Colleges Consider 3-Year Degrees To Save Undergrads Time, Money

[Taualumna]

Most Canadian universities still offer three year programs (though when you're admitted, most will assume that you're staying for four). These degrees have fewer required courses (at my alma mater, you had to take the equivalent of 19 or 20 full year courses for a four year degree, but 15 for three years) and many graduate programs won't even consider you if you went through a three year program.

[littleowl33]

I actually have a number of sisters who have graduated in 3 years. In the coming year alone, we have two girls graduating a year early and at least one graduating a semester early. Two of these three have been or currently are chapter officers, and one of those two is an RA. Yes, it is an enormous time commitment - but it's doable, especially if you come into college with AP credits. I don't know about these three sisters, but for many students I've talked to money is definitely a motivating factor. Our tuition is pretty steep, so working your you-know-what off for a few semesters is definitely worth the money.

[Xidelt]

Awesome! Let's water down education some more! Shortening classes and cutting credits are great ideas!

[Dionysus]

Good Lord, who in their right mind wants to complete college in 3 years? Even to save save money.

It's like someone inventing a pill to shorten the length of orgasms, and people wanting to take them.

[AGDee]

I have a friend who graduated in 3 years and he was a TKE. Because his father had passed away, he was only eligible for Social Security payments if he started college full time before he was 18. Therefore, he had a full course load at the community college during his senior year of high school. With one semester already under his belt, a few extra credits each term and some Spring/Summer courses, he finished in 3 years. I could see this happening more as more students graduate from high school with a semester of college credits already under their belts due to AP courses/exams.

Personally, I think college was the best 4 years of my life and there's no real reason to rush to adulthood I don't want my kids taking too long either though, due to finances. 4-4 1/2 years seems reasonable to me.

[em_adpi]

Just my two cents here...

I just graduated in three years and was a relatively happy, active member of my chapter. I lived in my house for a year and half, took a little, was house RA and music chair, Rho Gamma, sang with my college's traveling choir, wrote for the school paper, produced/reported for the school tv station, worked off campus 5 of 6 semesters... busy as heck, but I made it work.

It was cheaper for sure, but I came in with 27 hours thanks to dual credit, AP classes, and taking classes at a local college my senior year of high school (as in HS in the morning, college in the afternoon).

People can definitely do this and still be active Greeks.

[fantASTic]

I wouldn't want to do this, but it seems EASILY doable. I think that any student should be able to finish in 4 years, and a 3 year degree is just regular classes plus both summer semesters. That's not a big deal. I mean, it sucks to take summer classes, sure, but it's not impossible.

To be honest, I'm not sure why so many students take 5+ years to complete 4 year degrees. Obviously some degrees, like education degrees, take more time but the AVERAGE degree is set up to be completed in approximately 4 years.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

To be honest, I'm not sure why so many students take 5+ years to complete 4 year degrees. Obviously some degrees, like education degrees, take more time but the AVERAGE degree is set up to be completed in approximately 4 years.

It depends on the type of school you go to. Many private schools, even though they are more expensive, are set up in a way where you have to pass enough classes in a term in order to stay in school. I know that there was no way for me to have taken longer than four years unless I had taken a semester or year off, or if I had gotten a master's degree. We had no such thing as a "part-time" student, unless you had mitigating health or financial circumstances.

With state schools, however, you can take lighter or heavier loads at your wherewithal. Also, it seems at the smaller schools, you can't always get the classes you need to graduate when you want to take them. 5+ does seem excessive to me, but I think that's based more on my educational experience than anything else.

One of my close relatives took 3 years to get her BA, from a large public university. She took some summer classes abroad, but it was primarily because of AP/IB standing. She still got to do things like pledge a sorority and be active on campus. I had sophomore standing coming into college, but I decided not to take it. To each her own, really.