Professional degrees

Southeast Missouri State University has agreements with community colleges and overseas universities for various programs, and now it has its first agreement for a professional program. Southeast and Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, Mo., have agreed to a plan that will shorten the time needed to get a doctor of chiropractic degree.

The university says it is pursuing similar arrangements for professional programs with other universities.

Under the Southeast-Logan plan, students will receive a bachelor's degree in biology after three years at Southeast and a fourth year at Logan. After two more years at Logan, the students will receive the D.C. degree. This schedule reduces the time needed to get the two degrees by a full year, which means less money spent on tuition and other related costs.

Currently, 60 percent of Southeast prechiropractic students go to Logan for their professional degree. There are 20 Southeast alumni currently enrolled at Logan.

Logan has 1,100 students and has similar agreements with 50 universities across the U.S., including seven in Missouri.

As the costs of higher education continue to rise, finding ways to expedite degree programs is a good way to help students as they pursue professional careers.