Graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in as Little as Three Years
Streamline your educational goals and save money! SOU’s Degree in Three program opportunities accelerates your time to a degree by shortening and customizing your degree pathway. Speeding up your time to graduation allows you to enter your career earlier, travel, or jumpstart your graduate school options.
The Degree in Three program reviews your high school work (such as dual credit, Advanced Placement, CLEP, etc.) to create an individualized path to early graduation. An educational plan is constructed for you based on your previous credits and future educational goals, with the assistance of faculty from your major and the Degree in Three program. Other benefits include priority registration each term to ensure your time to degree is on track!
Benefits of the Degree in Three Programs
- A contract with SOU to complete course work in three years
- Priority registration status
- A Degree in Three specific advisor to create a personalized path to early completion
- A normal course load of about 16 credits (four classes) per term
- Up to one less year of the expense of tuition, fees, books and other expenses
- Time to work, play, study, volunteer and compete
- One less year of college and one more year of what YOU want to do
- One year earlier to grad school
- Upon graduation, a fully recognized bachelor’s degree!
Accelerated Baccalaureate (“Acc Bacc”) Criteria
- Open to all first-year students
- Have at least a 3.4 unweighted high school GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- Pursuing a major from the list of available options found below
Jackson Josephine County Pledge Program (“JackJo” or “Pledge”) Criteria
- Open to graduating seniors from schools in southern Oregon’s Jackson or Josephine counties
- Have at least a 3.2 unweighted high school GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- Pursuing a major from the list of available options found below
See Available Degree in Three Majors
- Business Administration
- Communication
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- Digital Cinema
- Economics
- Education Studies
- Emerging Media & Digital Arts (EMDA)
- English
- Environmental Science & Policy
- Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
- Health & Exercise Science
- History
- International Studies
- Mathematics
- Outdoor Adventure Leadership
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Sociology & Anthropology
- Spanish Language & Culture
- Sustainability
- Sustainable Tourism Management
Have a student to recommend for a Degree in Three program?
Application Process
Before applying for either Degree in Three program, you must first apply and be admitted to SOU. For further information on applying for admission to the university, visit apply.sou.edu
You are welcome to submit your application materials in stages.
When your file is complete, faculty members will review your application materials to evaluate your suitability for the program and determine the appropriate general education reductions.
Accelerated Baccalaureate Program
- Review the Application Guidelines.
- Download and complete the Application Form.
- Please submit two recommendations using the Recommendation Form.
Accelerated Baccalaureate items can be submitted electronically to abp@sou.edu or via postal mail at: SOU Accelerated Baccalaureate Program, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland OR, 97520.
Jackson Josephine County Pledge Program
- Review the Application Guidelines.
- Download and complete the Application Form.
- Please submit two recommendations using the Recommendation Form.
Jackson Josephine County Pledge Programs items can be submitted electronically to jackjo-pledge@sou.edu or via postal mail at: SOU Jackson Josephine County Pledge Program, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland OR, 97520.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m a transfer student, can I be in the Degree in Three programs?
Not at this time. The Degree in Three programs are designed for first-year students pursuing their first degree at SOU. Students who come to our university with more than 36 quarter (or 24 semester) college credits do not benefit from this program as they have already completed a large portion of their first year courses.
Can I pursue the Honors College and the Degree in Three simultaneously?
While you can apply to both programs, you will ultimately need to decide on one of the programs to pursue. Honors College is a general education focused program that has courses over four years, whereas Degree in Three reduces the overall number of credits required for graduation.
I graduated from a Jackson county high school three years ago. Can I still apply for the Pledge program?
No, you cannot pursue the Pledge program; however, the AccBacc program may be a good fit for you. The Accelerated Baccalaureate program can accept first-year students depending on how many years has elapsed since their high school graduation.
What should I submit for the two writing samples required?
Your two writing samples should represent the best academic writing you’ve done so far. These must be scholarly works, not creative writing. In order to maximize potential course waivers, one of these samples should be a researched essay where you have demonstrated proficient use of MLA or APA documentation style.
Contact SOU Admissions
SOU Office of Admissions
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6411 (local)
855.470.3377 (toll-free)
541.552.8403 (fax)
admissions@sou.edu
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