The University of Maine System is launching a 90-credit online pilot program geared toward incentivizing adult learners to return to school despite obstacles, such as work and family responsibilities.

The UMaine System’s board of trustees approved the pilot program on Monday. It is limited to adults who have prior college credits and have been out of higher education for two or more years.

An announcement on Monday said the program will promote economic mobility and address workforce needs in the state.

“This initiative reflects the commitment of our public universities to be nimble and responsive to changing educational and workforce needs by providing an innovative approach to help those many adults who need to complete degrees but are balancing work and family responsibilities a new and easier way to do so,” Trish Riley, chair of the board of trustees, said in Monday’s announcement.

A traditional bachelor’s degree requires 120 credits, typically requiring four years as a full-time student. However, 90-credit degree programs like the one in Maine have been popping up in recent months.

The nation’s first 90-credit online degree programs, according to the announcement, were launched by schools in the Northwest last year. Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island will be launching a 90-credit online program this fall.

The programs in the UMaine System will be in Applied College Studies, Applied Public Administration, Applied Business Management, Applied Psychology and Applied Liberal Studies.

“These new high-quality, accelerated degree programs build on our tradition of academic innovation that meets the market and enable our students to realize an earlier return on their investment in their postsecondary education, while getting Maine employers more of the qualified employees they so urgently need,” said UMaine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy.