Answers to common questions regarding 90-credit programs available within the University of Maine System (UMS) are listed below. For additional information, please contact your university Registrar’s office, Provost’s office, or email VCASA@Maine.edu.

  • Q: Who is eligible to apply for a 90-credit degree program?
    • A: Students seeking to enroll in a 90-credit program must either: a. Already be enrolled in a program, certificate, or course(s) after having joined one of our universities as an adult degree completer, defined as (1) having some prior earned credit, and (2) having been away from one of our universities or another college or university for at least two years. This is consistent with our existing definition of adult degree completers for scholarship purposes. These qualifications will be checked by the student’s academic advisor and cross-checked by the university registrar.  or b. If not already enrolled as a UMS adult degree completer, 90-credit program applicants must be guided through a transcript evaluation, including evaluation of CPL (credit for prior learning—i.e., work/life experience equivalent to earned academic credit), and must meet the away-for-two-years requirement as well. These students’ eligibility will be checked and cross-checked by the academic advisor and the registrar. 
    • Students who do not meet the requirements of (a) or (b) above may not enroll in a 90-credit program. This includes all non-adult degree completion students currently enrolled, or planning to enroll, in a 120-credit UMS program, and community college transfers who entered a community college program within one year of graduating from high school and are seeking to move directly from community college to a 90-credit program. (One exception: Community college transfers who enrolled in their community college programs as adult degree completers— as defined by UMS— will be  eligible for 90-credit program enrollment pending transcript review, CPL evaluation, and confirmation by the academic advisor and registrar.)
  • Q: How many credits are required for graduation residency?
    • A: At least 30 credits – including substantial advanced work in the major – should be awarded by the institution.
  • Q: Will students with a prior baccalaureate in a similar/the same degree field be permitted to join these programs?
    • A: No. These programs are designed for adult and returning learners who have not yet received a bachelor’s degree. Adult learners with a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field are encouraged to apply. Some exceptions may apply – check with your university registrar’s office.
  • Q: Do transfer articulations apply to 90-credit programs?
    • A: These are new degree programs. New articulations will need to be negotiated.
  • Q: How much will it cost?
    • A: The per-credit pricing and fees for 90-credit programs are the same as all other bachelor’s program pricing, which varies by university.
  • Q: Are these programs accredited?
    • A: Yes, all programs within the University of Maine System, including the 90-credit programs, are accredited through the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
  • Q: Can a 90-credit degree program be part of a double-major or dual-degree?
    • A: Check with your university registrar’s office.
  • Q: How will students apply?
    • A: Students will apply to 90-credit programs through the UMS System Application or applications provided through individual universities. UMS 90-credit programs will not appear on the Common App.
  • Q: Will there be bridge plans from associate’s degree programs to 90-credit programs, or from these programs to bachelor’s programs?
    • A: Yes, eligible students continuing from an associate’s degree will be able to roll applicable credits into a 90-credit program. Similarly, applicable credits from a 90-credit degree program will transfer into related UMS 120-credit programs.
  • Q: Are graduates of 90-credit programs eligible for academic honors?
    • A: Check with your university registrar’s office.
  • Q: A course has a designation of “senior standing” required for registration. Can a 90-credit student still participate?
    • A: Check with your university registrar’s office.
  • Q: Can 90-credit students still use credit for prior learning (CPL)?
    • A: Check with your university registrar’s office.
  • Q: Will students who dropped out after completing 90-credits be eligible for a retroactive award of degree?
    • A: Check with your university registrar’s office.

For additional information, please contact the Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs at VCASA@Maine.edu