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Roger Pielke, Jr. quoted in Daily Camera about new Degree in 3 Program at CU Boulder:
Daily Camera
March 24, 2015
by Sarah Kuta
The University of Colorado is launching a new initiative for cost-conscious and decisive undergraduate students who want to finish their degree in three years.
Traditionally, students and parents have thought of college as a four-year experience, but that doesn’t always need to be the case, said Michael Grant, CU-Boulder vice provost and associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education.
The goal of “Degree in Three” is to make students aware that it’s possible to finish all the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in three years, an effort that could save them money and help move them along to the next step in their life.
Some high school graduates arrive at CU with credits from Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes or from concurrent enrollment programs with a nearby community college.
Others know exactly what they want to do after college, and keep the same major throughout their time at CU.
The “Degree in Three” idea might be appealing to those students, Grant said.
“Many students come and don’t change or explore,” Grant said. “They go straight through to medical school or dental school or law school. They want to get this part of it done as quickly as possible so they can get out into the real world and start their careers.”
Already 60 to 80 undergraduates per year graduate in three years. The majority of students, however, don’t realize that with some careful planning, they too can finish early, Grant said.
Through the initiative, students are encouraged to meet with an advisor and go over sample schedules. Their courseload may be rigorous, and they likely will need to enroll in summer courses, but that may be worth it for some students and parents.
Roger Pielke Jr., a faculty member who has been working with Grant on the initiative, said he thinks of it as an “experiment” to see what kind of demand exists.
“It seems that there’s space for expanding the options that are available to students these days, with concern about the cost of college and the job market and so on,” he said.
Though students may need to pay for additional courses during the summer, he estimated that finishing in three years could save a student 10 to 20 percent on the total cost of their degree—every little bit counts, he said.
Currently, undergraduate tuition in the College of Arts and Sciences is $9,048 for in-state students, $31,410 for out-of-state students and $32,910 for international students. Students in other colleges and schools pay different tuition rates. Read more …
