North Dakota Weighs Reduced Credit Bachelor’s Degrees at State Colleges

(Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education is debating allowing state colleges and universities to implement reduced credit bachelor’s degrees with a final decision expected by the end of the year.

The new degree proposal would allow colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees with a minimum of 90 semester hours, which is 30 hours fewer than a typical four-year degree. Schools would need the board’s approval before offering a reduced credit degree.

During a board meeting Thursday, Deputy Commissioner Lisa Johnson, chief academic and student affairs officer for the North Dakota University System, said, as the proposal is currently written, it could apply to any bachelor’s degree program offered at state colleges and universities.

She added the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits colleges and universities across the U.S., said schools implementing reduced credit bachelor’s degrees need to be mindful of potential transfers, graduate programs and license requirements associated with the new degrees that could jeopardize state-to-state licensure compacts.