"Just months after the launch of the first handful of in-person, three-year undergraduate programs last fall, one university has announced it will offer all of its undergraduate programs as reduced credit "bachelor's of applied science" degrees. Starting in spring 2026, Ensign College, a private institution in Utah that is part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint will allow students to take any of its 10 majors in a three-year format-although the four-year option will still be available."
"The new 90-credit option seeks to "help students graduate faster and start earning sooner, without requiring an overloaded, accelerated course schedule," according to the college's announcement. It's the first college in the U.S. to offer an accelerated timeline for all its majors. Among the other institutions that have launched or announced plans to introduce three-year degrees, most are relegated to a handful of programs."
Ensign College will offer all ten undergraduate majors as 90-credit, three-year bachelor's of applied science degrees beginning spring 2026, while maintaining traditional four-year options. The pathway aims to let students graduate faster and enter the workforce sooner without overloading their schedules. Ensign previously launched two online reduced-credit programs in 2024 alongside BYU-Idaho, prompting the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities to monitor outcomes before permitting further approvals; the accreditor removed the pilot label in summer 2025 and invited other institutions to propose reduced-credit degrees. Enrollment interest is strong, and graduates from these accelerated programs are forthcoming.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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