10 U.S.C. § 2163 — Degree granting authority for National Defense University

(a) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, the President of the National Defense University may, on the recommendation of the University’s faculty, confer appropriate degrees on graduates who meet the degree requirements.

(b) A degree may be conferred under this section only if (1) the Secretary of Education has recommended approval of the degree under the Federal Policy Governing Granting of Academic Degrees by Federal Agencies; and (2) the National Defense University is accredited by the appropriate civilian academic accrediting agency or organization to award the degree, as the Secretary of Education determines.

(c)(1) When seeking to establish degree-granting authority under this section, the Secretary of Defense must submit to the Senate and House Committees on Armed Services (A) a copy of the self-assessment questionnaire required by the Federal Policy Governing Granting of Academic Degrees by Federal Agencies, when the assessment is submitted to the Department of Education’s National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity; and (B) the Secretary of Education’s later recommendations and reasons about establishing the degree-granting authority.

(c)(2) When existing degree-granting authority is modified or redesignated, the Secretary of Defense must submit to those committees a report stating the reasons for the proposed modification or redesignation and any later recommendation by the Secretary of Education about it.

(c)(3) The Secretary of Defense must submit to those committees a report explaining any action by the appropriate academic accrediting agency or organization not to accredit the National Defense University to award a new or existing degree.