Unlocking Competency-Based Education: A Shift for Top Colleges

The Rise of Competency-Based Education in North Carolina & Beyond

Graduating from a traditional four-year college didn’t seem feasible for Andrea Miranda in 2010. The cost of higher education in the United States, as compared to Mexico where she lived until she was 13, was daunting. Her journey took her through a career-focused training program, an internship at a Boston bank, and finally to her destination: an online Business Administration program at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

Through her work with Duet, a nonprofit that mentors college students, Miranda was introduced to the competency-based education (CBE) approach at SNHU. This approach, which is being implemented at over 1,000 university programs according to a 2020 survey report by the American Institute for Research, allows students to move at their own pace, often accelerating their progress if they already have relevant work experience.

Competency-Based Education: A Shift in Higher Education

Competency-based education is transforming the landscape of higher education. Instead of evaluating student progress purely by credit hours or seat time, CBE emphasizes what a student can do. Paul LeBlanc, president of Southern New Hampshire University, is a proponent of this learner-centered approach. He sees it as a means to fill skill gaps in the workforce while providing a flexible educational path for students who may need to balance work and study.

For instance, Miranda credits CBE for her current success. She now runs her own dog boarding business and works for an after-school program that teaches entrepreneurial skills to high school students. Her experience with CBE allowed her to demonstrate what she already knew and move on to other subjects, supporting her career-oriented goals.

Breaking Down the Credit Hour Barrier

With traditional universities struggling to issue degrees at a pace that meets labor market demands, competency-based education is stepping in to fill the gap. This need is especially pronounced for first-generation and lower-income students who may find it challenging to access a traditional four-year program. Colleges, like SNHU, are offering competency-based programs that focus on skill mastery rather than time spent in school, addressing this need.

Affordable and Career-focused Education with CBE

One of the appealing aspects of CBE is its affordability. For example, South College, a for-profit college with various campuses, including North Carolina, offers a subscription model for its competency-based graduate degrees. For $6,000, a student can enroll and complete as many courses as they can during a semester.

Competency-based education is not just about affordability, but also about relevance. Courses are designed to be pertinent to necessary career skills, making graduates more prepared for the workforce. This approach has opened doors for many who thought they couldn’t go to college, proving that there’s more than one pathway to a successful career.

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