An ASU first: 3-year bachelor’s degrees in education

Arizona State University is launching its first three-year bachelor's degree programs, giving education students the option of an accelerated curriculum for certain paths.

The programs are believed to be the nation's first three-year bachelor’s degrees in education from a public university, according to an ASU release.

Students can choose three-year bachelor's degrees in elementary and special education, each of which meet Arizona teacher certification requirement, ASU officials said.

"Future educators should be able to easily access high-quality programs that work for their needs," Carole Basile, dean of Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, said.

The three-year degree options are available online and in-person.

The college will continue to offer a variety of four-year degree programs, which provide more opportunities to take electives and a broader range of degree options and specializations, including early childhood education, secondary education, physical education and more.

Four-year bachelor of arts in education programs in elementary education and special education will also continue to be available. 

In fall 2025, nearly 1,400 teaching positions in Arizona remained unfilled, while more than 4,200 additional positions were being covered through alternative staffing arrangements, the ASU release stated. Nationally, about one in eight teaching positions in 2025 were either unfilled or filled by teachers who were not fully certified for their assignments. 

"School districts need innovative solutions that make it easier for talented people in our communities to become teachers,” Jennifer Cruz, superintendent of the Pendergast Elementary School District in Phoenix, said.

“Expanding access to high-quality educator preparation while reducing barriers is an important step toward strengthening Arizona's teacher pipeline and helping more students succeed."

For more information, admissions requirements and application details: https://education.asu.edu/three-year-bachelor-education.  

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