Massachusetts public colleges and universities may soon begin offering three-year bachelor’s degrees, following a vote by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education to approve new regulations allowing pilot programs that depart from the traditional 120-credit standard.
Under the regulation adopted Tuesday, institutions can submit proposals for degree programs that differ from existing criteria, including credit-hour requirements. The policy does not prescribe a specific model but states that a pilot should be “responsive to significant changes in society, demographics, technology, educational research, or expectations regarding post-secondary education.”
The move positions Massachusetts alongside a growing number of states experimenting with accelerated undergraduate pathways. Supporters argue that allowing students to complete a bachelor’s degree in three years could reduce costs and help graduates enter the workforce sooner.
“We’re creating a pathway for colleges to allow some students to graduate in three years, which will help make us more competitive with other states, lower costs, and support students and our workforce,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement.
Outgoing Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler framed the regulation as a response to changing student demographics and expectations. “The ‘traditional college student’ is a thing of the past, and as a state, we must be open to exploring innovative approaches to college degrees that work for the lives of students,” Tutwiler said in a statement.
Board Chair Chris Gabrieli acknowledged that the proposals could generate debate. ”I do expect there to be some controversy under some of these proposals, maybe all of them, because they all represent innovation and sometimes real boundary changing and that could be uncomfortable,” Gabrieli said. He added, “I think our general view on innovation should be to neither assume all innovations are good ideas, nor to prevent campus driven ideas – if they’re high quality – from proceeding.”
Not all board members were persuaded. Vice Chair Harneen Chernow, one of two members who voted against the regulation, warned that accelerated programs could create a two-tiered system. She noted that some institutions, such as the University of Massachusetts Amherst, have indicated they are not interested in offering three-year options, while other campuses, particularly community colleges, may be more inclined to pursue them.
Faculty representatives and union leaders also raised concerns. Aruna Krishnamurthy, an English studies professor at Fitchburg State University, questioned whether cutting 30 credits would compromise academic depth. “We may think that we have reduced their financial burden by taking out 30 credits, but in reality, we will have diminished their learning experience and narrowed their path to success overall,” she said during the meeting. “With the 90-credit degree, the state is sending a signal to our hardworking families and our first generation students they are not worthy of an education that expands the possibilities of their consciousness.”
Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teacher’s Association, urged the board to ensure affordability efforts do not erode academic standards. “Let’s not use the front of affordability to pursue a weakening of this degree,” Page said.
The regulation includes guardrails. Institutions with accreditation issues in the past six years or those under investigation for financial problems will be excluded. Proposed pilots must align with the board’s concepts of “innovation” and “consumer protection,” and demonstrate responsiveness to labor market needs and institutional capacity. Once submitted, pilot programs will require board approval and will be evaluated before receiving full or conditional approval, or being phased out.
Three-year models are already emerging elsewhere. In 2024, the New England Commission of Higher Education approved a pilot at Merrimack College, and last fall Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island launched an in-person three-year bachelor’s degree requiring 90 to 96 credit hours.
For Massachusetts institutions, the next step will be determining whether to pursue pilot status—and whether a compressed degree structure can balance affordability with academic rigor.
