Saint Leo University plans to offer a three-year bachelor’s degree starting next year, trimming the credits required to graduate to cut both the time and the money students spend on college.

The business analytics major can be completed in 93 credits, compared with 120 for a standard four-year degree. The university says it will be the first bachelor’s degree in Florida that students can finish with reduced credit.

University President Dr. Jim Burkee said the school set out to get graduates into the job market with a strong education at a lower price, noting that college costs have become a central concern for students and families.

The shortened track does not replace the traditional path. The four-year, 120-credit option remains, and students choose the route that fits them.

Finance professor Zachary Smith, a former financial advisor who teaches in the analytics program, framed the change in terms of opportunity cost. Asked whether a student would rather spend three years in the classroom or four, he said nearly every student would pick three. He said the program saves money by trimming electives and streamlining requirements, keeping coursework closer to what employers want.

Faculty say they asked employers whether they would hire graduates of a shortened degree before moving ahead. Smith said he expects employers will.

Freshman Juan Benitez, a business analytics student who has been day trading since he turned 18, said the major complements his interest in markets. He said a faster route to graduation would let him enter the business world and start earning sooner, and that he plans to look into the new option next semester.

Follow the St. Pete-Clearwater Sun on Facebook, Google, & X

St. Pete-Clearwater Sun: local St. Pete-Clearwater & Tampa Bay, FL news at PIE-Sun.com