Department of Defense 

INSTRUCTION 

NUMBER 5545.04

April 7, 2011 

USD(P&R) 

SUBJECT: Policy on the Congressional Reporting Process for Military Educational 

Institutions Seeking to Establish, Modify, or Redesignate Degrees 

References: (a) DoD Directive 5124.02, “Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 

Readiness (USD(P&R)),” June 23, 2008 

(b) Sections 2161, 2163, 4314, 4321, 7048, 7101, 7102, 9314, and 9317 of title 

10, United States Code 

(c) Letter from Director, Bureau of the Budget, to Secretary, Health, Education, 

and Welfare, “Federal Policy Governing the Granting of Academic Degrees 

by Federal Agencies and Institutions,” December 23, 1954 

(d) Section 1011c of title 20, United States Code 

1. PURPOSE. In accordance with the authority in References (a) and (b), this Instruction 

establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes procedures for the Congressional 

reporting process for specified military educational institutions as they establish, modify, or 

redesignate degree(s). Throughout this Instruction, the use of the term “degree” shall refer to a 

graduate or undergraduate degree from these institutions. 

2. APPLICABILITY. This Instruction applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of 

the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the 

Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD 

Field Activities, and all other organizational entities within the DoD (hereinafter referred to 

collectively as the “DoD Components”). 

3. DEFINITIONS. See Glossary. 

4. POLICY. It is DoD policy that the military educational institutions covered by this 

Instruction, and as defined in the Glossary, are encouraged to establish and revise curricula and 

disciplines as required to meet the needs of the Military Services and shall only establish, 

modify, or redesignate degrees after the Secretary of Education has recommended approval of 

the degree program, the institution is accredited by the appropriate civilian academic accrediting 
DoDI 5545.04, April 7, 2011 

2

agency or organization to award the degree, and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for 

Personnel and Readiness formally informs the military educational institution that the 

appropriate documentation has been submitted to the Congress. 

5. RESPONSIBILITIES. See Enclosure 1. 

6. PROCEDURES. See Enclosure 2. 

7. RELEASABILITY. UNLIMITED. This Instruction is approved for public release and is 

available on the Internet from the DoD Issuances Website at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives. 

8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Instruction is effective upon its publication to the DoD Issuances 

Website. 

Clifford L. Stanley 

Under Secretary of Defense for 

Personnel and Readiness 

Enclosures 

 1. Responsibilities 

 2. Procedures 

 3. Relationship of Non-Department of Defense Participating Entities 

 Glossary 
DoDI 5545.04, April 7, 2011 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ENCLOSURE 1: RESPONSIBILITIES .........................................................................................4 

PRINCIPAL DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PERSONNEL AND 

READINESS (PDUSD(P&R)). ...........................................................................................4 

HEADS OF THE DoD OR OSD COMPONENTS WITH OVERSIGHT OF MILITARY 

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ....................................................................................4 

ENCLOSURE 2: PROCEDURES ..................................................................................................5 

NEW DEGREES .......................................................................................................................5 

MODIFICATION OR REDESIGNATION OF DEGREES .....................................................5 

REFUSAL OF ACCREDITATION ..........................................................................................6 

ENCLOSURE 3: RELATIONSHIPS OF NON-DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

PARTICIPATING ENTITIES ...................................................................................................7 

GLOSSARY ....................................................................................................................................8 

PART I. ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ..................................................................8 

PART II. DEFINITIONS ..........................................................................................................8 

3 CONTENTS 
DoDI 5545.04, April 7, 2011 

ENCLOSURE 1

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. PRINCIPAL DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PERSONNEL AND 

READINESS (PDUSD(P&R)). The PDUSD(P&R) under the authority, direction, and control of 

the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall: 

 a. Oversee the notification of the Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed 

Services Committee when military educational institutions seek to establish new, modified, or 

redesignated degree-granting authorities. 

 b. Oversee notification of the Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services 

