09/28/2026
Saint Leo University Introduces Florida’s First Reduced-Credit Bachelor’s Degree
New 93-credit program lets students earn a bachelor's degree in three years instead of four, cutting costs by nearly 25%
What if a bachelor's degree didn't have to take four years? Saint Leo University is putting that question into practice with the introduction of its Reduced-Hour Bachelor of Business Analytics, making Saint Leo the first university in Florida to offer an accredited bachelor's degree requiring 93 credit hours — a full year less than the traditional 120-credit model.
Saint Leo’s new reduced-credit degree program received approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in September 2026. The program will launch in January 2027.
“This is an important moment for higher education in the state of Florida and for Saint Leo University,” said Dr. Jim Burkee, president of Saint Leo University. “In 1998, when online education was still in its infancy, we made a bold investment in a new way of delivering a college education. Today, we are applying that same spirit of innovation to another fundamental question facing institutions of higher learning: What should a bachelor’s degree look like in the 21st century?”
Across the country, reduced-credit and three-year bachelor’s degree programs are gaining momentum, particularly in fields such as business and computer science. Saint Leo is bringing this approach to Florida as part of a universitywide effort to align undergraduate education with the needs of students and employers while maintaining academic quality.
“Higher education has an opportunity, and a responsibility, to examine long-standing assumptions about how a bachelor’s degree must be structured,” said Dr. Bryan DePoy, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Saint Leo University. “We believe students should have an education that is rigorous, relevant, and intentional. This program is an example of what can happen when we start with the outcomes we want for our graduates and build the curriculum around them. We also hear clearly from students that cost and time to completion matter. This program responds to that directly, offering a path to a degree that costs less and takes less time, without compromising the quality of the education behind it.”
DePoy also pointed to employer response. “We surveyed a broad cross-section of regional and national employers about the reduced-credit model, and the response was overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “Employers told us an accredited, reduced-credit degree would not affect a candidate’s eligibility for hire and would meet their bachelor’s degree requirement. What they look for is accreditation, demonstrated competencies, and relevant experience, not the total number of credit hours.”
The new reduced-credit degree gives students an alternative to Saint Leo’s traditional four-year, 120-credit-hour Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics, which was introduced in fall 2026. Both programs prepare students for careers in fields that rely on data-driven decision-making, with coursework in data analytics, finance, economics, marketing analytics, and the application of artificial intelligence to business.
Unlike the traditional degree pathway, Saint Leo University’s Reduced-Hour Bachelor of Business Analytics is designed to be completed in three years through a more focused curriculum emphasizing the essential knowledge and skills needed to succeed in today’s data-driven economy. Students will develop the ability to interpret data, apply emerging technologies, and translate insights into strategic business decisions. By focusing on core business and technology coursework, the 93-credit program is expected to reduce the time and cost of earning a bachelor’s degree by 25% compared with a traditional 120-credit-hour degree, while preserving the foundational coursework essential to student success.
“Business analytics sits at the intersection of technology and business, making it particularly relevant to the workforce our students are entering,” said Dr. Derek Mohammed, dean of the university’s Tapia College of Business and Technology. “This program brings together the analytical, technical, and business skills students need to understand data and use it to make informed decisions.”
For Saint Leo, the new program represents the latest step in a history of adapting higher education to meet changing student and workforce needs, from embracing online education in 1998 to rethinking the structure of the bachelor’s degree nearly three decades later.
Saint Leo University is accredited by SACSCOC to award associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees. For more information about the university and its academic programs, visit saintleo.edu.
