HLC lays out review process for reduced‑credit bachelor’s degrees; states may need statute changes

Higher Learning Commission officials described a new application and review process for so‑called reduced‑credit bachelor’s degrees at a Board of Regents BASC meeting.

Zach Weimer, government affairs officer at the HLC, said the commission is treating any proposed baccalaureate program with fewer than the assumed 120 semester credits as a "reduced‑credit bachelor’s degree." "Anything less than the current assumed practice of 120 semester credits for a bachelor’s degree is a reduced‑credit bachelor’s degree," Weimer said.

Stephanie Kramer, HLC director of accreditation systems, told the committee HLC has received a small number of applications so far — about six or seven since September — and is still building data on outcomes. Kramer outlined the application elements HLC will require: CIP code and program level, credit hours, target audience and modality, curriculum and assessment plans, transparency to students about differences from traditional programs, and evidence of planning tied to institutional mission and labor market need.

Kramer described the review sequence: the first reduced‑credit application from an institution is routed to a change visit (a roughly one‑and‑a‑half‑day site visit by a two‑person team), the team issues a recommendation, and the file then goes to HLC’s Institutional Actions Council (IAC) for final action. Kramer said the average timeframe from submission to final action with a change visit is about eight months. Denials are not appealable but institutions may resubmit.

Weimer said federal student‑aid regulations focus on program rigor and measurable objectives rather than prescribing a fixed credit‑hour minimum, but state laws differ. "States have their own statutory language about what a baccalaureate is," he said, citing Colorado as an example where an attorney‑general opinion has prompted legislative attention. That, he said, means some public institutions may need state‑level approvals or statutory changes before offering reduced‑credit formats.

Committee members raised questions about which fields are suited to reduced‑credit formats and whether employers recognize such credentials. Kramer said HLC expects institutions to consult employer partners and that early applications are concentrated in business and technical fields such as cybersecurity. "Institutions should show how the program meets labor‑market needs and be transparent with students about differences and potential licensing or credentialing implications," Kramer said.

The HLC presenters encouraged institutions to consult their HLC staff liaisons early, offered webinars and guidance materials, and agreed to share the slide presentation in PDF form with the Board of Regents’ institutions. Weimer and Kramer said HLC is not prescribing program naming conventions and that states and institutions will often decide how to label programs.

The committee did not take a formal vote on policy changes; the session was an informational briefing and a chance to ask implementation questions. The BASC committee asked staff to distribute the presentation to campuses and agreed to continue monitoring developments.