See below for information on programs currently offered across the UM System, and proposals currently under review. Inquiries should be sent to UMAcademicAffairs@umsystem.edu. 

Processes

Relevant forms for starting a new certificate-level program are included below. Please communicate with your respective department-, college- and university-level academic leaders prior to initiating this process, as individual campus processes and procedures will vary.

Relevant forms for making modifications to an existing academic program are included below. Please communicate with your respective department-, college- and university-level academic leaders prior to initiating this process, as individual campus processes and procedures will vary.  

Each UM System university undergoes a cyclical process of assessing all academic programs and university centers for the purpose of improving the quality of the educational opportunities offered to students. Links to institutional webpages containing such reviews for each university are included below. 

Reduced Credit Bachelor's Degree Guidance

  1. The purpose of these guidelines is to:
    1. Ensure the University of Missouri System is prepared to adapt and respond to the growing interest in reduced credit bachelor’s degrees in U.S. higher education. 
    2. Promote the development of high-quality, evidence-based proposals for reduced credit bachelor’s degrees.
    3. Provide clarity regarding the processes that will be used to review and approve proposals for reduced credit bachelor’s degrees.
  1. Traditional Credit Bachelor’s Degree: The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) defines a traditional credit bachelor’s degree program as a program requiring students to complete 120 or more semester credits to graduate. 
  2. Reduced Credit Bachelor’s Degree: The HLC defines a reduced credit bachelor’s degree as a program requiring students to complete fewer than 120 semester credits to graduate. (Note: While HLC does not define a minimum number of credits for reduced credit programs, these programs typically range from 90-119 credits).
  3. UMAA: The University of Missouri System Office of Academic Affairs, which facilitates review and approval of academic program actions following receipt of campus-level approvals. 
  4. Board: The University of Missouri Board of Curators. The Board approves all requests for new academic programs. 
  5. MDHEWD: The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. The state agency that approves academic program actions, including but not limited to changes to existing academic programs and the creation of new traditional credit and reduced credit bachelor’s degrees. 
  6. HLC: The Higher Learning Commission. The accreditor of each University of Missouri System university. Each university retains its own separate HLC accreditation.
  1. These guidelines apply to the following academic program actions:
    1. Converting a Traditional Credit Bachelor’s Degree to a Reduced Credit Bachelor’s Degree. Example: Reducing the number of credit hours required for the BA in Biology from 120 to 90 semester credits. 
    2. Creating a new Reduced Credit Bachelor’s Degree. Example: Creating a new 90-credit hour BA in English Literature. 
  2. These guidelines do not apply to the following academic program actions:
    1. Reducing the number of credit hours required for a bachelor’s degree program when the total credits required remains above 120 semester credits. Example: Modifying a 128-credit hour bachelor’s degree to require 120 credit hours.  
    2. Modifying the number of credit hours required for an approved reduced credit bachelor’s degree program. Example: Modifying a 96-credit bachelor’s degree to require 90 credit hours. 
    3. Academic program changes involving undergraduate or graduate certificate programs, a master’s degree, a doctoral degree, or a professional degree. 
    4. Developing an accelerated degree path that enables students to complete a 120-credit hour bachelor’s degree in a reduced timeframe by enrolling in heavier courseloads and/or taking summer courses. 
    5. The approval processes required in cases 3.b(i)-(iv) are dependent on multiple factors, including but not limited to institutional, state, and programmatic/regional accreditor requirements. Given the high level of variability in such cases, please consult your institution’s Provost Office on the appropriate process for academic program actions covered in sections 3.b(i)-(iv). 
  1. This section provides general guidance to academic units and institutions developing high-quality proposals for reduced credit bachelor’s degrees. 
  2. Institutions should consider intentional strategies for ensuring transparency with respect to reduced credit bachelor’s degrees. 
    1. Prospective and current students should be able to clearly identify said programs and compare them with related traditional credit programs with respect to admissions requirements, prerequisites, program content, learning outcomes, transfer pathways, opportunities for pursuing graduate education, and career opportunities. It is the expectation of MDHEWD that completion of reduced credit bachelor’s degree programs should not foreclose a student’s opportunity to pursue graduate studies. 
    2. Such strategies may include the use of a prefix or suffix to identify a program as reduced credit and prominent placement of pertinent information in promotional materials for the program. 
  3. Proposals for reduced credit bachelor’s degrees should include a clear and compelling rationale for offering the program in a reduced credit format, as compared to a traditional credit format. 
  4. Proposals should provide clear evidence of workforce and/or student demand for the program. Evidence of employer support or endorsement of the proposed program is required. 
