Though Fordham’s data doesn’t account for students graduating a semester early, the extent of the core curriculum may account for these low numbers.  The old core, which applies for students enrolled before or during the 2007-2008 academic year, consists of a total of 18 classes, not including the foreign language requirement, which may add up to five additional classes. The new core is even larger, adding four Eloquencia Perfecta seminars to the required course load.  Even with Advanced Placement tests entering into the mix, obtaining 124 credits in three years is extremely difficult.

According to the Los Angeles Times, about a dozen mostly small universities are now offering formal ways to earn an undergraduate degree in three years as opposed to the traditional four or five. Among the schools that currently offer these programs (or are soon to implement them) are Seattle University, Bates College in Maine, Hartwick College in New York, Lake Forest College in Illinois, Manchester College in Indiana, Lipscomb University in Tennessee and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and public universities in Rhode Island and Arizona also are studying the idea, The Los Angeles Times reports.

Many schools adopting these programs alter their requirements, making the degree easier to attain for interested students. Kaitlyn McKeon, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’11, believes that this is a good option for focused students. “I don’t think that [reducing requirements] will water down [the degree] at all,” she said.  A Middle East Studies major, McKeon entered Fordham with a total of 15 credits, enabling her to place out of many courses. “If I didn’t decide to double-major, I could have graduated this year,” she said. “It wasn’t that I had to say [for another year], but it was almost like putting off the reality of getting a job.”

Bianca Rodrigues, FCLC ’10, is graduating early. A Spanish major coming into Fordham with a total of 18 credits, Rodrigues able to place out of two core requirements and apply her foreign language courses toward her major. These “little things,”  she said, enabled her to complete her degree in three years, all while interning and maintaining a manageable course load. While her parents and friends were largely supportive, this did not translate into the academic realm; though deans were supportive, she had to realize this opportunity by herself. “I’m not saying they should encourage [early graduation], but it’s something to bring up,” she said. “If [my friend] were not graduating early, I might not have realized it was possible for me.”

“I think this is the best decision for me,” Rodrigues said.  Some students may exhibit financial need, in which early graduation may be a significant relief, and others aren’t cut to fit the academic mold. Creating a track for students to earn a degree in a shorter amount of time “would not devalue the degree… because [one] would still receive a great, quality education” regardless, Rodrigues said.