Back in 2010, the University of North Carolina Greensboro rolled out a program for students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree in three years or less. A growing number of students is taking advantage of it.
Graduating in less than the traditional four years is not a new idea. High schoolers have been taking classes for college credit for decades. UNCG in 3 is designed to make it easier to pull off. Most of the students in the program are recent high school graduates who’ve completed the required minimum of 12 credit hours.
“What we give them is customized advising and priority registration,” says Pat Levitin, the admissions liaison for the program.
She works with administrators to identify degree programs that can be completed in three years. They’ve developed thirty-six so far. Psychology and sociology are among the most popular majors, Levitin says, because many of those students want to get their diploma quickly and go on to grad school.
“If you major in sociology or psychology, you’re probably going on for your masters or PhD,” she says.
Business and political science are also popular choices. There are some degrees that aren’t eligible for the 3-year program, most notably nursing, bachelor’s of fine arts, and biology.
Enrollment in UNCG in 3 grew from five students in 2010 to 60 in 2012, and about 60 more have joined every year since. And, about three-quarters of them have completed their degree in three years or less.