  5. Proposals should provide a clear explanation of applicable accreditation, certification, and/or licensure requirements, and the associated processes and timelines for requesting and receiving approval from related entities. 
  6. Proposals must remain compliant with institutional and state general education requirements. 
  7. Proposals should clearly describe the proposed curriculum and program learning outcomes, and how these may differ from the curriculum and learning outcomes of a typical traditional credit program in the discipline. If the proposed reduced credit program is replacing an existing, traditional credit program, the proposal should provide a clear description of how the curriculum and program learning outcomes were modified. Proposals should provide evidence that all curricular modifications were the result of an intentional process.  
  8. Proposals should clearly outline plans for routinely assessing and improving program quality and student outcomes. 
  1. It is strongly recommended that academic units interested in submitting a request to offer a reduced credit bachelor’s degree contact their respective Provost’s Office and UMAA early in the development process to discuss the proposal and next steps. 
  2. All proposals to offer a reduced credit bachelor’s degree under Section 3.a. will be treated as new degree programs by the UM System, MDHEWD, and HLC, and subject to the approval process outlined in Sections 5.c-f.
  3. Campus Review Process
    1. Each university and academic unit maintains and is responsible for facilitating processes and procedures required for department, college, and campus level academic program action approvals. Resources related to campus program approvals are included in Section 6.a-d.
  4. UM System Review Process
    1. Following receipt of requisite campus-level approvals, proposals shall be submitted to UMAA following the standard process for submission of new degree programs. Resources related to system-level program approvals are included in Section 6.e.
    2. Submission of a Preliminary Proposal. This proposal is intended to collect initial information related to the proposal and provide an opportunity for early feedback. UMAA will review the proposal and provide feedback in writing. For proposals where a traditional credit bachelor’s degree is being converted to a reduced credit program, the objective of the pre-proposal is to understand the rationale for the conversion and any potential impact on learning outcomes.
    3. Submission of a Full Proposal. This proposal is more detailed including  requesting information on workforce demand, projected revenue and expenditures, and other information. UMAA will review the proposal and provide feedback in writing. 
    4. System-Wide Review. Upon finalization of the full proposal, the proposal will be distributed by UMAA to the provosts and chancellors of the other three UM System universities for comment within 20 business days of receipt. System-wide reviews may lead to the identification of opportunities for collaboration and/or concerns regarding duplication, and revisions and discussion may be required as the result of the system-wide review.  For proposals where a traditional credit bachelor’s degree is being converted to a reduced credit bachelor’s degree, system-wide review may not be required if the degree program achieves the same learning outcomes as the traditional credit program it is replacing.  
    5. Board Approval. Upon conclusion of the system-wide review process (when applicable), UMAA will facilitate submission of the proposal to the Board of Curators for review and approval at a regular meeting. Typically, the relevant dean and a subject matter expert are invited to provide brief remarks to the Board at the scheduled meeting. 
  5. State Approval
    1. Upon confirmation of Board approval, UMAA will submit the proposal to MDHEWD as a new degree program. 
    2. The proposal will be made available to all Missouri institutions for public comment. UMAA will monitor submission of public comments and coordinate responses as needed. This process typically takes between one to two months. 
    3. Consistent with MDHEWD policy, all new degree programs, which in this case also include degree programs that have been converted from a traditional credit bachelor’s degree to a reduced credit bachelor’s degree, are granted provisional approval for a period of 5 years, after which they will be evaluated and either (a) granted permanent approval, (b) recommended for an additional 2-year provisional approval, or (c) recommended for discontinuation. 
  6. Accreditor Approval
    1. Processes for accreditor approval may be initiated concurrently with state approval (Section 5.e.) but should not be initiated prior to Board approval (Section 5.d(v)).  
    2. Program-specific accreditation: Each proposing academic unit, in partnership with the Provost’s Office, is responsible for ensuring appropriate processes are followed with respect to program-specific accreditation. 
    3. Regional accreditation: Each university is responsible for managing the submission of the proposal to HLC for review and approval. Per HLC guidelines, institutions submitting a request to offer a Reduced Credit Bachelor’s Degree under this section must complete and submit a Reduced Credit Bachelor’s Degree Program Application to the HLC. This process typically takes between three to eight months. 
  1. University of Missouri (Mizzou) Approval and Change Processes
  2. University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) New Program Proposals
  3. Missouri University of Science and Technology (S&T) Academic Program Resources
  4. University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) New Degree Programs
  5. Higher Learning Commission, New Educational Programs