Committee of any action by an appropriate academic accrediting agency or organization not to 

accredit a military educational institution to award any new or existing degree. Notification to 

these Committees will include an explanation of the action by the appropriate academic 

accrediting agency or organization not to accredit. 

 c. Oversee the implementation of the procedures in this Instruction. 

 d. Notify the Secretary of the Military Department concerned, the Chairman of the Joint 

Chiefs of Staff, or the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, as applicable, when the letter 

notifying the Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services Committee has been 

delivered to fulfill statutory notification requirements for new, modified, or redesignated degreegranting authorities, or for any action by an appropriate academic accrediting agency or 

organization not to accredit a military educational institution to award any new or existing degree 

2. HEADS OF DoD OR OSD COMPONENTS WITH OVERSIGHT OF MILITARY 

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. The Heads of DoD or OSD Components with oversight of 

military educational institutions shall: 

 a. Ensure that the documentation described in Enclosure 2 is submitted to the PDUSD(P&R) 

for military educational institutions under their purview to enable Congressional notification 

when a military educational institution is establishing, modifying, or redesignating degrees. 

 b. Ensure that military educational institutions under their purview do not grant new, 

modified, or redesignated degrees until the PDUSD(P&R) has informed the head of the relevant 

Component that appropriate notification has been made to the House and Senate Armed Services 

Committees. In turn the head of the relevant Component will notify the presidents of the 

affected military educational institution. 

 c. Ensure that, in the event that an academic accrediting agency or organization elects not to 

accredit a military educational institution under their purview to award a new or existing degree, 

the relevant component submits a memorandum summarizing the issue and recommending 

remedial actions to the PDUSD(P&R). 

4 ENCLOSURE 1 
DoDI 5545.04, April 7, 2011 

ENCLOSURE 2

PROCEDURES

1. NEW DEGREES

 a. When seeking to establish a new degree-granting authority, the Secretary of the Military 

Department concerned, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or the Under Secretary of 

Defense for Intelligence, as applicable, shall: 

 (1) Submit to the Department of Education’s (DoEd) National Advisory Committee on 

Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) the self-assessment questionnaire required by the 

Federal Policy Governing the Granting of Academic Degrees by Federal Agencies and 

Institutions (Reference (c)). Submit to the appropriate accrediting agency the required 

substantive change or other documentation required for new degrees. 

 (2) New degrees must be approved by the U.S. DoEd as well as the appropriate 

accrediting agency for the institution in question. Within 60 days of receipt of the DoEd 

determination regarding the establishment of the new degree-granting authority, submit to the 

PDUSD(P&R) a memorandum requesting notification of the House and Senate Armed Services 

Committees along with the self-assessment questionnaire and subsequent recommendations and 

comments of the DoEd and the appropriate academic accrediting agency. 

 b. The PDUSD(P&R) will coordinate all documentation to be delivered to the House and 

Senate Armed Services Committees with the Joint Staff, and summarize coordination results in a 

letter notifying these Committees as required in accordance with Reference (b). Courtesy copies 

of the notification letter will be provided to the DoD or OSD Component Head and the affected 

institution as formal communication that the statutory requirement was completed. 

 c. Upon receipt of the copies of the notification letter by the DoD or OSD Component Head, 

the affected institution may award the new degree. 

2. MODIFICATION OR REDESIGNATION OF DEGREES

 a. When seeking to modify or redesignate an existing degree-granting authority, the 

Secretary of the Military Department concerned, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or the 

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, as applicable, shall: 

 (1) Submit to the PDUSD(P&R) and DoEd a copy of the substantive change request, or 

equivalent documentation as required by the applicable accrediting agency, for modified or 

redesignated degrees within 60 days of its submission to the applicable accrediting agency. 

