Northern Arizona University To Offer New Transcript

August 14, 2013

Northern Arizona University will offer its students a new type of transcript for the upcoming fall semester.

NAU Northern Arizona University's campus at South Mountain Community College. (Photo by Julie Levin-KJZZ)

NAU wants to make its students more competitive in the job market, and its new competency report may do that. In addition to a standard list of grades, the report will give proficiency scores for certain skills within a student’s major.  For example, liberal arts majors may be ranked on how well they write about culture.

NAU’s Senior Vice President of Extended Campuses Fred Hurst said employers want to know more about students beyond their degree.   

"If you think about it, if somebody takes three history courses, an employer really doesn't know what that means," Hurst said. "But what the employer really wants to know is how their skills will work in their workplace." 

The report will be available for three of NAU’s online degree programs, which include small business administration and computer information technology. Hurst estimates that 500 students will sign up within the first year.   

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been modified to reflect the new report will apply to just three of NAU's online degree programs. The university has several online degree programs.