NJ Bill will streamline college credit requirements

NEWTON – A new bill passed by both houses of the New Jersey State Legislature will allow students to earn their associate degrees in less time than before, a move that Sussex County Community College says is great news for the college and its students once it is implemented.
The new law, scheduled to go into effect for the Fall 2019 school year, streamlines requirements for earning an associate degree to 60 credits per program. This will allow students to gather enough credits to graduate within two standard school years, or about 15 credit hours per Fall and Spring semester.
“It presents an excellent opportunity for students seeking to earn their credentials in a timely fashion,” said Dr. Anthony Balzano, a Professor of Anthropology & Sociology at SCCC and a big proponent of the legislative bill. “Senate Bill 1265 reduces the requirements for the associate degree by two courses for the vast majority of students.”
SCCC has taken preemptive steps to ensure a smooth transition to the new guidelines and has worked over the course of the last year to start restructuring programs that previously required more than 60 credit hours.
“In many cases, the revision process streamlined curricula,” Dr. Balzano said. "Staying in line with best practices is nothing new for the College, though, which he said prioritizes keeping “current with prevailing higher education academic standards.”
Sussex County Community College offers more than 60 two-year degree programs in fields ranging from technical skills, math and science to fine arts and business.
To learn more about the degree offerings at Sussex, visit sussex.edu/academics or email admissions@sussex.edu. The College is located at One College Hill Road in Newton.