At Nicholls State University, program length is scrutinized both internally and externally. Internal review processes for new curricula and for changes in existing curricula ensure that the length of each program is appropriate to the discipline, meets any national accreditation standards that are applicable, and is commensurate with other programs offered at the University. Comprehensive Standards 3.4.1 [1] and 3.4.12 [2] provide more detailed descriptions of the curriculum review process.

All newly proposed programs are subject to external review by the Louisiana Board of Regents. The Regents' guidelines for the Proposal of a New Academic Program (Proposal Format 1.d) specifies that schools must "outline the curriculum for the proposed program, in sequence or term-by-term" [3]. The proposal review process requires that institutions provide comparisons between the content of their proposed program with that of similar degrees offered at other institutions. In addition, program proposals are evaluated by external reviewers chosen by the Board, and program content and length are evaluated factors.

At Nicholls, the University's Academic Council reviews all curricula on a five-year cycle through its Academic Program Review Process [4]. Section 6.7 of this review asks for a comparison of the reviewed Program's curriculum with similar curricula at other institutions [4A]. For programs with external accreditations, additional checks on program length and content are provided through accreditation renewal reviews. The University has achieved national accreditation in programs for which a separate external accreditation is available [5]. In fact, 100 percent of Nicholls' programs that are eligible for such accreditation are currently accredited.

All of Nicholls State University's programs meet the SACS-COC standards for program length as indicated in Core Requirement 2.7.1 [6].