Five Ways to Speed Up Your Online College Degree
Posted: May 14, 2021 | Author: Sayre Davis | Read Time: 3 minutes
For some, getting a college degree seems like a long and daunting task and figuring out how to earn the degree faster is essential for them to enjoy the college experience. While all universities offer ways to speed up the degree process, sometimes it takes a little digging to figure out what the best path is for you.
This short guide is here to help you figure out what degree path is best for you. A few things we will talk about are how to stay enrolled full-time year-round and where to find summer courses. We will also talk about capitalizing on out-of-school experiences, whether that's in high school or not, and taking accelerated programs in school.
Stay Enrolled Full-Time & Take Summer Courses
The simplest way to earn a degree faster is to enroll in classes that fulfill your degree requirements. Staying in close contact with your advisor can help you determine which classes will be worth your time.
Along with taking enough credits to be full-time, taking summer courses is another way to speed up the process of getting your degree. Summer courses allow you to earn course credits and help you spend fewer years on campus. At Southern Utah University, you’ll want to take more than twelve credit hours per semester to be considered full-time.
Capitalize On Out of School Experiences
Everyone has different experiences and life events and using these can give you an upper hand in school. Many of these experiences help students gain credit hours or allow them to skip past classes that need prerequisites.
At SUU there are multiple programs and groups to help you figure out if you meet the criteria. A few of these programs are work-study programs, past military experiences, and being a unique student such as not the average student age or being a married student. Checking out each of these different helpful entities whether on campus or online can impact your ability to get farther ahead in your schooling. This direction may not be applicable to everyone, but when it does apply, it can be a massive help.
Take Advantage of Accelerated Programs
Almost every university offers accelerated programs in some fashion or another. SUU Online offers several accelerated master's degree programs, meaning students are able to finish a degree within a 12 month period. Getting your master's in a year after getting your bachelor's degree is a huge advantage for you and your future career. The programs that are offered through this accelerated course are Master of Arts in Professional Communication, Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (MIS), Master of Music with an emphasis in Music Technology, and Master of Business Administration (MBA).
If you are looking for a dedicated path to a quick degree, looking for accelerated courses can be a sure-fire way to get ahead quickly. Talking to your advisor or online helplines can help with registering for the courses, if they sound like the right direction for you.
Testing Out of Classes and Taking Courses in High School
Another way to gain credit hours without having to take classes is by testing out of different classes. For many universities, there are universal ways to test out of classes and allow yourself to progress in your degree quicker.
For SUU, the two major programs that allow you to test out of classes are the EXAM and CLEP tests. With these two different ways to test out of classes, you can be further ahead in your degree with a few classes done, rather than starting with none. A maximum of 30 credits towards general education courses can be applied through the EXAM and CLEP programs.
Another way that can allow you to “test out” of classes is to take AP courses or similar classes in high school. These courses allow your high school course to count towards college credits. Taking a look at both of these options can be beneficial to you.
There are many ways to speed up your time in college and earn a degree faster, but options like taking classes in the summer and a full course load each semester, can help any student graduate early.
Tags: 3-Year Bachelor Degree Summer SUU Online
