Degree in Three

Financial: Completing a degree even one year early can save a typical student over $25,000 in tuition, books, and living expenses. On top of this, a student that graduates in three years has the ability to start earning a salary sooner, allowing their savings to grow exponentially over time.

Degree Plan: Students will receive a customized degree plan formulated with their academic advisor. This gives students a clear roadmap and more ownership over their educational path at FSU.

Comprehensive Support: Students receive specialized advising from Degree in Three staff at key points during their undergraduate career while also having access to workshops focused on fellowships, internships, and job fair preparation tailored for an accelerated path.

Priority Registration: Degree in Three students will receive priority registration to help them stay on track with their Program of Study plan.

Academic and career confidence: We do not encourage students to pursue an accelerated graduation path unless they are relatively certain about their academic goals, long-term plans, and intended majors.

Course load: Degree in Three students should have entered Florida State with college credit from AP, IB, AICE, and/or dual enrollment to prevent the need to overbook one’s course schedule.

Research: Some research opportunities require a 2+ semester commitment. Degree in Three may not allow certain research experiences unless students start the engagement process early.

Graduate/professional school prep: Many graduate/professional programs require an entrance exam as well as experience in research, internships/employment, and student organizations. Students should meet with an academic advisor and career liaison to ensure they can complete such things on a three-year timeline.

Time to degree completion: To benefit from this program, new applicants should be at least two semesters out from graduation.

Degree in Three students must attend a post acceptance meeting.

Admitted students should follow the program of study submitted as part of the application. Any major changes, additions of a major, or changes in expected graduation term must be communicated to Degree in Three staff and requires the submission of an updated Program of Study to remain in the program.

Degree in Three students are expected to participate in program workshops, welcome sessions, and/or activities. Upcoming workshops and activities will be communicated through FSU email and our Instagram account (@degreeinthreefsu). Due to the nature of Degree in Three students’ graduation timelines, consistent engagement with Degree in Three staff and activities is critical to success.

One year prior to graduating, students must meet with their academic advisor to verify remaining degree requirements. Any changes to the expected completion term must be communicated with Degree in Three staff.

More in Four is a companion program of Degree in Three. More in Four is specifically for students that plan to complete their undergraduate degree in three years or less and then pursue their graduate degree at FSU.

Students in More in Four participate in additional workshops and campus events while completing required badge activities that support graduate school preparation.

Students should first attend an informational meeting, held throughout the fall and spring semesters. Students will then contact their academic advisor and schedule a meeting to discuss their goals to accelerate, incoming college credit, and whether Degree in Three is possible. To formally join, students will need to complete the application with their academic advisor. Once their application is submitted, it will be reviewed by the Degree in Three coordinator and students will be notified.

Students are able to join Degree in Three at any point during their time as an undergraduate at FSU. While most students join their freshmen year, students can complete the application at any time as long as they have at least two terms of future enrollment remaining at the time of application.

Students do not have to earn a certain amount of accelerated credit in order to join Degree in Three. However, a higher number of credits may keep students from taking heavier course loads in the fall and spring terms. What is more important is how one’s incoming credits can apply to one’s major (covering prerequisite courses, minor, foreign language, etc.).

Whether students can complete prerequisites (as well as all major and university requirements) in three years will all depend on their incoming college credit, the requirements of their specific major, and how many courses students take per semester. Students must speak with their academic advisor about the possibility of Degree in Three before deciding on this accelerated path.

Students should consult with the graduate programs they are interested in to understand how completing their degree on an accelerated timeline may be viewed during the application process. Some graduate programs emphasize experiential learning, research, or internships, which may require additional time to complete.

Yes. Students may exit the program if goals or circumstances change, though we recommend students wait to sign up until they’re confident this plan will work for them.

Navigate to the FSU Advisor Search page and find the “Select Their College” drop-down bar. Please select “Other Advising Services” at the bottom of the options. A new drop-down bar titled “All” will appear. Please select “Degree in Three” from the options available, and locate the Degree in Three advisor for one’s major/department. If no one is listed for one’s major/department, students may contact any academic advisor in their department.