Ai Plus Program

Equivalency Review & Course Selection Overview

AiPOD Curriculum

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division’s curriculum is an extension of theArt Institute of Pittsburgh’s academic program. AiP’s curriculum is established to meet mandates by the state of Pennsylvania and the requirements of its accreditation agency --The Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Because of the differences in Ai schools across the system -- state and accreditation requirements, academic strategy and operations – all of AiPOD’s courses may not be equivalent to courses offered at every Ai School. As a result it is strongly recommended that Ai Schools that have entered into a Consortium Agreement to offer Plus programs conduct aquarterly review of AiPOD online courses that it wants to offer to ensure that they are equivalent to courses offered on its campus.

For additional information about AiPOD’s operations, accreditation, academic approach or technical requirements visit: Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division.

Equivalency Review Process

Who

The Equivalency Review should be conducted by or under the close supervision of Academic Affairs orcurriculum leadership on campus. Depending on how the school is structured, this important function might include the Academic Dean, Program Chairs or Directors, Advising Directorand the primary Plus Advocate-Advisor(s).

When

Below is an overview of the timeline for schools to select courses. There are approximately 8 to 10 weeks between when the initial Quarterly Course Offering is distributed and when Registration opens for plus students. There are approximately six weeks between when the Quarterly Course Offering is distributed and when schools are required to submit their Course Selection. During this timeframe, schools should coordinate at least part of its equivalency review because this is when new courses and major course changes are formally announced. It is important to note that although AiPOD’s curriculum is dynamic with courses being changed and new ones being added, the volume of these changes does not necessitate that the entire review process happen in this six week window. It may be advantageous for a school to conduct the majority of its equivalency review process at another time that better suits its operations.

Quarterly Course Offering
Distributed / 8 - 10 wks prior to start of Plus Registration
Equivalency Review / Approximately 6 wks btw Course Offering Distribution and deadline for Course Selection
School Course Selections Due / Approximately 4 wks prior to start of Plus Registration
Registration Opens / 4 – 8 wks prior to start of Session I classes

How

There are three primary resources to use when reviewing course equivalencies.

  1. AiPOD Quarterly Course Offering: This document includes a list of online courses that are being offered in the upcoming quarter provided there are adequate registrants. This document is formatted so that Plus schools can easily see:
  • Classes offered in Session I and Session II
  • New Classes
  • 11-Week Classes
  • Classes that have had major revisions that may result in equivalency changes
  1. AiPOD’s Online Course Catalog: The AiPOD Catalog includes course sequences for each program offered and course syllabi including descriptions, competencies, prerequisites, course materials and topical outlines.
  1. School-Specific Data: A number of documents will be needed to reference during the equivalency review process, including program grids,course syllabi, accreditation requirements to offer online courses and the plan/strategy to utilize online courses.

When a school submits its Quarterly Course Selection Form to AiPOD’s Registrations team, it is a assumed that

  • an equivalency review was done,
  • all relevant campus departments and staff are aware of what online courses will be opened for registration and that online courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment or other operational issues, and;
  • the school’s registration program has been set up to accommodate the online courses that are being submitted.

Details on the Quarterly Course Selection Procedure can be found on the

Ai Advocate Resource Site.

Review Tips & Suggestions

Below are some tips and additional information to keep in mind when reviewing equivalencies:

AiPOD Data

  • The state of PA requires that 33% of AiP and AiPOD’s curriculum is general education. As a result, AiP may have fewer core courses than other Ai’s and the competencies may be more condensed than those offered by other campuses.
  • Because AiPOD programs are designed for online students and faculty, there will be differences between the software used online and software used on many campuses. Students are required to use software more extensively to complete and submit assignments during all courses including Foundation and General Education courses. It is important to use the online course catalog to identify the software requirements.AiPOD Minimum Technology Requirements
  • Online Portfolio, Internship and Residential Planning courses are not available to Plus schools at this time.
  • Most AiPOD courses are accelerated 5-1/2 weeks in duration. There are a few that are 11-week courses.
  • Most AiPOD courses are 3 or 4 quarter-credits. All General Education courses are 4 credits; core or program courses are 3 credits.

School Specific Data

(When reviewing equivalencies...)

  • What are the program requirements for students on ground?
  • How do the program and course-specific prerequisites match up to those of AiPOD courses?

(When selecting courses…)

  • What courses are being offered on campus during the next quarter?
  • Who are the graduating seniors? Will the campus be offering the classes that these students need to graduate?

Program Expertise & Additional Reference Tools

AiPOD’s Online Program Directors are another resource for Plus schools. Below is contact data and links for specific program data.

Web Design & Interactive Media Design(WDIM)

Online Program Director: Sharon McGuire

Phone: 412 -352-2392

Email:

Online Course Catalog Links:

  • Web Design Diploma

WD Diploma Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

  • Web Design & Interactive Media, Associate Science Degree

WDIM(AS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

  • Web Design & Interactive Media, Bachelor of Science Degree

WDIM (BS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

Fashion & Retail Management (FRM)

Online Program Director: Cynthia Orrico

Phone: 708-788-3179

Email:

Online Course Catalog Links:

  • Fashion & Retail Design, Bachelor of Science Degree

FRM (BS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

Graphic Design (GD)

Online Program Director: Voni Whittier

Phone: 720-489-0661

Email:

Online Course Catalog Links:

  • Graphic Design, Associate of Science Degree

GD (AS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

  • Graphic Design, Bachelor of Science Degree

GD (BS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

Interior Design (ID)

Online Program Director: Jan Jacobson

Phone: 630-215-6496

Email:

Online Course Catalog Links:

  • Interior Design, Bachelor of Science Degree

ID (BS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

CulinaryManagement

Online Program Director: Beth Dugan

Phone: 262-942-0659 / 262-705-4452

Email:

Online Course Catalog Links:

  • Culinary Management, Bachelor of Science Degree

CM (BS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

Hotel Restaurant Management (HRM)

Online Program Director: Beth Dugan

Phone: 262-942-0659 / 262-705-4452

Email:

Online Course Catalog Links: HRM Course Sequence and Syllabi

  • Hotel & Restaurant Management, Bachelor of Science Degree

HRM (BS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

Advertising

Online Program Director: Cynthia Orrico

Phone: (708)788-3179

Email:

Online Course Catalog Links:

  • Advertising, Bachelor of Science Degree

A(BS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

Game Art & Design and Media Arts & Animation (GAD/MAA)

Online Program Director: Jeannie Novak

Phone: 310-399-6128

Email:

Online Course Catalog Links:

  • Game Art & Design, Bachelor of Science Degree

GAD(BS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

  • Media Art & Animation, Bachelor of Science Degree

MAA(BS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

Kitchen & Bath Design

Interim Contact: Jenna Templeton

Phone: 412-291-6529

Email:

Online Course Catalog Links:

  • Kitchen & Bath Design, Associate of Science Degree

KB (AS) Course Sequence & Description Grid (PDF)

General Education (GE)

Online Program Director: Jennifer Cooper

Phone: 412-995-4175 / 412-226-2950

Email:

GE Course Descriptions (PDF)

Foundations

Online Program Director: Jeff Davis

Phone: 602-284-1847

Email:

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