SENATE DOCKET, NO. 322        FILED ON: 1/13/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 843

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Jacob R. Oliveira

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to authorize state universities to offer clinical and professional doctorate programs.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 322        FILED ON: 1/13/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 843

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1355 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act to authorize state universities to offer clinical and professional doctorate programs.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 1 of chapter 73 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out the first paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

Section 1. The state universities, as established by section 5 of chapter 15A shall provide educational programs, research, extension, and continuing education services in the liberal, fine and applied arts and sciences and other related disciplines through the doctorate degree level, to include but not limited to clinical doctorate degrees and professional doctorate degrees. They may not offer PhD level programs unless in cooperation with the University of Massachusetts under authority granted by the board of higher education, concurred in by the boards of trustees of the University of Massachusetts and of said state universities. They shall provide a major emphasis on the preparation of teachers and other professional educational personnel. The board of trustees of the state universities may grant the degree of Bachelor of Education or of Bachelor of Science in Education to any person completing a four-year course in a state university, and the degree of Master of Education to graduates of colleges or universities who have satisfactorily completed a graduate course of instruction in any such university. The trustees may grant the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts to any student at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design upon the successful completion of certain four-year prescribed courses in the field of fine arts, and may grant the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts at said college of art. The trustees may grant the degree of Bachelor of Nautical Science to any person satisfactorily completing the prescribed course of instruction at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The trustees may also grant such other appropriate baccalaureate degrees at such state universities as it may determine and prescribe. The trustees, as established by section 5 of chapter 15A, may also award academic degrees at all appropriate levels, including clinical or professional doctoral degrees, as approved by the board of higher education. They may also award such honorary degrees as they deem appropriate.