Dive Brief:
- Western Kentucky University will begin offering a competency-based bachelor's degree in advanced manufacturing Dec. 1 through the university's Division of Extended Learning and Outreach.
- Campus Technology reports the new program is self-paced, giving students the opportunity to complete coursework online, outside of the structured timeline of the semester system, and attend on-site labs for practical experience.
- Western Kentucky University expects the program to prepare students for the workforce by giving them both content knowledge and practical experience, expanding opportunity to students who need the flexibility offered by self-paced courses.
Dive Insight:
Competency-based programs are either in development or already accepting students at about 600 institutions, an explosive increase from just two years ago. These programs break from the traditional concept of rewarding students for time spent in school, giving them credit toward their degrees for learning that took place outside of the classroom.
The federal government has been hot and cold in its response to the competency-based trend. Most recently, the Department of Education's inspector general issued a critical audit of the Higher Learning Commission's accreditation review process for competency-based programs, criticizing, in part, minimal interaction between instructors and students in such courses.