482                               Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 358

303. Period before award.

(a)   Unless a degree granting institution is in operation on June 1,
1961, it shall not award any degree or diploma or other certificate
therefor until one year after it has filed a written notice with and
until such notice has received the approval of the State Department
of Education. The notice shall contain the name and address of the
degree granting institution; the names and addresses of the president
or other administrative head and of each member of the board of
trustees or other governing board; the names of members of the
faculty, with the highest academic degree held by each; a full descrip-
tion of the degree or degrees to be awarded and the course or courses
of study prerequisite thereto; and such additional information as
the State Department of Education may prescribe. An amendment
to the notice shall be filed with the State Department of Education
prior to the award of any degree or diploma or other certificate there-
for not contained in the original notice or prior amendments thereto.
A degree or diploma or other certificate therefor authorized in an
amendment shall not be awarded until one year after the filing of the
amendment with and the approval of the State Department of
Education.

(b)  A degree granting institution shall keep the notice which it
shall have filed with the State Department of Education current at
all times. For this purpose, it shall report, by appropriate amendment
of the notice, any change in any fact reported therein within thirty
days of its occurrence.

(c)  All degree granting institutions in operation on June 1, 1961,
shall file notices as required by this section within 180 days of said
date and thereafter the provisions of this section shall be fully ap-
plicable to them, except that the one year waiting period prescribed
in subsection (a) hereof shall not be required for any type of degree
being awarded by said institution during the academic year 1961-1962.

(d)   The State Department of Education shall not approve any
notice or amendment thereto filed pursuant to this section unless it
finds the facts stated therein to be correct and further finds that such
facts constitute compliance with the requirements of this Act for
degree granting institutions.

(e) By rule or regulation the State Department of Education,
MAY provide for recognition by it of national and regional education
accrediting agencies. Any degree granting institution or applicant for
status as a degree granting institution which offers resident instruc-
tion may offer annually in lieu of any notice or amendment thereto
required by this section, evidence that it is accredited generally or
in respect of its degree programs by a recognized AN educational
accrediting agency. RECOGNIZED BY THE STATE SUPERIN-
TENDENT OF SCHOOLS. If the State Department of Education
finds that the institution is so accredited, it shall not require the filing
of any notice or amendment thereto by such institution pursuant to
this section, nor shall Section 305 of this sub-title apply to any such
institution.

304. Degrees by other than residence institutions.

(a) Any educational organization or entity which could not qualify
as a degree granting institution solely because it does not conduct
instruction in residence may qualify as such an institution upon ap-