State higher education commission approves focused bachelor's program

Students may be able to earn a bachelor's degree in as few as 90 credit hours, or half the time typically required, as the Tennessee Higher Education Commission approved a new policy Friday to advance Focused Baccalaureate Degrees. Commissioners also approved two new academic programs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and acted on statewide policies related to outcomes-based funding and campus planning at two community colleges, according to a press release from THEC. The Commission approved a new policy establishing the approval process for Focused Baccalaureate Degrees. These focused degrees are designed to provide students with a more streamlined path to completing a degree quickly while addressing workforce needs, according to the release. The policy also creates a common naming convention and provides a framework for institutions seeking approval to pursue a Focused Baccalaureate Degree. "Tennessee's new Focused Bachelor's Degree policy gives our institutions the flexibility to redesign a century-old model while preserving the high standards that define a bachelor's degree," Steven Gentile, THEC executive director, said. "The true measure of a degree is not the amount of credit hours it takes to earn it, but the knowledge, skills and opportunities it creates." Commissioners also approved two new academic programs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville: a Bachelor of Arts in Civic and Constitutional Thought and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design. The Civic and Constitutional Thought program will prepare students with civic knowledge, analytical and communication skills that can transfer across career paths, including government, law, education, journalism, public relations and management. The Industrial Design program, the first four-year program of its kind in Tennessee, will prepare students for careers supporting the state's manufacturing, healthcare and other industries through human-centered design and innovation. THEC also approved the next steps in the 2026–2030 review of Tennessee's outcomes-based funding formula, which helps evaluate and fund public higher education institutions based on measures of student success and completion. The review will help ensure the formula continues to support student success and the state's higher education goals, according to the release. THEC highlighted the opening of applications for institutions interested in participating in the Workforce Pell initiative, which will expand access to federal Pell Grant funding for eligible students pursuing short-term workforce training programs. Commissioners also received an update on research conducted by the University of Michigan and THEC examining the long-term impact of the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship. The research found positive academic and economic outcomes for HOPE recipients, including stronger outcomes along four-year degree pathways and greater employment stability. THEC and the University of Michigan began the research through a grant from the Institute of Education Sciences awarded in May 2024. As Tennessee's largest state scholarship program, the HOPE Scholarship awarded $366 million to students during the 2024–25 academic year, according to the release.