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Which doctoral and master's programs were reclassified as non-professional by the U.S. Department of Education in 2025?
Executive summary
Available reporting does not list a definitive set of doctoral and master’s programs that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) reclassified as “non‑professional” in 2025; instead, coverage describes policy work around redefining “professional degree” that could exclude some programs (for example, public health degrees have been flagged as at risk of exclusion) but stops short of a final, implemented reclassification list [1] [2].
1. What the public reporting actually describes: rulemaking and proposals, not a finalized list
Multiple items in the record show the ED engaged in rulemaking and negotiation in 2025 over how to define “professional degree” under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and related RISE committee work, but the articles describe proposals and preliminary consensus rather than a published final rule that reclassifies specific programs nationally [2] [1]. The New America summary explains the department used a prior regulation as a baseline in RISE negotiations, and the ASPPH writeup reports the RISE committee reached preliminary consensus on a proposed definition — both show active policy development rather than a finalized federal reclassification list [2] [1].
2. Which programs reporters and stakeholders flagged as vulnerable or excluded in proposals
Public health degrees — notably the MPH and DrPH — were explicitly identified by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) as being proposed for exclusion from the “professional degree” category in RISE committee discussions; ASPPH warned that excluding those degrees could restrict student access to higher federal loan limits [1]. The New America summary of the RISE negotiations notes the earlier regulatory baseline included professions such as pharmacy and dentistry in the “professional degree” concept, implying that some traditionally professional programs were part of the working definition but that committee changes could narrow that list [2].
3. Why this matters: financial and access consequences if reclassification occurs
Stakeholders warned that moving degrees out of the “professional” category would change eligibility for higher federal loan limits and potentially affect loan forgiveness and repayment pathways — a central concern in ASPPH’s public comments urging inclusion of public health degrees [1]. New America’s coverage connects the RISE negotiations to implementation details of income‑driven repayment (SAVE) and other student‑loan rules, indicating definitions in this rulemaking can have operational consequences for borrowers [2].
4. Broader policy environment that may shape any reclassifications
These rulemaking efforts occurred amid a larger reorganization of the Education Department under the Trump administration in 2025, which publicly moved many ED functions to other federal agencies via interagency agreements and signaled an intent to downsize or “dismantle” the department; that broader reshaping of ED authorities and priorities provides political context for changes to student‑loan and degree‑classification policy [3] [4] [5]. Reporting from The New York Times, The Guardian, and ED press materials documents the administration’s push to shift programs to Departments of Labor, HHS, Interior and State [4] [5] [3].
5. Competing perspectives reported in the sources
Proponents of the administration’s moves frame interagency transfers and regulatory changes as streamlining federal bureaucracy and returning education decisions to states, with the ED press release emphasizing efficiency and better service delivery [3]. Critics and professional organizations argue proposed definitional changes threaten access to federal support for certain fields (ASPPH regarding public health) and that shifting ED functions circumvents Congress’s exclusive power to abolish the department [1] [4].
6. What the available sources do not provide (limitations)
The assembled reporting does not provide a definitive, authoritative list of doctoral or master’s programs explicitly reclassified as “non‑professional” by the ED in 2025; sources describe proposals, preliminary consensus, and stakeholder warnings but not a published final rule or agency decision enumerating affected programs [2] [1]. If you are seeking a formal, legally operative list, it is not found in the current reporting and would require checking ED’s official Notices of Proposed Rulemaking or final rules after the RISE process (available sources do not mention a finalized list) [2] [1].
7. Practical next steps for readers seeking confirmation
To confirm whether any specific doctoral or master’s programs were reclassified, consult the ED’s Federal Register notices and the Department’s rulemaking docket for the RISE/OBBBA rulemaking (ED press releases and RISE summaries contextualize the process but do not finalize program lists) and follow stakeholder groups (like ASPPH) for their comment filings and reactions [3] [1] [2]. Current news coverage and advocacy summaries signal possible changes — notably for public health degrees — but do not substitute for the formal regulatory text [1] [2].