1. (a) Each certificate program shall meet the requirements of §2.5, except subsection (a)(3), of this chapter (relating to General Criteria for Program Approval); and

2. (b) Each certificate program must provide the necessary technical and workforce skills necessary to attain entry-level or advanced employment in a related occupation, and shall meet the following requirements:

   1. (1) The certificate program may include both Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM) and Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM) courses that are directly related to the discipline.
   2. (2) Business and industry experts shall provide substantial input into curriculum design through participation in an advisory committee.
   3. (3) The institution shall integrate basic and career technical/workforce skills into the curriculum.
   4. (4) The institution has reviewed and considered for inclusion in the curriculum of the program applicable skill standards recognized by the Texas Workforce Investment Council, if they exist for the discipline.
3. (c) A Level 1 Certificate, composed of either workforce or continuing education courses, may only be approved if the program meets or exceeds 360 contact hours.
4. (d) A course or program that meets or exceeds 780 contact hours in length shall result in the award of appropriate semester credit hours and be applicable to a career and technical education certificate or an applied associate degree program. An exception shall be made for Emergency Medical/Paramedic continuing education programs, which may reach 800 contact hours.
5. (e) The institution shall certify that the proposed certificate program complies with all applicable provisions contained in divisions of this subchapter and subchapter A of this chapter (relating to General Provisions).
6. (f) The Coordinating Board shall ensure that each institution certifies and provides required evidence that a proposed career and technical education certificate program meets the criteria in §2.5, except paragraph (3), of this chapter.

7. (g) A proposed new certificate for which there is no graduate and wage data shall be determined to be a Credential of Value, as defined in §13.556(b) of this part (relating to Performance Tier: Fundable Outcomes), based on one or more of the following documentation criteria:

   1. (1) An attestation from one or more regional employers that the employer will hire graduates of the program and the starting wage at which the employer would pay the graduate;
   2. (2) Graduate employment and wage data for an essentially similar program from a different institution of higher education in Texas; or
   3. (3) Graduate employment and wage data for an essentially similar program from an institution of higher education in a state other than Texas.

8. (h) A proposed certificate may not include the following:

   1. (1) An avocational course that is usually engaged in by a person in addition to the person's regular work or profession for recreation or in relation to a hobby. The term includes a community interest course;
   2. (2) A basic employability course that covers topics such as conducting a job search, developing a resume, completing an application for employment, and interviewing skills;
   3. (3) A non-college-level basic learning skills course that covers learning strategies such as note-taking and test preparation; or
   4. (4) A college-level learning framework course that is solely or primarily focused on skill acquisition related to the learning process and is not a career and technical education course.

Source Note:The provisions of this §2.263 adopted to be effective August 15, 2024, 49 TexReg 5960; amended to be effective August 14, 2025, 50 TexReg 5209.