Does it take 4 years to complete an undergraduate degree?

The simple answer is that it need not and should not for academically gifted students. In many colleges dedicated students using AP and CLEP credits are on an ad hoc basis able to obtain advanced standing and / or attend summer programs and complete their degree requirements in less than four years but at Holy Spirit College we believe that students should be able to work during the admissions process with their admissions counselor and designated academic tutor to design a customized study program which can allow the completion of an undergraduate B.Phil degree in as little as three academic years or as many as four years. Program length can be adjusted after admission where necessary.

Does a Holy Spirit College undergraduate B.Phil have the same credit hour requirements as a typical degree program?

Yes. We require 120 credit hours for an undergraduate degree and 60 credit hours for a graduate degree.

Then how can I potentially complete an undergraduate degree in just three academic years?

Our academic year provides for three trimesters plus a freshman “premester” and optional summer programs. With classes meeting 4 times a week for 90 minutes (Monday through Thursday) each trimester offers an equivalent number of credit hours to a traditional semester. Students seeking to complete their undergraduate studies in three academic years need to take advantage of all class offerings and complete their Thesis in the summer of their second year of studies.

Why would I want to complete my degree in three years rather than four?

• Immersion in a particularly rigorous academic environment

• You demonstrate academic commitment to potential graduate schools and employers

• You save one year of “living expenses”

• You are able to proceed to graduate level study and potentially earn a Bachelors and a Masters Degree in equivalent time to a typical Bachelor’s program