Plymouth State University makes it easier to earn your degree and start your career sooner with less student debt.
This exciting option will launch in Fall 2025, with our new 96-credit three-year applied bachelor’s programs in high-demand fields, including:
- Cybersecurity
- Outdoor Adventure Leadership
- Police Studies
- Robotics and Automation Engineering
- Small Business Administration
Focused courses in your major, along with general education and elective courses, will often be paired with experiential learning and internship opportunities. The programs can be completed in three years of study and offer pathways to traditional four-year, 120-credit programs—the choice is yours.
In every course of study, you’ll benefit from our innovative Cluster Learning Model, through which you’ll work with students from different disciplines and together become career-ready problem solvers. You’ll graduate with advanced know-how and connections, setting you up for success.
Applied Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity expertise is in strong demand across the nation, and our new 96-credit three-year applied bachelor’s program provides the knowledge and hands-on experience required by this dynamic and complex field. Whether working solo or in teams, you’ll be prepared by learning how to recognize, identify, and address threats, and through acquiring innovation and entrepreneurship skills that are hallmarks of our Cluster Learning Model.
The new 96-credit three-year and a companion four-year 120-credit bachelor’s will launch simultaneously, and both build on our existing cybersecurity minor. Students will benefit from state-of-the-industry infrastructure tailored for PSU’s programs and made possible via $1 million in dedicated federal funding.
Applied Bachelor’s in Outdoor Adventure Leadership
Imagine yourself as an outdoor adventure professional, sharing your love of all things outdoors as a skilled educator! Our new 96-credit three-year bachelor’s program will prepare you to succeed in this highly competitive industry, quickly and at less expense.
Program highlights include the multi-day outdoor expeditions of our intensive immersive semester, and clinical courses assure competencies in Camping and Navigation, Canoe Paddling, Natural History, Rock Climbing, and Wilderness First Aid. You’ll be prepared for adventure leadership in national and state recreation programs, resorts and guiding companies, ecotourism, camps, scouting, and faith-based outdoor adventure-based programs, among others.
Applied Bachelor’s in Police Studies
Law enforcement agencies nationwide are understaffed and as a candidate with higher education you’ll be more likely to pass required fitness tests and, as a police officer, are predicted to receive higher ratings from superiors. You’ll learn to use crime-mapping software and the techniques of criminal investigations, evaluating police policy and practice based on evidence while mastering essential criminal law.
Police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and victims rely on thorough, official documentation to be entered as evidence in court. Our new program will strengthen your communication skills through focused instruction on the type of writing most common in law enforcement.
Applied Bachelor’s in Robotics and Automation Engineering
Our first-in-New Hampshire, four-year 120-credit bachelor’s in robotics is joined by a new 96-credit three-year program offering the technical and professional requirements of today’s job market. You will graduate with essential skills in automation, knowledge of fabrication, mechatronics, PLC programming, physical computing, and project management, among others.
In 2024 we opened a state-of-the-industry robotics facility with a new production floor and labs, and a full FANUC Connected Smart Manufacturing suite. You’ll build, test, and invent robots using equipment and capabilities on par with those of the nation’s top institutions, made possible in part by a $1 million federal investment.
Applied Bachelor’s in Small Business Administration
You’ll be prepared for the real-world challenges of starting and managing a business. With a focus on entrepreneurship, the three-year program in Small Business Administration targets students (including nontraditional students) who are goal-oriented and highly motivated to pursue ownership or a career in a small business.
The PSU School of Business is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a global standard of excellence; and the 96-credit three-year option will meet the same exacting standards as our four-year 120-credit bachelor’s and MBA programs. Our business school debuts a $38 million total modernization in 2025. featuring an innovation hub, state-of-the-art finance lab, and sales institute.
A: Beginning with the Fall 2025 semester, Plymouth State University is offering 96-credit three-year applied bachelor’s degree programs in cybersecurity, outdoor adventure leadership, police studies, robotics and automation engineering, and small business administration.
