LITTLE ROCK — The state Department of Higher Education’s Coordinating Board today approved a new two-year business degree that can be transferred to any four-year state school in Arkansas.

“This gives us another tool in our tool chest,” said Rep. Karen Hopper, R-Mountain Home, associate vice chancellor for research, special projects and distance learning at Arkansas State University at Mountain Home.

The associate of science in business transfer degree was developed after the Legislature in 2009 passed Act 182, the Roger Phillips Transfer Policy Act, which guarantees that state two-year college students who complete an associate of arts, associate of science or associate of science in teaching degree can have their courses transferred to any public four-year university in the state.

“The Roger Phillips Transfer Act demonstrated for all of us in Arkansas higher education that we need to take every possible opportunity to streamline the transfer process for our students,” Pat Bailey, provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at ASU-Mountain Home, said in a news release announcing the new degree.

“The proposed A.S. in business is the next step in what we hope will lead to further efforts for smooth transfers for Arkansas students,” she said.