UMS Trustees gave approval today for four of Maine’s public universities to pilot 90-credit applied bachelor’s degree programs that promote Mainers’ economic mobility and address critical workforce needs in the state, including in public administration and psychology
ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine System (UMS) will become the first institution in the state to seek accreditator approval to pilot a new kind of applied degree program that addresses critical workforce shortages.
At its regular meeting today, the UMS Board of Trustees unanimously approved the System piloting five 90-credit applied bachelor’s programs specifically for adult learners who have not yet completed a door-opening degree and have been out of higher education for at least two years.
“This initiative reflects the commitment of our public universities to be nimble and responsive to changing educational and workforce needs by providing an innovative approach to help those many adults who need to complete degrees but are balancing work and family responsibilities a new and easier way to do so,” said Chair Trish Riley. “At the same time, the Board also reinforced our continued support for a traditional, comprehensive 120-credit bachelor’s degree program as the System’s primary undergraduate pathway.”
While a traditional bachelor’s degree requires at least 120 credit hours of college coursework and typically takes four years of full-time study, 90-credit degree programs have newly emerged as a way for students to develop the core competencies necessary to secure a professional position in their desired field or advance in their career more quickly and for less money.
The first 90-credit degree programs in the nation were launched online by institutions based in the Northwest last year. Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, which like UMS is accredited by the New England Commission for Higher Education (NECHE), will begin offering the first in-person 90-credit bachelor’s degree programs starting this fall.
On Monday, UMS Trustees approved 90-credit bachelor’s degree programs in Applied Public Administration (External Site) at the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA), Applied Business Management (External Site) at the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK), Applied College Studies (External Site) at the University of Maine at Machias and Applied Psychology (External Site) and Applied Liberal Studies (External Site) at the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI). The programs will be entirely online.
“With our region-leading affordability and accessible programs like the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s online, competency-based YourPace, the University of Maine System has been a national leader in reducing barriers to educational attainment and economic mobility. These new high-quality, accelerated degree programs build on our tradition of academic innovation that meets the market and enable our students to realize an earlier return on their investment in their postsecondary education, while getting Maine employers more of the qualified employees they so urgently need,” said Chancellor Dannel Malloy.
Their authorization comes after more than a year of UMS leaders developing the concept with faculty, staff, students and employers and multiple deliberative sessions by the Board.
Public universities within the System voluntarily put forth proposals aligned with their existing degree programs and Maine’s most critical workforce needs and informed by market analysis. For example, UMPI’s Applied Psychology will be offered through its entirely online, competency-based YourPace platform, making it accessible to working adults and meeting the growing need for qualified mental health professionals, particularly in rural and underserved regions. UMFK is offering Applied Business Management due to above-average growth in business management roles, which have a median wage more than double the average for all occupations.
Meanwhile, UMA’s 90-credit applied public administration program will prepare students for public sector careers and was developed in direct response to workforce needs identified by the Maine Municipal Association (MMA), which reports that there are currently more than 400 open positions in municipal government in the state.
“The changing nature of local government requires new and innovative ways of preparing municipal leaders and attracting more Mainers to government service. The Maine Municipal Association is excited by the opportunity for UMA’s applied public administration program to offer professional preparation for municipal leaders in a flexible, affordable, and high-quality format,” said MMA Director of Educational Services Peter Osborne. “We are confident that this program will build upon UMA’s long-standing excellence in public administration and distance learning, both of which are vital to addressing the challenge of recruitment and retention in the municipal workforce.”
All of the new programs were approved as pilots and both “applied” and “90-credit” will be in the degree name. System Trustees also limited enrollment to adult degree completers — defined by the Board (External Site) as students with prior college credit who will join the program after being away from postsecondary education for at least two years. While participants can receive credit for prior learning and work experience, they must earn at least 30 credits through the UMS university that will confer their degree.
These safeguards ensure the new high-quality programs meet student and workforce needs without diverting existing enrollment from the System’s 120-credit degree programs. At any time, a 90-credit student may transfer into a 120-credit aligned degree program, and UMS leaders expect the new offerings to eventually boost attainment of the traditional bachelor’s and advanced degrees, said Chancellor Malloy.
UMS will now request that NECHE consider and authorize the five programs at the Commission’s November meeting, with the hope that students will start as early as next summer.
Also at Monday’s meeting, Trustees authorized the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) to offer a new Master of Education degree program (External Site) (M.Ed.). UMF has grown enrollment in its graduate programs by 44% over the past five years, and the new program meets the evolving needs of Maine educators and schools, which increasingly require teachers to have advanced qualifications. UMF already offers six education-related master’s degrees (External Site), including in special education and educational leadership.
The Board approved the elimination of seven degree programs and the suspension of two others due to low or no enrollment and comparable offerings elsewhere in the System.
About the University of Maine System
The University of Maine System (UMS) is the state’s largest driver of educational attainment and economic development and its seven public universities and law school are the most affordable in New England. Over the past two decades, UMS has awarded 106,362 degrees and spurred and strengthened thousands of small Maine businesses through its world-class research and development activities. For more information, visit www.maine.edu.
Media Contact:
Samantha Warren
Director of External Affairs, University of Maine System
207-632-0389 / samantha.warren@maine.edu