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The high cost of college is prompting some institutions to shorten the time it takes to get a degree. The University of North Carolina, for example, is exploring the idea of letting students pick up a bachelor’s in three years instead of four, reports the News & Observer. But as the Washington Post reports, three years is an eternity compared to the time it takes students adept at what’s become known as “degree hacking.” Think three months. That’s how long it took one student at the University of Maine at Presque Isle to get her bachelor’s through the school’s online YourPace program. She then followed up with a master’s in five weeks and now coaches others on how to do the same. All told, she spent $4,000.
The school charges a flat fee per eight-week term, encouraging students to cram in as many classes as possible. Western Governors University and others follow similar models, often granting credit for prior work experience or for completing tutorials from platforms such as Study.com. Supporters say the approach opens doors for the 43 million Americans who started college but never finished, offering low-cost credentials that can quickly boost pay and promotions. But some academics and accreditors are skeptical for obvious reasons. “I would prefer to have some of these degrees called something other than a bachelor’s,” says Marjorie Hass of the Council of Independent Colleges.
Read the full Post story, which notes that the head of the agency that oversees college accreditation in New England sounded surprised that someone could get a degree in three months at UMaine—and suggested they might investigate the “integrity” of that degree.
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