The California State University Board of Trustees voted unanimously last week to allow the system’s 22 campuses to create three-year bachelor’s degrees that require as few as 90 credit hours — a significant departure from the traditional 120-unit model. The move, described by system leaders as a response to enrollment declines and a way to open economic doors for working-age Californians, could see the first programs debut as early as fall 2027, though a 2028 rollout is more likely.
The three new degree types — Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Professional Studies, and Bachelor of Applied Studies — are designed to serve different populations. The education degree targets aspiring teachers with a bachelor’s focused on pedagogy. The professional studies track allows employees pursuing management roles to earn credit for skills gained on the job. The applied studies program is geared toward students with vocational or technical training, such as automotive repair or HVAC maintenance.
The degrees are optional for campuses; no mandate requires any to adopt them. They can require any number of units between 90 and 120, officials said, and they will not replace existing four-year bachelor of arts and science degrees.
Nathan Evans, Cal State’s associate vice chancellor for academic affairs who helped write the policy, told the trustees the changes would “reduce the time required for students to earn a degree” and “offer more immediate access to economic and social mobility.” In a subsequent interview, he said a student transferring from a community college could complete one of the new bachelor’s degrees in a single year, while adults with significant work experience could convert that experience into degree credits and finish faster, saving money.
Behind the initiative is a persistent enrollment problem. Half of the system’s campuses recorded double-digit percentage declines in enrollment between 2020 and 2025, including Cal State East Bay and Cal State Dominguez Hills. Evans said the accelerated programs could appeal to workers in fields under strain, citing Hollywood set workers as an example. Campuses might also link the shorter bachelor’s degrees to master’s programs in professional disciplines as part of comprehensive accelerated pathways.
The push for three-year degrees is not unique to Cal State. Evans told the trustees that a handful of universities — including Cornell University, the University of Kansas, and New Mexico State University — have launched similar programs. The University of California has promoted a path to finish traditional four-year bachelor’s degrees in three years, often requiring summer coursework. Evans also noted that many European universities award bachelor’s degrees in three years, a point the academic senate contested in its public letter, arguing that European high schools are more rigorous and thus allow shorter university curricula.
California is home to more than 6 million working-age adults with a high school diploma but no college degree; roughly half have some college credit. State data from 2024 shows that a bachelor’s degree typically leads to an annual salary of $96,000, compared with $65,000 for an associate degree and $48,000 for a high school diploma. Most Cal State undergraduates earn their bachelor’s without student debt, officials said.
In a separate policy change, trustees eliminated a requirement that students earn at least 30 units at the Cal State campus awarding a degree, a move that could ease degree completion for students who previously dropped out and are returning at a different campus.
Faculty pushback was sharp. The systemwide academic senate, a key body in shaping academic programming, supported the idea of shorter programs but objected to calling any degree requiring fewer than 120 units a “bachelor’s.” In a letter submitted before the board vote, the senate wrote that “a student who worked hard to earn a degree with 120 units would be lumped in with a student who merely took 90 units, so the traditional BAs and BSs would be devalued.” The letter also called for the new programs to expire after 10 years unless an evaluation showed merit. The senate’s chairperson, Elizabeth “Betsy” A. Boyd, asked trustees to pause approval until at least September — a request the board denied.
Trustee Jack McGrory sided with the senate on the unit-count concern, saying, “We’re diluting the quality and the importance of a BA degree by lowering the unit count.” Other trustees, however, criticized the central office for failing to adequately consult faculty. “I’m not comfortable approving things that they don’t feel they’ve had enough consultation with,” Trustee Larry Adamson said.
Despite the internal friction, the regional accreditor — the Western Association of Schools and Colleges — has signaled support. Evans said WASC has already approved five or six similar degrees at other institutions in its region “and they’re expecting many more to come.” He noted that the accreditor had recommended slightly different names for the shorter bachelor’s degrees, which is why the new Cal State programs carry “applied,” “education” or “professional” in their titles.
Trustee Julia Lopez framed the vote as an experiment in flexibility. “We’re not mandating anything,” she said. “It’s really an opportunity to experiment and be more flexible.” For campuses on a state watch list for low enrollment, she added, a faster degree may attract students they need, while campuses without enrollment struggles may not pursue the new programs at all. The earliest any campus will begin developing the new offerings is this fall, according to system officials, with the first programs likely to appear in 2028.