The Kansas Board of Regents wants time to study a proposal that would allow universities to award reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees.

The Board has paused a proposal from Kansas State University to offer a 90-credit-hour bachelor’s degree in uncrewed aircraft systems to evaluate its potential impact on the broader higher education system. That requirement is shorter than the state’s standard 120-hour requirement for a bachelor’s degree. Concerns were raised about how such reduced-credit degrees might affect the value of traditional four-year programs, transfer agreements, employer recognition, and overall academic rigor.

In response, the Regents will form a task force to explore whether a systemwide policy should guide future proposals. While K-State emphasized the degree is intended for emerging, workforce-focused fields and not for traditional majors, critics warn that rushing such changes could erode trust in Kansas degrees. Nationally, reduced-credit degrees are gaining traction, but their long-term implications remain under debate.