Utah Schools switching to the 3-year Bachelor

[Airamb]

Link to article: Utah students could soon earn bachelor's degree in 3 years | KSL.com

The Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) in 90 credits. My questions are:
1. Does this water down the respectability of a bachelor's degree?
2. Can one apply to a graduate school with a 90 credit bachelors?
3. Will employers take note or just consider it a check the box degree?

[mohelena02]

First thing that comes to mind if Master's acceptance... would schools accept you with only 90 credits under your belt?
Seems like a great idea for someone not pursuing further education though.

[Airamb]

First thing that comes to mind if Master's acceptance... would schools accept you with only 90 credits under your belt?
Seems like a great idea for someone not pursuing further education though.

Exactly! See my question #2.

[bjcheung77]

Great questions, here are my answers to those questions. It's a check the box degree like any other BGS, BLS, etc.
1. A degree is a degree... No, it's just a slimmed down Bachelors degree without the 30 credits for electives.
2. Again, it's a Bachelors degree, as long as all the entry requirements for the Masters have been completed, you're good.
3. BAS, BGS and BLS, etc, do not display it's a 90 credit or 120 credit degree on the parchment, only on transcripts.
They're not the only ones going this route, if you read down the page, BYU and partner is doing a 90-96 credit version.

[ss20ts]

Great questions, here are my answers to those questions.  It's a check the box degree like any other BGS, BLS, etc.
1. A degree is a degree... No, it's just a slimmed down Bachelors degree without the 30 credits for electives.
2. Again, it's a Bachelors degree, as long as all the entry requirements for the Masters have been completed, you're good.
3. BAS, BGS and BLS, etc, do not display it's a 90 credit or 120 credit degree on the parchment, only on transcripts.
They're not the only ones going this route, if you read down the page, BYU and partner is doing a 90-96 credit version.

There are master's programs that are very specific about 120 credits in a bachelor's degree for whatever reason. Some are specific about how many credits in certain topics they want. Some colleges are just really strange about undergrad requirements. I mean I understand a master's in chemical engineering that you want them to have chem 101 as an undergrad - kind of important, but an undergrad statistics course for an MBA is kind of weird because a lot of undergrad programs don't require stats.

[Old Guy]

My first degree was a 90 credit BA in Canada. They don't do general education in Canada. They assume you have it in high school. The only requirements for a BA was a grade 12 or 6 cr 100 level language, 6cr 200 level English Literature, 6cr of 200 level junior lab science for morons, 6cr 300 level senior science for morons, and a minimum 18cr major. The rest you mix and match. You could take a maximum 6cr 100 level for missing high school prerequisites and a maximum of 42cr 200 level, if I recall.

[RachelB]

This is great! I hope this is the way of the future, as I've never understood having so many gen eds and electives... they're just a waste of time and money. The time for those things is in high school!