Competency-Based Education (CBE)
Central Texas College, through its Career and Technology Education (CATE) Center, offers
open-entry, self- delivery format, formally known as Competency-Based Education (CBE). The
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) defines CBE as follows.
A competency-based educational program is outcome-based and assesses a student’s
attainment of competencies as the sole means of determining whether the student earns a
degree or a credential. Such programs may be organized around traditional course-based
units (credit or clock hours) that students must earn to complete their educational
program, or may depart from course-based units (credit or clock hours) to rely solely on
the attainment of defined competencies.
Competency-based education courses allow for year-round enrollment and greater individual
flexibility, which aligns with CTC’s goal to increase completion rates for certificate and degree-seeking
students and to decrease barriers to enrollment. Typically, a student who enters these
courses begins on a Monday and ends no more than 16 weeks later. The exact length of a class
depends on several factors, including the student’s schedule. A student may complete a course
anytime within his/her enrollment period. If a student fails to master competencies before the
end of the enrollment period, he/she is required to reenroll in the course.
If a student finishes sooner than the end of the enrollment period, he/she may enroll in a
subsequent course. Not all Career Technical Instruction (CTI) programs offer CBE courses, and
not every required course in a CBE program is offered self-paced, open-entry. Moreover,
depending on the instructional department, CBE courses may be taken in three modalities: faceto-
face, online/distance learning, and blended/hybrid. Face-to-face courses are characterized by
the time a student spends in a physical classroom. In online courses, a student engages in
learning in a location outside of the classroom. Blended/hybrid courses are a combination of
face-to-face and online. A student spends a portion of his/her time in a classroom and the other
portion outside the classroom. Check with the instructional department to find out if CBE
options are available for your program.
Students who are interested in CBE should read the catalog section titled “Registration for
Career and Technology Education (CATE) Programs” for enrollment information.