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Understand the Educational Landscape

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Program History & Institutional Context

Department offerings, academic home, and compliance standing

We review Virginia Tech’s current offerings in the relevant academic space and program history in university and SCHEV records. This provides context for understanding where a new or existing program fits within VT’s current academic portfolio.

Enrollment & Completion Trends (For-Credit Programs Only)

VT-internal data: how the program has performed over time

We can pull headcount enrollment and degree completion data for the program of interest, or the closest comparable program for early-stage development efforts. This provides a picture of how the program has performed over time and where enrollment and completion trends stand relative to national patterns.

Figure 1. Enrollment & Degree Completions for X Program

Market Position & National Landscape

IPEDS completions, CIP benchmarks, and leading institutions

Using the program's CIP code, we can pull national completion data from IPEDS at the same degree level, identify top institutions by completions over the past five years, and surface market share and tuition data. This provides a picture of how active the national market is and where VT sits relative to leading institutions in the CIP code.

CIP codes

CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) codes are standard 6-digit numbers created by the U.S. Department of Education to accurately track and report fields of study. CIP code selection affects how your program is counted and compared nationally. If the CIP code is not yet determined, we can identify comparable programs at peer institutions and use their CIP codes as the basis for the national completion overview.

Figure 2. Top institution by 5-year completions

Peer Program Analysis

A structured look at competitor and aspirant programs most relevant to VT's positioning

We can profile competitor and aspirant programs identified by the program team, including program characteristics and requirements. This provides a structured picture of what the field looks like and how comparable programs are designed and positioned.

Program Characteristics

  • Degree name and title
  • Academic home (college/department)
  • Enrollment options and program focus
  • Time commitment and pacing
  • Marketing emphasis
  • Career prospect positioning

Program Requirements

  • Total credit hours
  • Required vs. elective structure
  • Capstone or thesis requirements
  • Concentration or specialization options
  • Prerequisite or admission requirements
  • Distinctive curricular features

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