against official CIP database
  • Duplicate Prevention: Checks for existing programs with identical codes
  • Course References: Validation of course assignments and relationships
Review validation errors carefully before confirming bulk imports. Invalid data can affect program reporting and student pathway recommendations.

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Program Deletion and Archiving

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Soft Deletion

Programs use soft deletion, meaning they’re marked as deleted but remain in the database for reporting continuity.
1

Delete Program

From the Programs table, click the delete icon (trash can) next to the program you want to remove.
2

Confirm Deletion

Confirm the deletion in the popup dialog. The program immediately disappears from your active programs list.
The program is soft deleted and no longer appears in normal program management interfaces.
When you delete a program:
  • Course Relationships: Course assignments to the program are removed
  • Historical Data: Past enrollment and completion data remains intact
  • Reports: Historical reports continue to function with archived program data
  • Student Records: Student progress tied to the program is preserved
Soft deletion ensures data integrity while removing programs from active management. Contact support if you need to permanently remove program data.

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Programs and Reporting

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Program Analytics

Programs serve as key dimensions in Mapademics reporting:
  • Skills Gap Analysis: Compare program outcomes to industry demands
  • Course Contribution: Analyze how individual courses support program goals
  • Occupation Crosswalk: Map program graduates to career opportunities
  • Program Performance: Track completion rates and student outcomes

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Report Access

1

Navigate to Program Reports

From the Programs table, click the report icon next to any program, or select Reports → Programs from the main navigation.
2

Select Report Type

Choose from available program reports:
  • Skills breakdown and competency mapping
  • Course contribution analysis
  • Career pathway alignment
  • Industry demand comparison
3

Configure Parameters

Set report parameters such as:
  • Time period for analysis
  • Specific courses to include/exclude
  • Industry sectors for comparison
  • Geographic regions for job market data

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Troubleshooting Program Management

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Common Issues

CIP Code Not Updating SOCs: Verify the CIP code is valid and recognized in the system database. Some older or deprecated CIP codes may not have current SOC mappings. Course Assignment Errors: Ensure courses exist in your organization’s catalog before attempting to assign them to programs. Cross-organizational course assignments are not permitted. Bulk Import Failures: Check Excel template formatting, particularly for:
  • Special characters in program names
  • Invalid CIP code formats
  • Missing required field data
  • Duplicate program codes within the same upload
Program Map Display Issues: If the program map doesn’t display correctly:
  • Verify all assigned courses are still active (not deleted)
  • Check that course order array contains valid course IDs
  • Refresh the page to reload the latest program data

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Getting Help

For additional assistance with program management:
  • Review the course management documentation for related workflow guidance
  • Check the bulk upload documentation for detailed import procedures
  • Contact support for organization-specific configuration questions
  • Access the API documentation if building custom program integrations
Keep your CIP code mappings current by reviewing them annually. Industry classifications evolve, and updated mappings ensure your programs remain aligned with current career outcomes and reporting standards.