Tennessee Higher Education Commission Approves Three-Year Bachelor's Degree Pathway
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has approved a new policy allowing colleges and universities in the state to offer three-year bachelor's degree programs. This policy, known as the Focused Baccalaureate Degree policy, reduces the required credit hours from the traditional 120 to as few as 90. The initiative aims to help students graduate more quickly while still meeting workforce demands. Steven Gentile, THEC Executive Director, stated that this policy provides institutions with the flexibility to redesign the traditional degree model while maintaining high academic standards. Additionally, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has introduced two new programs: a Bachelor of Arts in Civic and Constitutional Thought and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design, marking the first four-year industrial design program in the state.