How to Get a Bachelor’s Degree in 2 Years. Move Fast!

If you want to know how to get a bachelor’s degree in 2 years, then you’ve come to the right place. As mentioned in our post that’s dedicated to what it takes to get a bachelor’s degree, we share the ins and outs of what is needed behind the scenes during the typical 4-year journey. However, some prospective degree holders are all about earning their degree in just 2 years, which is the time it generally takes students to earn an associate’s degree.

Yet, it is possible to earn a bachelor’s degree in a shortened amount of time. Here are some of the ways you can make it happen.

What is a Bachelor’s Degree?

A bachelor’s degree is typically a 4-year degree in America, and often a 3-year degree in the United Kingdom, that is earned at a college or university. It can be a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and it prepares students to enter their career of choice with subject-specific courses, along with electives.

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Ways to Move Quickly

Here are some of the ways you can prepare to earn a bachelor’s degree in less than the time it usually takes other students to complete.

1. Bachelor degree completion programs

Some students have previously been enrolled in a college or university where they earned credits towards their degree, but never ended up completing the program. As such, if they choose they want to finish their degree, they don’t have to start over from square one. Instead, they can enroll in a bachelor degree completion program, which allows them to do exactly that. Some are structured to be accelerated or provide a flexible schedule.

2. College courses during high school

Did you know that you can get a headstart on college classes while you are still enrolled in high school? During the school year, or during summer break, you can take courses at online or traditional on-campus community colleges and universities. The important thing to do if you decide this is for you is to check with your desired colleges of choice to see if and how the college courses will transfer.

In the same vein, you can enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) classes within your high school, if they are offered, which are basically college-level classes. These units should count towards your bachelor degree, which means that when you enter college for the first time, you will already have accumulated units towards your degree. As such, you can pass out of electives and begin your upper division, or major-specific classes, earlier than most which will accelerate the time it takes to earn your degree.

3. Transfer credits

A lot of people may earn their associate’s degree at a community college. Although this option may still result in four years of study, it means less time pursuing a bachelor’s degree at a costly university. In this case, students can transfer the credits from their associate’s degree to count towards a bachelor’s degree, which means they will spend less on a bachelor’s degree education.

4. Accelerated degrees

Like the name implies, some colleges offer accelerated degree programs, which move at a more rapid pace than their traditional degree program counterparts. These programs fast-track your learning to provide the same information and number of credits, but in a condensed time frame. However, since the information is more tightly packed, it can be quite challenging to complete.

5. Take summer semesters

If you are really set on completing your degree in two years, you may also consider enrolling in summer semesters rather than taking breaks between semesters.

6. Take night classes

In the same vein as summer semesters, you can enroll in night classes and jam pack your schedule to complete as many units as quickly as possible.

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Factors to Consider

Of course, everyone’s reasoning and scheduling is different when it comes to pursuing their degree. However, when attempting to complete a bachelor’s degree in just two years, it’s important to understand your specific situation to find out what methods may be right for you.

These considerations include:

1. Existing credits: Do you already have existing college credits or AP units that can be transferred to your institution of choice?

2. Military or applicable training: Some colleges may transfer applicable training or military service into credit units that count towards your degree.

3. Testing out: Many universities set up coursework in a series, for example, Calculus A, B and C. However, there may be a way to take an entry exam to see if you can test out of the lower level courses and skip ahead to the more difficult classes. In doing so, you will save yourself the time of taking the entry classes and be able to forge forward in your degree faster.

Why Earn Your Degree Faster?

For many, the challenge of an accelerated bachelor’s degree may not seem worthwhile. However, there are benefits to getting your degree in a shortened time frame, which include:

• Saving Money: By being enrolled for a shorter amount of time, you inherently save money on tuition and potential living costs. The exception to this rule is that if you choose instead to take online classes at an online university, this may not apply. For example, the University of the People is a tuition-free institution, so you can’t technically save money on tuition.
• Saving Time: Naturally, the less time you are in school, the earlier you can enter your career of choice to be on your way to earning a higher income faster.

What it Takes

To earn your degree in just two years takes a lot of hard work. Anyone is capable of doing it; however, you must understand your limits. If you do decide that after some time of trying, the rapidness of the pace and the intensity of the pressure is not for you, you can always slow down and go back to a schedule where you can earn your degree in the typical four-year span.

However, as previously mentioned, pursuing your bachelor’s degree in just two years could save time, money and replace the opportunity cost of missing potential time to work while being in school.