3-year bachelor’s degree programs on tap at Weber State, Utah Valley University

For generations of college students, the traditional path to a bachelor’s degree has typically meant earning about 120 credit hours across a four-year period.

But given today’s increased costs and time often associated with claiming a bachelor’s degree, more and more educators and lawmakers are championing accelerated, sub-120 hour bachelor’s degree programs.

“I do think there’s a way to streamline the process and get a student graduated through the system in three years versus four years; 90 credit hours versus 120 credit hours,” Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz told the Deseret News last fall.

And House Bill 265 — the so-called strategic reinvestment legislation that was recently ratified by the Utah Legislature — limits bachelor’s degrees at Utah’s public degree-granting institutions to no more than 120 credit hours — with allowances if programs require additional credit hours if they require accreditation or licensing.

Now a pair of Utah public schools — Weber State University and Utah Valley University — have introduced proposals for a few specific accelerated bachelor’s degree programs.

The accelerated programs were applauded by the Utah Board of Higher Education during their recent meeting.

“We’re thrilled to see Weber State University and Utah Valley University stepping forward with some of the first accelerated bachelor’s degrees in Utah’s public higher education system,” said Aaron Skonnard, Utah Board of Higher Education member in a news release.

“The Board of Higher Education’s move to approve these accelerated degrees creates additional learning options for students and faster pathways to careers and is helping push innovation across the nation.”

Accelerated bachelor’s degrees require as few as 90 credit hours — compared to the traditional 120 credits required for most four-year programs — and are designed to increase flexibility and affordability for students while maintaining rigorous academic standards.

The board’s 2024 policy made Utah one of the first states in the nation to allow public colleges and universities to develop bachelor’s degree programs below the 120-credit-hour threshold, according to the board of education.

Weber State’s proposed accelerated bachelor’s degrees include sound production/recording and an interdisciplinary degree in politics, philosophy and economics.

Meanwhile, UVU’s proposed degrees include emergency services supervision, professional advancement and several other programs “each designed with high-impact career outcomes in mind and a strong focus on learning outcomes and employer-aligned competencies,” according to a UBHE release.

The accelerated bachelor’s programs proposed by WSU and UVU are pending final approval by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities — the accrediting body for the state’s higher education institutions — and reportedly still need to follow established guidelines from the accreditor.

Weber State’s programs have already received approval from its board of trustees — while UVU’s proposal will be reviewed by its board of trustees in its next meeting.

‘Another tool to help more Utahns graduate’

The proposed accelerated bachelor’s degree programs are anchored to student success, said Weber State University President Brad Mortensen.

“Providing accelerated pathways in select programs saves time and money while achieving the same learning outcomes,” said Mortensen in a UBHE release.

“We want to meet students where they are and help them reach their goals more efficiently, without sacrificing the value of their education. These programs are another tool to help more Utahns graduate and thrive in our state.”

Mortensen’s counterpart at UVU, President Astrid Tuminez, said the state’s largest university is endeavoring to provide career-focused pathways that meet the evolving needs of the state’s students and workforce.

“These proposed accelerated bachelor’s degrees reflect that commitment,” said Tuminez. “By reducing time and cost to completion, we are helping more students achieve their educational goals and contribute meaningfully to Utah’s economy.”

Tuminez told the higher ed board members that UVU has been studying accelerated degree programs for “a long time.”

“Our approach was very pragmatic in just asking which degrees would lend themselves to this less than 120 credit hours.”

Mortensen added that WSU cannot actively advertise the new accelerated bachelor’s degree programs until they have received final NWCCU approval — “but we’re hoping to be able to start enrolling students as soon as this fall.”

Accelerated degrees already being offered by Latter-day Saint-sponsored schools

An accelerated bachelor’s degree program isn’t new to many Utah students.

Utah’s Ensign College and neighboring Brigham Young University-Idaho — which are privately sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — both offer accelerated bachelor’s degree programs through BYU-Pathway Worldwide.

The NWCCU recently removed the “pilot designation” for the existing accelerated degrees at BYU-Idaho and Ensign College — while allowing institutions to submit substantive change proposals to “offer bachelor’s degrees based on students achieving specific learning outcomes within a reduced credit hour amount rather than requiring a traditional number of credit hours to the degree.”

“If an institution can show that a (proposed bachelor’s degree program) achieves the same student-learning outcomes at a credit level that’s lower than 120 credit hours, then they will be able to bring those forward and the (NWCCU) will evaluate them,” said TJ Bliss, the Utah System of Higher Education’s associate commissioner for academic affairs reported to the board.

Commissioner of Higher Education Geoffrey Landward said that WSU’s and UVU’s proposed accelerated degree programs “are exactly the kind of pioneering approaches to these types of degrees that we were hoping for.”