Ball State University has identified 30 bachelor's degrees that can be earned in three years, which will allow participating students to get a head start on their careers or advanced degrees.

While a small number of students previously have worked on their own to graduate in three years, this initiative makes it easier for interested students to identify degrees that can be earned at an accelerated pace and pairs these students with an additional academic adviser to keep them on the fast track, said Ball State President Jo Ann M. Gora.

"This is an excellent opportunity for students and their families to help offset the costs of a college education," she said. "Earning a bachelor's degree in less time is like giving yourself a scholarship because you add another year's salary to your lifetime earnings.

"This is also an efficient use of our resources because we have established this initiative with existing programs and current employees and because we anticipate more fully using our facilities during the summer sessions," Gora said.

While not all of Ball State's bachelor's degree programs can be completed in three years because of field experience or other special requirements, the university has outlined accelerated tracks for 30 degrees, including accounting, criminal justice, communication studies, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, history, human resources, marketing, nursing, premed, social work and women's studies.

Traditional faculty advisers will continue to work individually with students, but an additional adviser will counsel them through their three-year undergraduate studies. These consultants will meet with students often to help them avoid scheduling pitfalls and stay on pace, said Beverley Pitts, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

"Students who will succeed at this program will be mature, confident and purposeful; it may suit both traditional and nontraditional students who have a 'time is of the essence' approach," she said. "They'll need to take a solid academic load each semester — 15 to 18 hours each term, which includes two or, in some cases, three summers."

The complete list of degrees being offered in three years is:

• nursing
• anthropology
• criminal justice and criminology
• history (option 1)
• philosophy
• political science
• premedical
• predental
• psychology
• religious studies
• social work
• sociology
• women's studies
• communication studies (options: public communication, interpersonal communication or organizational communication)
• accounting
• business administration
• economics (options: business or financial analyst)
• entrepreneurship
• finance (options: corporate financial management, financial institutions or financial planning)
• human resources and organizational behavior
• information systems
• international business
• marketing
• operations management
• risk management and insurance

Those interested in learning more about the three-year bachelor's degree program should contact the Ball State University Office of Admissions at (765) 285-8300.

For more information on this story, contact Beverley Pitts.