ECU PROVIDES FASTER ROUTE TO DEGREES

East Carolina University is rolling out an array of accelerated academic programs designed to shorten the time required to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

The programs, which are open to high-achieving students, are crafted to allow the completion of a bachelor's degree in three years rather than the traditional four. Students will also be able to tailor programs that would allow them to complete a bachelor's degree and master's degree in a total of four years.

All the accelerated programs require the same number of courses and level of performance as traditional degree programs, but make more efficient use of students' time by, for instance, making courses available in the summer. The first students in the three-year undergraduate program begin classes on June 26, the first day of the second summer term at ECU.

Provost William Swart said the three-year program makes sense for both students and the university. "Students can complete their degrees quicker, which means they can get an earlier start on their careers or graduate school, and their costs will be substantially lower," Swart said. "In addition, the university is able to use its facilities and staff more efficiently," he said. The provost said the programs should appeal to top students, those who are high achievers, self-motivated and focused on academic and career goals.

Nearly 40 degree programs in fields as diverse as anthropology and computer science are available in the three-year plan. Beyond the undergraduate degree, ECU is offering an integrated bachelor's/ master's program that allows students to receive admission to a graduate program earlier in their undergraduate studies and to complete the master's degree sooner by double counting graduate coursework taken in the senior year. The program is available to traditional four-year students as well as the accelerated three-year participants.

In addition, a limited number of highly competitive slots are available in an "MD in 7" program that will allow students to complete their undergraduate and medical degrees in seven years. The program allows students to apply for acceptance into the university's Brody School of Medicine at the end of their junior years and to begin medical school in their fourth, rather than fifth, year of study.