Yavapai College (YC) announced May 22 that it will offer a three-year bachelor’s degree – the new Optimized 92-credit Bachelor of Applied Science in Business (BASB) degree.
The degree will launch for the upcoming fall 2025 semester, and the Arizona college will be the first community college in the United States to offer a three-year bachelor’s degree. It will be offered 100% online via eight-week courses with no textbook or associated student fees, making the program not only shorter, but also more affordable for students.
Traditionally, baccalaureate degrees have a standard minimum of 120 credits or more. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) recently approved reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees, making way for YC’s new degree program.
“This new opportunity to create more affordable bachelor’s degrees while reducing the time to completion will be a game-changer for students. It will allow them to get educated, get their degree, walk across the graduation stage, and impact the workforce a full year sooner than before,” Yavapai College President Lisa B. Rhine said.
YC became the first rural community college in Arizona to offer a baccalaureate degree when it launched its Bachelor of Science in Business program in Fall 2023. Since then, YC has also added a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and plans for future baccalaureate degrees.
Aligning with industry need
According to a press release from the college, the degree also will align with industry and employers who emphasize skills and experience over credit hours, and will be beneficial to industries with rapid change.
Nationally, employment in business and financial occupations is projected to grow 7% from 2023 to 2033, adding nearly 900,000 new jobs over the decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Arizona Commerce Authority reports that business and financial occupations are among the fastest-growing fields in the state, with job opportunities in corporate leadership, financial analysis, marketing and small business management.
The program also will align with global trends, as three-year bachelor’s degrees are already the norm in Europe and other countries.
YC does acknowledge that, because the program is so new, it may come with some limitations regarding graduate or professional school admission. Because of that, students can transfer into the traditional four-year BASB degree program.
