NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee colleges and universities could soon offer three-year bachelor’s degree programs under a policy approved July 23 by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
The Focused Baccalaureate Degree policy establishes an approval process for bachelor’s programs requiring as few as 90 credit hours, compared with the 120 hours typically required. The programs are intended to help students graduate more quickly while meeting workforce needs.
“Tennessee's new Focused Bachelor's Degree policy gives our institutions the flexibility to redesign a century-old model while preserving the high standards that define a bachelor's degree,” THEC Executive Director Steven Gentile said.
Commissioners also approved two new programs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville: a Bachelor of Arts in Civic and Constitutional Thought and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design.
The industrial design program will be the first four-year program of its kind in Tennessee, according to THEC.
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