Last week, Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in Rhode Island announced the launch of the nation's first in-person, three-year bachelor's degree programs. While other institutions already offer three-year bachelor's degrees, these programs are either exclusively online or require 120 credit hours. JWU students will be able to complete a degree in computer science, criminal justice, graphic design, and hospitality management within 90 to 96 credit hours.
The launch of JWU's program follows a recent wave of support for similar initiatives across the country. In March, the Utah Board of Higher Education authorized state colleges to explore creating three-year bachelor's degrees. That same month, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a law requiring each of the state's public four-year colleges to review their bachelor's degree programs to determine whether they could be completed in three years.
