Coordinator
Helene Klein, Director of Honors and Accelerated Programs
Degrees
Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Culture
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communication, Corporate Communications
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
About the Three-Year Degree Programs
- Three years, two optional summers
- Study abroad
- Summer experiences, which could include service learning or internships abroad or away
- Arcadia’s distinctive global perspective
- Accelerated track to job market
- Faster path to grad school at reduced college costs
The three-year degree format provides an accelerated degree program path for students who are able and willing to complete their degree programs within a shorter time. The three-year degree format lightens the financial burden on students and parents who are seeking ways to reduce college costs.
Students in this program will have high academic ability and will engage with faculty members and/or administrators in special activities and events. Students are from four different areas: Psychology, International Studies, Business, and Communications. As such, the activities and events planned are integrative in nature, cutting across areas of study. And, finally, students are encouraged to study away during their three years at Arcadia, most likely during the summers. In these ways, this program reflects the three facets of the Arcadia Promise: Students receive personalized attention, are presented with integrative learning experiences, and participate in cross-cultural learning experiences with global perspectives.
What’s different about the three-year degree program?
Two summer experiences, which can include study abroad, internships or service learning: The two optional summer experiences are distinctively Arcadia. For example, students may choose a service project away the summer after their first year and a major-related internship away the second summer taking advantage of Arcadia’s status as a leader in study abroad and international education.
GPA Requirements: Once enrolled in the program, a student needs to maintain a minimum GPA of a 3.00 overall to remain in good standing within the program and be allowed to take a course overload without petitioning for an exception to academic policy.
Saving Time: Students earning a three-year degree can enter the job market or attend graduate school a year earlier.
Summer Experiences
Students not transferring in any Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Excelsior College Examinations credit (questions about these credits should be addressed to the Arcadia University Registrar at 215-572-2100), will need to enroll in a total of twelve (12) credits during the summer sessions to graduate in three years. These credits can be achieved through a study abroad experience, classes, internships or service learning projects. (Students will need to check the requirements in their major as certain three year programs may require specific experiences.)
Typical Examples of Summer Experiences for a Three-Year Student
Summer One:
During the first summer, students could participate in a service-learning project in a community different from the one in which they were reared. There is a vast range of possibilities including: working with an NGO (non-governmental organization) in another country that is providing medical or educational services; volunteering at a clinic or school enrichment program in a low-income neighborhood in Philadelphia; or working with an environmental group on issues of pollution and sustainability. In their reflections on their experiences, students focus on issues related to their majors. For example, a communications major volunteering in a school enrichment program in North Philadelphia would address issues relevant to the field of communications such as how could the program management let the public at large know about the good work they are doing.
Summer Two:
In the second summer, students could participate in an internship experience away from the Arcadia campus. Like the first summer experience, there is a reflection component in which students are asked to examine how the work they are doing in this experience is related to their major. Possible sites include a psychology research laboratory for a psychology major, working with an NGO (non-governmental organization) in another country for international studies major, or working with a media organization in the Philadelphia.
These experiences will be set up individually by each student working with his or her departmental and three-year program advisers. They will consult with staff from The College of Global Studies and with the Director of Global Connections in order to take advantage of the numerous settings and programs already in place, both within the United States and abroad.
In order to continue working as a group, students and the director of the three year degree program will communicate through a social networking website during the summer months. This will allow all involved to know what others are doing, as well as providing an opportunity for the students to reflect on what they are experiencing and to tie it back to their studies at Arcadia.
Co-curricular Activities
Given the intensity of the three-year program and the range of majors and interests of the students, three-year program students are invited to participate in co-curricular and extracurricular activities to provide a sense of community among their cohorts.
Admissions to Three-Year Degree Programs
Due to the pressure and intensity of fitting all requirements into three years, this program is intended for students with high academic ability. Admissions criteria are the same as for the Honors Program. Incoming first-year students who score 1900 (old SAT), 1350 (new SAT) or better on the SAT or 29 or better on the ACT and are ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class (if their school ranks students) will be considered for admission into the program.
Course Requirements
Except for the two summer experiences listed above, the course requirements for each of the majors is the same as for the four-year program in that major. For specific course requirements, see the section in the catalog for the major. Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA to stay in the program.
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