My university is proposing to offer shorter degrees. Others should follow suit.
Proficiency in Greek was once mandatory at many American universities. It wasn’t unusual for students to start at 15. Chapel was often compulsory. There was a time before the SAT, the Common App, majors, minors and electives.
Since America’s first university was founded nearly 400 years ago, higher education has changed with the needs of students and society. Now, universities are due for another evolution: offering 90-credit, three-year bachelor’s degrees in fields that demand immediate workforce development.
College students today face uncertain prospects fueled by the explosion of artificial intelligence, the rapidly shifting postcollege job market and high tuition costs. At New York University, we are proposing opening three-year bachelor’s degrees in nursing and hospitality. Allowing students to launch their careers a year earlier means these graduates will have lower education costs and an extra year of earning. They can also fill critical work shortages more quickly.
A handful of states and smaller colleges have already opened paths to a degree that requires roughly 90 credits instead of 120. State officials in Massachusetts and lawmakers in Oklahoma have taken up the issue. Accreditors, including the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, have also signaled their openness to shorter degrees.
