(Des Moines, IA) — Students may soon be able to get a degree faster at one of Iowa’s three regent universities: Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa.
The Board of Regents is giving preliminary approval to a plan to introduce a Bachelor of Applied Professional Studies degree, with a goal of reducing the cost of college and getting graduates into high-need workforce areas. The new three-year degree program would only require 90-95 credit hours instead of the traditional 120 to graduate, while still meeting accreditation requirements.
The move is to meet mandates laid out in Iowa’s new College Affordability Act signed by Governor Reynolds last year and will roll out by the start of the 2027 academic year. Similar programs have been seen at other schools.
