New Valley program lets you earn a bachelor's degree in less than 2 years

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The road to a bachelor's degree in business is hitting the fast track for some Valley students.

A partnership between Fresno Pacific University (FPU) and Reedley College will allow students at community college to earn the advanced degree without even leaving campus.

"A portion of the course is offered on site and a portion happens online and we can get students through their bachelors in about 18 months," says Dr. Katie Fleener, the dean of FPU's School of Business.

Bringing the degree to students' doorstep was crucial since transportation can be an issue for folks living outside Fresno.

"I come from a rural community and I understand that students can't always go away or stay at school or travel. Even if travel isn't a problem, if they have a vehicle it's time away from helping with the family or helping on the farm, taking care of your kids or trying to work and make ends meet," says Dr. Sharon Starcher, program director of the FPU School of Business.

Students only need to have 60 units of transfer credit or an associate's degree to qualify.

Each bachelor's level business class is about 6 weeks.

"It's FPU faculty, FPU curriculum, coursework just in the Reedley college classroom," says Fleener.