Students at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University could earn bachelor's degrees a year faster under four shortened programs approved Sept. 3.
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education voted unanimously to create the state's first reduced-credit-hour bachelor's degrees at three universities, KOCO reported. The programs require 90 to 103 credit hours instead of the standard 120. Both OU and OSU draw thousands of students from the Oklahoma City metro area.
The four programs are:
- University of Oklahoma: Bachelor of Applied Studies in Social Work (90 credit hours)
- Oklahoma State University: Bachelor of Applied Science in Artificial Intelligence (92 credit hours)
- Oklahoma State University: Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Essentials and Applications (90 credit hours)
- Rogers State University: Bachelor of Applied Science in Workforce Development (99 to 103 credit hours)
Chancellor Sean Burrage said students completing a 90-credit-hour degree could save about 25% on the cost of a college education compared to a traditional program, according to KTUL.
"This is about having more people with college degrees in the state of Oklahoma to drive our economy," Burrage said at the meeting.
The decision followed months of study. Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Legislature directed the regents to examine whether 90-credit-hour degrees were feasible. Stitt issued Executive Order 2026-08, and the regents delivered their study in April 2026. They revised their Academic Program Approval Policy in May 2026 to allow universities to propose shorter degree paths, according to The Oklahoman. Stitt expressed support for the vote, saying the universities are leading the way in rethinking higher education.
The feasibility study concluded shortened degrees could potentially work within Oklahoma's public higher education system under a limited and structured framework, particularly in applied, workforce-aligned fields.
OSU's artificial intelligence program will still include courses such as calculus, linear algebra, data structures and machine learning. The credit reductions come from trimming general education and elective requirements, not from cutting hours in the major, Burrage said.
None of the four programs are open to students yet. Each must clear accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission, a process that could take five to eight months, according to OSU Academic Affairs Senior Vice Provost Chris Francisco, as reported by the Journal Record.
All four programs also face productivity deadlines requiring minimum enrollment and graduation levels. Extensions may not be granted beyond fall 2031 or fall 2032, depending on the program. Future proposals will not receive automatic approval.
The earliest students could enroll is fall 2027.
