The Occupational Associates Degree in Program Management (OAPM) program develops a new type of executive leadership for ERSEA. Students in the OAPM will be engaged in studies, activities and skill building that fosters courageous leadership that will demonstrate program management and responsible leadership to address and resolve issues that have impacted the Head Start, families and communities of Head Start programs.

Students in the OAPM associates program enhance the management skills needed to function effectively within a Head Start program. Students focus on leadership and management and the human side of an Head Start. This program emphasizes emerging management theory, techniques, and practices, and incorporates feedback and key competencies from senior Head Start management, program-design experts, and university academic professionals. The OAPM program develops management skills in defining program problems, assessing information, considering alternatives, and choosing the best solutions. Graduates attain the skill sets necessary to evaluate and manage the challenges facing contemporary Head Starts. The OAPM program consists of 120 credit hours. One hundred and eleven credit hours constitute the core curriculum and nine additional general credit hours complete the OAPM program. The final trio of courses allows the student to customize the degree program in a given specialization by focusing on current ERSEA, Fiscal or Facilities developments, problems and issues relative to the specialization. The core begins with a 45-credit, three-workshop program prerequisite - Specialist, Administrator or Trainer - designed to build strategies for success in the program. The remainder of the core courses provides a foundation of analytic and conceptual skills for effective managerial decision making in the real-Head Start community. Those students in the OAPM without specialization will complete three additional prescribed courses to hone their problem-solving skills. The final three courses prepare students for executive leadership and decision-making roles in general management. The principle outcome will be the completion of a project introduced in the first of the three specialization courses. The project is completed and presented in the final course of the program.

The OAPM seeks candidates who have Head Start leadership experience in ERSEA, management, fiscal, facilities or other agency settings that serve Head Start program design and management. Acknowledging that candidates are full time Head Start professionals, the program has been creatively designed and flexible scheduling is one of its hallmarks. The OAPM program is structured to allow candidates to complete coursework and degree within two years.