90-Credit Baccalaureate Degree Accreditation & Disclosure
Unity Environmental University has launched an innovative option for students to obtain a baccalaureate degree with 90 credits of focused coursework. The university’s accreditor, the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), has approved these Career-Focused, reduced-time and reduced-credit programs in lieu of the standard program comprised of 120 credits.
Unity’s 90-credit bachelor’s degree is fully accredited. As with any degree—whether 90 or 120 credits—it is up to individual graduate programs, professional schools, and employers to determine whether it meets their requirements. Students can continue seamlessly into additional coursework if they wish to complete a 120-credit pathway through Distance Education.
Given the novel nature of the programs, students should be aware of the following:
- The Applied Bachelor of Science (ABS) is a 90-credit program for students to earn a baccalaureate degree.
- Applied Bachelor of Science programs are best suited to students committed to a particular field or discipline, students who have a clear career objective, and/or students who are focused on pursuing near-term employment in their chosen industry as practitioners.
- To enable students to complete the Applied Bachelor of Science programs in less time and with fewer credits, these programs will be highly structured with limited or no elective credits.
- Unity’s Applied Bachelor of Science programs are eligible for Title IV federal financial aid. However, students who leave Unity having completed an Applied baccalaureate degree but later choose to return to Unity or attend another institution to complete additional undergraduate credits, either to earn a Certificate of Post-baccalaureate Studies or to earn a second baccalaureate degree, will not be eligible for federal grant aid and may have limited eligibility for other federal aid programs. For more details, see Federal Subsidized & Unsubsidized Loans and Federal Pell Grants.
- Given that Unity’s ABS programs are designed to be completed within three years, students can expect to save a full year of tuition fees and related costs, including room and board, assuming they complete the program within the expected time frame.
- Unity’s Applied baccalaureate programs will be sufficient to meet admission requirements for Unity master’s degree programs. However, other institutions may have different admission requirements, and such institutions may not accept Unity’s Applied baccalaureate program as an undergraduate credential sufficient for admission. It is critical that students confirm specific requirements with their institutions of choice.
- Baccalaureate degrees of fewer than 120 credits, are not guaranteed to be accepted by all employers. It is critical that students confirm specific requirements with their employers of choice.
- Unity’s Applied Bachelor of Science programs will be available for the following degrees:
