Ball State to Voluntarily Eliminate 8 Degree Programs, Impact 43 Others

 

    MUNCIE, Ind. - Ball State University is voluntarily eliminating 8 degree programs.

    Indiana Public Radio--owned by Ball State--reports that the university is among six public colleges and universities in Indiana that volunteered to eliminate 19% of their degree offerings, "to meet requirements added to the state’s budget, according to the Commission for Higher Education."

    Out of all six institutions--Ball State, Indiana University, Indiana State University, Ivy Tech Community College, all Purdue University campuses, and the University of Southern Indiana--a total of 408 degree programs are being cut, suspended, or merged with another program.  

    A total of 80 degree programs will be eliminated.

    8 of those programs are at Ball State:

• M.A./M.S. in Teaching Major in English/Language Arts
• B.A./B.S. in Foreign Language Teacher Education: German
• M.S. in Software Engineering
• B.A./B.S. in German
• A.S. in Chemical Technology 
• M.A. in Political Science 
• M.F.A. in Visual Art
• B.A./B.S./B.F.A. in Visual Arts 

    One program--B.A./B.S. in Teaching Major in Foreign Language: Latin-- will be "suspended to eventually 'teach-out to eliminate.'"   

    Indiana Public Radio reports that 36 Ball State programs "will be merged or consolidated with other existing programs."  

    A press release from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education refered to these programs as having "zero-to-low enrollments and completions," and the universities submitted these programs to the Commission "ahead of the July 1, 2025 effective date of House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1001-2025, which set statutory average graduate thresholds for all degree programs."

    “During the most recent legislative session, one of our top agenda items included ensuring that Indiana’s higher education institutions are preparing students for career opportunities in the most in demand fields of today and the future,” said Governor Mike Braun in the press release. 

    “Just in the past month, our state institutions have taken bold, proactive steps to increase the value of higher education for both students and families, first, through keeping tuition flat, and today, by beginning the process to streamline degree offerings. This will help students make more informed decisions about the degree they want to pursue and ensure there is a direct connection between the skills students are gaining through higher education and the skills they need most.” 

    At the time of publication, Ball State has not publicly released any plan, information, or guidance for students facing their program being eliminated or merged.