The authority for this subchapter is Texas Education Code §§61.051 and 61.0512, which provide that no new degree program may be added at any public institution of higher education except with specific prior approval of the Board. Tex. Educ. Code §61.0515 requires that the number of semester credit hours required for the baccalaureate degree not exceed the minimum number required by the institution's accreditor, in the absence of a compelling academic reason provided by the institution.