Competency-based online and blended educational programs aren’t limited to the fields of business, computer science, nursing and education.

Because competency-based programs measure student progress based on the demonstration of prescribed skills — often at a student’s own pace — they can allow for a quick flow of graduates into any field with a high labor demand, experts say. As a result, programs in many fields of study not typically associated with the approach are beginning to consider it.

Let’s take a look at how and why a few online programs below are bringing CBE into new disciplines of study.

Consider these four things [before pursuing competency-based education.]

— Bachelor’s in diagnostic imaging: The University of Wisconsin system’s Flexible Option, an online competency-based program that offers several self-paced degrees through different anchor universities, launched its diagnostic imaging program in March 2014.

The idea was to offer medical imaging professionals an efficient way to advance into roles like a physician assistant or a medical educator, says Susan Stalewski, the Flex Option’s academic program lead at UW–Milwaukee, which is the anchor institution for the imaging program.

The program is primarily online and self-paced, which Stalewski says is crucial for a target demographic that has varying demands on its time. “We always think they can move faster, but it also gives the students the option to move slower,” she says.

Students generally begin with 60 credits awarded for their professional imaging certifications and work through the remaining 60 by taking one or multiple competency sets at a time, based on their preference.

Stalewski says she hopes UW’s Flexible Option can create similar programs aimed at other associate degree-holding medical professionals.

Discover [four tips to finish an online, competency-based degree.]

— Master’s in health education: The University of Michigan–Ann Arbor launched a competency-based master’s degree in health education to help fill experienced medical professionals’ need for more knowledge and better teaching methods, says Larry Gruppen, the program’s director and a professor of medical help services.

The program can be completed remotely, with each student working online with a mentor to structure a learning pathway that allows them to meet academic competencies through their employment as medical educators, whatever their institution. The program was a natural outgrowth of competency-based education in other medical fields, he says, though the format is unusual in programs that train health educators.

— Master’s in strategic communication: The private Westminster College in Salt Lake City began offering an online competency-based master’s degree in strategic communication to target students who felt they didn’t quite fit in the school’s competency-based MBA.

“They would go learn more about the program and realize they were really more interested in the leadership or the marketing end of it, or the branding end of it,” says Christine Seifert, an associate professor and chair of the strategic communication program.

The strategic communication alternative is not entirely self-paced. Students complete five sequences of academic tasks, one per semester, over an 18-month stretch, but may complete the individual sequences as quickly as they prefer.

Student work isn’t graded, but instead is either found to exceed, meet or fall short of competency. Students are not punished for submitting work several times before achieving competency.

“Employers don’t want the C student — they don’t even want the B student,” says Seifert. “They want the student who can work through something over multiple revisions, multiple steps of input, and actually come up with something better.”

— Master’s in nonprofit management: The private Antioch University’s hybrid nonprofit management master’s program offered through the school’s Los Angeles campus aims to provide a pathway to leadership in a city with a large nonprofit sector.

The program is not self-paced, but reflects principles of competency-based education in other ways that benefit students, says Susan Nero, chair of the school’s management department.

Over their 18-month enrollment, students produce work similar to what would be asked of an executive director, like developing a marketing plan or writing solicitation letters for annual funding. Students meet on campus once a week and work online with professors and peers in between meetings. And they can pair their coursework with their job requirements when the nature of the assignment fits, which happens often, Nero says.

Similar to Westminster College, all of Antioch’s students are issued a professional-style narrative evaluation instead of a letter grade. “I think our program is really much more focused on fulfilling the practitioner requirements,” Nero says.

Learn how [to tell if a competency-based program could help your career.]

— Associate in mechatronics and associate in nondestructive testing engineering: The Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina, is developing online associate degrees in mechatronics and in nondestructive testing engineering to meet manufacturing and energy industry workforce demands in the region.

“We have a very strong relationship in Charlotte with a lot of German companies that have landed in our community, and we’re spending a lot of time trying to meet their need,” says Michael Horn, the school’s assistant to the president for academic advancement.

With a target launch date of 2017, the programs offered in partnership with a handful of North Carolina community colleges will combine the availability of on-site labs with virtual coursework and simulations. The competency-based structure will allow “multiple entry and exit points” for students who may wish to complete their degree incrementally while working, Horn says.

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Competency-Based Online Programs Address Needs in New Industries originally appeared on usnews.com