A: PSU recognizes that in NH and across the nation, there is a growing interest to be able to choose from diverse educational options. The new options are in line with our commitment to explore innovative ways to address and support the evolving demands of our students’ and region’s needs. While PSU prides itself on offering students excellent value on their educational investments, we acknowledge that some will benefit from a more affordable alternative. The new options will also be attractive for those focused on time to degree issues and with specific career intentions.
A: Plymouth State has developed seamless pathways for students to transition their 96-credit coursework to 120-credit, four-year degree programs that are discipline-aligned. These pathways offer the necessary flexibility for students to adapt their academic trajectories midway, ensuring the smooth continuation and easy advancement of their studies within their chosen disciplines.
A: The cost of annual tuition will be the same for both 96-credit three-year and four-year 120-credit programs, and students enrolled in the new programs will be just as eligible for financial aid and/or scholarships. Savings of approximately 25 percent could be expected for students whose program completes in three years instead of the traditional four.
A: The five new applied degree programs are in fields where there is strong demand for well-prepared applicants. The programs have been designed to equip graduates with the skills and competencies needed for success.
A: The new programs are more than student-centered; they also speak directly to our motto, Ut Prosim (‘That I May Serve’). Just like many other parts of the country and region, New Hampshire is grappling with serious workforce shortages in certain areas. Our 96-credit degree three-year programs directly address this issue, serving the needs of our students and communities.
A: Yes – our traditional four-year 120-credit programs will continue. The five new applied bachelor’s programs provide additional options.
A: 96-credit, three-year applied bachelor’s programs in cybersecurity, outdoor adventure leadership, police studies, robotics and engineering automation, and small business administration will be offered beginning in the Fall 2025 semester.
A: Contact our Admissions Office at Phone: (603) 535-2237 or (800) 842-6900; E-mail: admissions@plymouth.edu.
Plymouth State University (PSU) has launched an innovative option for students to obtain their applied, 96-credit bachelor’s degrees in three years. The University’s accreditor, the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), has approved these applied bachelor’s degree reduced-time and reduced-credit programs in lieu of the standard program that takes four years with 120 credits.
Given the novel nature of the programs, students should be aware of the following:
- While PSU is not the only NECHE-accredited program to receive approval to offer a three-year, 96-credit program for students to earn their applied bachelor’s degree, the norm for a bachelor’s degree remains a four-year, 120-credit program.
- Applied bachelor’s degree programs are best suited to students committed to a particular field or discipline, students who have a clear career objective, and/or students who are focused on pursing near-term employment in their chosen industry as practitioners.
- To enable students to complete the applied bachelor’s degree programs in less time and with fewer credits, these programs will be highly structured with limited credits.
- PSU’s applied bachelor’s programs are eligible for Title IV federal financial aid. However, students who leave PSU having completed an applied bachelor’s degree but later choose to return to PSU or attend another institution to complete additional undergraduate credits, either to earn a certificate of post-baccalaureate studies or to earn a second bachelor’s degree, will not be eligible for federal grant aid and may have limited eligibility for other federal aid programs. For more details, see Federal Subsidized & Unsubsidized Loans and Federal Pell Grants.
- Given that PSU’s applied bachelor’s degree programs are designed to be completed within three years, students can expect to save a full year of tuition fees and related costs, including room and board, assuming they complete the program within the expected time frame.
- Some institutions may not accept PSU’s applied bachelor’s degrees as undergraduate credentials sufficient for admission to master's degree programs. It is critical that students confirm specific requirements with their institutions of choice.
- PSU’s applied bachelor’s programs are available for the following degrees:
- Applied Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity
- Applied Bachelor’s in Outdoor Adventure Leadership
- Applied Bachelor’s in Police Studies
- Applied Bachelor’s in Robotics and Automation Engineering
- Applied Bachelor’s in Small Business Administration
For more information
Contact the Office of Admissions at (603) 535-2237 or (800) 842-6900; E-mail: admissions@plymouth.edu.
