Brandman University in California gets the green light to offer federal financial aid for a new competency-based education program for working adults, school officials announced.

The nonprofit institution is the fourth school to get the nod from the U.S. Department of Education award financial aid through the Direct Assessment Program, an instructional program that, in lieu of credit hours or clock hours as a measure of student learning, utilizes direct assessment of student learning, or recognizes the direct assessment of student learning by others.

"The U.S. Department of Education administers a rigorous process to insure that institutions awarding direct assessment financial aid adhere to the highest standards, and I am proud that Brandman is among the first few institutions to garner this approval. It reflects our dedication to academic quality and innovation on behalf of students," Chancellor Gary Brahm said in a statement.

Competency-Based Education (CBE) is a modern educational method that leverages the power of technology to match the skills most needed in a 21st century workforce with a formal degree program.

"The unique structure of the program requires students to concretely demonstrate their knowledge, skills and abilities, without requiring them to sit through a traditional sixteen week course," said Charles Bullock, Brandman University Provost.

According to Bullock, the program is innovative in a number of ways: (1) it is a low cost degree ($5,400 per year including digital textbooks); (2) students have multiple sources of support, including a Brandman coach and dedicated tutorial faculty; (3) the learning management system is mobile/tablet ready and incorporates the latest learning technology, including adaptive learning; and (4) the program was designed by faculty using a backward design process that truly prepares students for today's workforce.

"Although competency‐based programs have been criticized as a 'one‐and‐done' approach to learning, Brandman intentionally threaded certain student learning outcomes throughout the program, such as oral and written communication skills, research skills, and decision‐making skills are introduced; they are practiced, applied and mastered across the curriculum," Bullock added.