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Which specific degrees were reclassified as professional degrees and when did the reclassification occur?
Executive summary
The Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) narrowed which programs count as “professional degrees,” producing a draft that recognizes only about 11 primary programs plus some doctoral programs as professional degrees and would cut the list of eligible programs from roughly 2,000 to fewer than 600 [1] [2]. Several health and human‑service degrees — including nursing, physician assistant, social work, public health, occupational therapy, audiology and others — are reported by stakeholders to be excluded or at risk under the new definition [2] [3] [4] [5].
1. What the reclassification means and when it was decided
On or about early to mid‑November 2025, the Department of Education’s Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) negotiated‑rulemaking committee reached consensus on a proposed new definition of “professional degree” as part of implementing H.R.1/OBBBA; that process concluded at a session the department held in early November [1] [4]. The consensus draft reportedly limits the number of programs treated as professional degrees to 11 primary programs plus certain doctoral programs [1]. New loan limits tied to the professional‑degree label are scheduled to take effect starting July 1, 2026 under the bill’s framework, making the reclassification economically consequential [6].
2. Which specific degrees are being removed or put at risk
Available reporting and organizational statements identify a set of health and social‑service programs that stakeholders say would be excluded or curtailed by the new definition: nursing (including BSN/ADN and advanced nursing pathways), physician assistant (PA) programs, occupational therapy, audiology, social work, and public health degrees such as the MPH and DrPH [2] [5] [3] [4]. The Department’s draft narrowed the universe of programs from roughly 2,000 to fewer than 600, which implies many named professional programs would lose that label [2] [1]. Exact program‑by‑program lists are described differently across sources: AAU summarized the negotiated outcome as recognizing 11 primary programs and some doctorates [1], while social posts and associations enumerate many specific degrees they say would be excluded [2] [3].
3. Who is raising the alarm and why
National associations for nursing, public health, social work and research universities have publicly objected, arguing exclusion will reduce access to higher federal loan limits for students in those fields, threaten workforce pipelines in underserved communities, and make advanced practice education less attainable [5] [3] [4] [1]. The American Nurses Association called for the Department to engage nursing stakeholders and explicitly include nursing education pathways [5]. The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health warned the exclusion of MPH and DrPH could restrict access and weaken public health workforce preparation [3].
4. Departmental rationale and proposed criteria
The Department’s negotiated draft purportedly ties the “professional degree” designation to criteria such as program CIP codes, a defined level of preparation “beyond that normally required for a bachelor’s degree,” completion of academic requirements for beginning practice, and a pathway to professional licensure — elements meant to standardize eligibility and prevent distinctions based on program length [4]. Proponents of narrowing say it limits arbitrary expansions of the professional label and aligns loan policy with program outcomes, though detailed ED justifications or a full list of included CIP codes are not published in the provided sources [4] [6].
5. Gaps, next steps, and potential legal/political fallout
The Department was reported to plan a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and a subsequent public comment period; associations say they will submit comments and lobby for revisions [3]. NewAmerica and AAU both note substantial uncertainty remains about operational details and legal challenges, with litigation likely once final rules are issued [6] [1]. Available sources do not provide a single, definitive public list of every degree removed or an ED‑published final rule text; the current reporting is based on the RISE committee’s consensus drafts, stakeholder statements, and summaries [1] [2].
6. How students may be affected financially
Under OBBBA’s framework, students in programs labeled professional degrees would face higher annual and aggregate loan limits (e.g., programs awarding a professional degree would have higher caps than other graduate programs beginning July 1, 2026), so removal from the category reduces students’ access to larger federal loans and could make certain graduate tracks less financially feasible [6]. Associations warn this effect will be particularly acute for fields that serve rural and underserved populations, where advanced credentialing is tied to local access to care [5] [3].
Limitations: this summary relies on negotiated‑rulemaking reports, advocacy statements, a social media post summarizing reductions, and analyses in the provided results; a full, authoritative list from the Department of Education’s formal proposed rule or consolidated regulation text was not included among supplied materials, so exact program lists and final effective dates beyond those reported are not found in current reporting [1] [2] [6].