CDAG is comprised of members from the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT) whose work is governed and supported by several provincial bodies, organizations, and institutions.
For the key roles and responsibilities of Ontario’s quality assurance system including the workflow of program creation and modification, see System Responsibilities – Who’s Responsible for What? (PDF). For additional detail on these entities, continue below.
Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU)
The MCU oversees post-secondary education and skills training in Ontario through the following activities:
- development of policy directions for universities and Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology
- development, publication, and implementation of provincial program standards
- planning and administration of policies related to basic and applied research in the post-secondary sector
- authorization of universities and colleges to grant degrees
- allocation and distribution of provincial funds to colleges and universities
- provision of financial assistance to post-secondary school students, and
- registration of private career colleges (Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2012-18)
MCU resources may be accessed via the Post-Secondary Education Partners’ Gateway for Colleges 
, including the following information and documents:
- Minister’s Binding Policy Directives and Operating Procedures
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Published College Program Standards
- Ontario Qualifications Framework (OQF)
- Labour market data (e.g., CAAT Graduate Employment Profile )
- APS-MTCU Table
MTCU Code/APS Number/CIP Code Program List
The comprehensive Ontario Public College Programs – Postsecondary Field of Study Table allows users to locate postsecondary programs offered by Ontario’s public colleges and to see their essential details and the three code classifications that describe the field of study:
- MTCU Code: A five-digit number assigned by the Ministry to categorize similar postsecondary programs of instruction approved for funding and OSAP eligibility.
- Approved Program Sequence (APS): A unique code issued by CVS for each approved program. Used for enrolment reporting to the ministry.
- Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP): The national standard system for classifying postsecondary programs by field of study. It has implications for program enrollment and completion tracking, data collection through Statistics Canada, and alignment of programs to immigration and postgraduate work permits.
Colleges Ontario
Colleges Ontario is an advocacy organization representing the province’s 24 colleges of applied arts and technology on provincial and national issues. College’s Ontario currently provides CDAG with its members’ portal on BoardEffect.
Ontario College Quality Assurance Service (OCQAS)
OCQAS is responsible for ensuring quality and consistency at the institutional level through the College Quality Assurance Audit Process (CQAAP) and the program level through the Credential Validation Service (CVS).
The CQAAP involves the regular and cyclical review and audit of each college’s quality assurance mechanisms, which are measured against a set of standards to ensure continual improvement. Colleges must establish and demonstrate evidence of policies, guidelines, and ongoing program quality assurance processes that promote continuous improvement and assure quality in curriculum documents, policies, and practices for their own context.
The CVS validates programs of instruction submitted by the colleges in accordance to the requirements of the Credentials Framework as set out by the MCU. Ontario colleges use an outcomes-based credentialing model, and each college is responsible for managing the quality of its programs and course curricula to meet those pre-established outcomes.
The CVS Anywhere/Anytime Tool allows curriculum developers to review program descriptions and submit new programs for validation.
Post-Secondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB)
PEQAB is an advisory agency that makes recommendations to the MCU on applications for ministerial consent from institutions to grant degrees in Ontario. Consent to offer a specific degree is typically granted to an institution, such as an Ontario college, for specific periods of time and requires renewal of consent. PEQAB ensures the quality assurance of all degrees offered by Ontario colleges in accordance with PEQAB’s criteria and procedures for its reviews.
For detailed provincial standards and requirements that guide the development and review of postsecondary degree programs in Ontario, please refer to the PEQAB Manuals and Guidelines. (The 2026 versions are now available.)
Ontario Council for Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT)
ONCAT facilitates student mobility within Ontario’s post-secondary system through a variety of initiatives that enhance academic pathways and reduce barriers to students looking to transfer among the 45 public colleges and universities in Ontario.
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