Three new, ‘nimble’ bachelor degree types approved by California State University

The California State University Board of Trustees voted on Wednesday to approve three new bachelor’s degree types, including one for people interested in becoming teachers.

The new degree types could be achieved with fewer credits than what’s typically required for Bachelor of Science and Arts degrees. They were designed to be flexible for adults, people returning to higher education and those who have a job while in school.

It’s the first time in 30 years that the university system is introducing new bachelor’s degrees.

At a committee meeting earlier in the week, Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Nathan Evans said the new degree types aren’t meant to replace traditional bachelor's degrees.

“They will provide more options for more nimble innovative program designs for a broader set of new learners,” Evans said during a presentation at the May 5 committee meeting.

Evans cited lowering rates of high school graduation in California, more competition and changing technology, including AI, as challenges facing higher education.

“Additional undergraduate degree frameworks … can better align with particular career goals, reduce the time required for students to earn a degree or … to offer more immediate access to economic and social mobility,” he said.

The degree types

One of the new degree types is a Bachelor of Education. CSU campuses could design programs through the degree to “complement other pathways to the teaching and education profession,” according to a CSU news release. California has had persistent issues with teacher staffing, a result of teacher turnover and the expense of getting certification, among other issues.

Another one of the new degree types is a Bachelor of Professional Studies, which would include courses of study that are interdisciplinary and focused on management, communication and leadership. CSU said in its news release that this degree type is flexible and would allow people to “integrate prior college coursework, professional certifications, military training and work experience.”

In board documents about the new degree types, CSU officials said universities across the country offer such programs, including Syracuse University. The private university in central New York offers several programs ranging from cybersecurity to project management as a Bachelor of Professional Studies.

The Bachelor of Applied Studies is focused on “students with backgrounds in applied, technical or vocational fields.” Programs offered through this degree type at other universities in the country cited by CSU, like the University of Pennsylvania, include data analytics, communication and physical and life sciences.

When do these new programs start?

CSU campuses are not required to offer programs through the new degree types; the new policy instead allows each individual campus to “begin to envision and design” such programs, the university system said in a statement. Those that choose to do so have flexibility in determining the number of credits required to achieve the degree.