BYU-Pathway Degree Structure: The Success Behind the Certificate

BYU-Pathway Degree Structure: The Success Behind the Certificate - Learn more about how the BYU-Pathway certificate's first approach accelerates the value of education

A new approach to helping students complete their education

Completing the title is challenging. For some students, overcoming the challenge seemed impossible. Did you know that 90% of students in the lowest income quartile don't complete their degree within six years? Many of these students never reach their senior year, when courses that focus on their most valuable careers are taught

BYU-Pathway Worldwide wants to do something about that. The goal: to significantly increase the completion rate, especially among students in non-traditional circumstances.

BYU-Pathway, in partnership with BYU-Idaho, carefully evaluates their program to improve outcomes for students who are at a higher risk of not completing a degree. Instead of the traditional university degree model that starts with general education courses, BYU-Pathway is starting to design a degree structure that allows students to take courses in their desired field of study from the start. The solution is a certificate-first approach.

How it works

The BYU-Pathway certificate-first approach is an exciting change that is transforming higher education. Certificates usually only consist of five courses and are a great way to develop hands-on job skills and increase earning potential while laying the groundwork for a degree.

As students continue their education, additional certificates and associate degrees are added, "piling up" into bachelor degrees - so no credit is wasted! As certificates can be completed in a year or less, students can see the value of their education accelerating as they develop job skills and lay the groundwork for a degree.

Here's how it works: Students start by getting their first certificate. After the first certificate, an associate degree builds on the second certificate in addition to some general education and elective courses. After that, students can earn a bachelor's degree with a third certificate and more general education and elective courses.

This approach helps students earn not only a bachelor's degree, but three certificates, an associate's degree, and a host of employable skills!

"This certificate-first approach will help solve some of the inequalities in higher education," said BYU-Pathway President Clark Gilbert.

Let's talk about numbers
Research shows that 90% of the grade (i.e. increased income, increased employment) of a regular university degree does not arrive until the last year, after general education classes. leave without a clear degree or skill set. However, the first-certificate approach gives different results:

Currently, 70% of BYU-Pathway students increase their earning potential after obtaining their first skills-based certificate in just one year.

Since a certificate is an achievement that motivates students to complete it, students are also significantly more likely to complete a bachelor's degree after completing their first certificate.
A successful certificate-first approach

Students around the world report receiving job promotions after completing the BYU-Pathway Worldwide PathwayConnect program, again after they have completed their first certificate, and again after completing their online degree program.

Like many other students who hoped and prayed for better job opportunities, Raul Hidalgo, a graduate of Mexico, started PathwayConnect after struggling to find steady work. After completing the one-year program, she immediately began pursuing certificates that would increase employment opportunities.

Raul saw the benefits of education even before graduating. He said, “I received several promotions at my job. I've been promoted many times, and now I'm learning to be a judge - something I've always dreamed of doing! "She continued," I know that God has given me the resources to support my family and to pay for my school fees while I continue my education. "

In 2016, Raul earned not only a bachelor's degree in business management but also two certificates in basic accounting and entrepreneurship as well as an associate's degree in general studies.