The CSU Board of Trustees approved the creation of three new three-year bachelor’s degree programs aimed at adult, returning or working students looking to receive a degree. Cal Poly will wait to consider the implementation of these programs until the next academic year, according to university spokesperson Keegan Koberl.
No Cal States are required to implement the programs, but they now have approval to do so.
The programs include the reestablishment of the Bachelor of Education, and the creation of the Bachelor of Professional Studies and the Bachelor of Applied Studies. The programs are supposed to take three years to complete, or 90 units, compared to a four-year degree, which requires 120 units.
Until 1982, the Bachelor of Education program was offered by Cal State schools, according to a Cal State press release. The inspiration behind the program’s reemergence is due to the ongoing teacher shortage and California’s investment in integrated academic programs for student teachers.
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For the Bachelor of Professional Studies, students enrolled in the program are able to use prior college coursework, military training, work experience and professional certifications, which are integrated within the degree.
According to a California State Assembly meeting in December regarding the Cal State system, a significant decrease in many CSU schools has been reported over the past five years. While Cal Poly’s enrollment has increased by 7% since 2020, universities like San Francisco State University, Sonoma State University and CSU East Bay are experiencing sharp declines.
The three new degree programs are hoping to expand access to a college degree for more Californians.