Three-Year Degree Details

FAQ 1 - Is the Three-Year Reduced-Hour Bachelor’s Degree the same as a traditional four-year bachelor’s degree?

Three-year students complete the same course requirements for General Education, the major, and the minor as students completing OLLU’s traditional four-year bachelor’s degree programs. The bachelor’s degree awarded is the same Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Criminal Justice, or Childhood Studies, or the Bachelor of Social Work in Social Work.

Students pursuing a four-year bachelor’s degree may also have the option of adding a second major, called a double major, a second minor, or a certificate of specialization, such as the Spanish-English Biliterate Certificate Program.

FAQ 2 - Are courses shortened or compressed in a three-year degree?

No. Courses follow OLLU’s standard schedule and contact-hour expectations. The Three-Year Reduced-Hour Bachelor’s Degree does not accelerate or compress individual courses. Instead, it reorganizes the overall degree plan and removes elective hours that were not associated with student learning outcomes.

FAQ 3 - Do I need Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Credit, or transfer credit hours?

No prior college credit is required to enroll in a Reduced-Hour Bachelor’s Degree to be completed in three years. However, for students entering OLLU with AP, IB, Dual Credit, or transfer hours, the degree may be completed in less than three years.

FAQ 4 - What kind of course load should I expect each semester?

Students enroll in a typical course load of five courses per semester, or about 15-16 credit hours, for up to three years in fall and spring semesters until they have completed the required minimum 90 credit hours. Academic advisers help students build a schedule that is rigorous but manageable for completion in three years or six semesters.

FAQ 5 - Academic Quality: Will these new Reduced-Hour Bachelor’s Degrees qualify students for subsequent employment and graduate school?

Yes, but not always. Reduced-hour bachelor’s degrees may not meet expectations of some future employers and may not fulfill admission or prerequisite requirements for some graduate or professional programs that require a traditional 120-credit bachelor’s degree.

Because nationwide three-year degrees are still new, there is limited long-term graduate and employer outcome data. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), OLLU states that these degrees continue to reflect the quality and credibility that SACSCOC accreditation represents.

Three-year degree students complete the same course requirements for General Education, the major, and the minor as students in OLLU’s traditional four-year programs. The degree awarded is the same Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Social Work.

At the same time, students should understand that some graduate and professional schools may require a traditional 120-credit bachelor’s degree or additional prerequisite coursework. Some graduate programs may be more open to reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees than others, and students should review requirements carefully before choosing this pathway.

FAQ 6 - Three-year versus four-year bachelor’s degrees: Does OLLU still offer the same major in a traditional four-year bachelor’s degree, and what is the difference?

Three-year degree plans are designed to achieve the same educational goals as the four-year degree plan through the same major, minor, and general education structure. Four-year students, however, may have more room to add credentials such as a double major, a double minor, or additional certifications.

The three-year reduced-hour bachelor’s degree is a minimum 90-credit-hour college degree, reduced from the traditional college minimum of 120 credit hours completed in four years or eight semesters. Three-year reduced-hour degrees contain a careful selection of existing and fully intact OLLU majors and minors. Their creation involved removing degree-level elective courses that were not associated with student learning outcomes.

Three-year students complete General Education courses, their chosen major, and a chosen minor. Four-year students pursuing the same major also complete General Education courses, the major, and usually a minor on their way to completing at least 120 credit hours to graduate.

Four-year students may also choose to pursue a double major, a second minor, or additional certifications such as the Spanish-English Biliterate Certificate Program.

Select a link below to review side-by-side comparisons of the courses completed to earn the Three-Year Reduced-Hour Bachelor’s Degree versus the standard Four-Year Bachelor’s Degree plan.