Oct. 14, 2009
Students in three majors at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie will be given the option next year of completing their bachelor’s degree in three years, Chancellor Charles W. Sorensen announced Wednesday.
"In these challenging economic times, we need to offer our students every avenue possible to complete their degrees quickly and get into the workforce," Sorensen said. "I am pleased that we have found a way to offer this option for some of our students and I look forward to the day when the majority of our students will have this opportunity."
Sorensen accepted the recommendations of a task force that concluded UW-Stout, beginning in fall 2010, should allow students in three programs the option of completing a degree in three years. The majors are psychology, business administration and hotel, restaurant and tourism. These are three of the largest programs on campus.
Under the plan, the three-year degree option would be an accelerated track for degree completion and the university would not be lowering any requirements for admissions, total credits to degree, general education and programs.
Students would sign a contract stating they understand the requirements included in getting a degree in three years and acknowledging what UW-Stout will do in return. A plan then will be developed on how the degree will be completed within that timeframe.
Students who choose this option will receive priority when registering for classes, which officials said is crucial if the students are to get the classes they need during the compressed schedule.
Students would have to take classes during Winterm and summer as well.
Because UW-Stout charges students on a per-credit basis, the cost in tuition will be the same under the three-year plan. However, the student would at save at least a year’s worth of living expenses and would start earning a paycheck earlier.
"The three-year degree will allow students to enter the workforce or graduate school earlier than is typical," said Ed Biggerstaff, professor of psychology and the program director for the Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. Biggerstaff served on the task force that developed the three-year degree proposal.
Sadie Larson, 21, a graduate student in applied psychology at UW-Stout, said she benefited greatly by putting together her own plan to complete her bachelor’s degree in three years.
"I never lost touch with school or felt like I got out of the loop because of summer classes and Winterm," she said. "Also, because I completed my B.A. degree early, I have hopes of completing my master's degree by the time most of my friends are finishing their bachelor’s degrees — considering five years is almost the norm now."
Larson, who is from Phillips, added, "I feel that I have just completed another task most people say is not very likely. Hard work, organization and determination can create more possibilities and give a person a great advantage in life. I am proud that I am so young and in graduate school."
While some universities have offered a three-year option for some time, there has been renewed interest in the idea across the country in 2009. At the American Council on Education's annual meeting in February, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. and a former university president, told college presidents they should offer three-year degrees, calling them the "higher-ed equivalent of a fuel-efficient car."
It is unclear how many universities in the United States offer a three-year option. The Associated Press in February reported that "Three years is the norm for undergraduate degrees in Europe, and a handful of U.S. colleges offer variants of a three-year program …"
Besides Biggerstaff, other UW-Stout officials who worked on the proposal were Damian Hanft, Karen Martinson and Janice Coker.