5 ENCLOSURE 2 
DoDI 5545.04, April 7, 2011 

6 ENCLOSURE 2 

 (2) Submit to the PDUSD(P&R) any subsequent recommendation of the Secretary of 

Education on the proposed modification or redesignation within 60 days of receipt from the 

DoEd. 

 b. Military educational institutions shall not award modified or redesignated degrees until 

the PDUSD(P&R) informs the DoD or OSD Component Head that the notification has been 

delivered to House and Senate Armed Services Committees. Notification to these Committees 

will consist of a copy of the substantive change request and a copy of the subsequent 

recommendation from the Secretary of Education. 

 c. Military educational institutions are encouraged to communicate with the Office of the 

Executive Director of the NACIQI and the appropriate academic agency if there are concerns or 

questions with regard to what constitutes a substantive change to degree programs. 

3. REFUSAL OF ACCREDITATION. In the event that the appropriate academic accrediting 

agency or organization opts not to accredit a military educational institution to award a new 

degree or accredit the modification or redesignation of an existing degree, the Secretary of the 

Military Department concerned, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or the Under Secretary 

of Defense for Intelligence, as applicable, shall submit a memorandum to the PDUSD(P&R) 

within 90 days containing a summary of the issue and corrective actions. The PDUSD(P&R) 

will send a notification to House and Senate Armed Services Committees consisting of an 

explanation of the action by the appropriate academic accrediting agency or organization not to 

accredit the degree. 
DoDI 5545.04, April 7, 2011 

ENCLOSURE 3

RELATIONSHIPS OF NON-DoD PARTICIPATING ENTITIES

1. The DoEd is an agency of the Federal Government that outlines the standards of higher 

education. It provides the criteria and certification for accrediting agencies or organizations. 

2. NACIQI provides recommendations to the Secretary of Education regarding the recognition 

of accrediting agencies as reliable authorities concerning the quality of education and training 

offered by postsecondary educational institutions and programs. NACIQI was established by 

section 1011c of title 20, United States Code (Reference (d)), and is composed of 18 members, 

six appointed by the Secretary of Education, six appointed by Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, and six appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate. This committee 

advises the Secretary of Education on matters concerning accreditation, and the eligibility and 

certification process for institutions of higher education. 

7 ENCLOSURE 3 
DoDI 5545.04, April 7, 2011 

GLOSSARY

PART I. ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

DoEd Department of Education 

NACIQI National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity 

PDUSD(P&R) Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 

Readiness 

PART II. DEFINITIONS

These terms and their definitions are for the purpose of this Instruction. 

degree modification. Any change to a degree program that would initiate notification to an 

accrediting agency. This includes, but is not limited to, change in delivery method, addition of 

courses offered at a degree level above that which is included in the institution’s current 

accreditation, change to location where degree is offered, change in credit hour calculation, and 

substantially increasing or decreasing the length of hours of a degree program. The basic trigger 

for determining a degree modification is whether the academic accrediting agency believes the 

changes require a new accreditation by the agency or organization. Altering the curriculum by 

substituting one course for a more current course that does not alter the degree itself, or minor 

changes in the curriculum to adjust the program to meet current needs of the Service that do not 

alter the type or requirements of the degree, are not considered degree modifications. 

degree redesignation. A change in classification of a degree program. This includes name 

change of a degree program, change in type of degree (e.g. Master of Arts degree to Master of 

Science), and transition of a degree program from one school to another. 

military educational institutions. National Defense Intelligence College, National Defense 

University, United States Army Command and General Staff College, United States Army War 

College, United States Naval Postgraduate School, Naval War College, Marine Corps 

University, United States Air Force Institute of Technology, and Air University. 

self-assessment questionnaire. A document required by the NACIQI in accordance with 

Reference (c) when an educational institution seeks to establish a new degree-granting authority. 

substantive change request. A concise analysis detailing a request to make changes to a degree 

program. A substantive change request typically consists of an executive summary, a statement 

regarding the need to make changes to the degree, analysis of the impact of the proposed change 

on the rest of the institution, any financial impacts of the proposed change, and legal 

authorization to conduct the program if required. 

8 GLOSSARY