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"Degrees & Program"

Competency-based education degrees

Complete in less than 12 months and for under $11,000.

Competency-based education (CBE) is a pathway to gaining career skills, faster. In a CBE program, each credit is tied to a competency, or measurable skill that can help improve your performance on the job. Since you may have some of these skills already, you can demonstrate what you know quickly, earn credit for it and spend more time learning something new.

Choose CBE if you:

Already work in a professional setting
Prefer to learn independently
Have strong organizational and time management skills
Want instructor support as you work at your own pace
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Watch: Earn your degree in less than 12 months and under $11k with competency-based programs

Why earn your competency- based education degree at University of Phoenix?

Why earn your competency- based education degree at University of Phoenix?

Our CBE courses aren’t just designed to help you take advantage of your work experience; they’re also built to fit your schedule. Take several 16-week courses at the same time, allowing you the flexibility to demonstrate mastery that fits within your schedule — and the flexibility to balance work, life and school.

Faster and more affordable

Complete in less than 12 months and for under $11,000.

Tailored to your experience

Move quickly through the topics you already know, so you can focus on the ones you don’t.

Focused on results

Equip yourself with the skills your industry needs today, and tomorrow.

Driven by assessments

Advance by showing mastery of each skill, so you can graduate confident and prepared.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Master of Business Administration – Complete in less than 12 months and for under $10,000.
  • Master of Information Systems – Complete in less than 12 months and for under $11,000.
  • Master of Health Administration – Complete in less than 12 months and for under $11,000.
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Complete in less than 12 months and for under $10,000.

Experienced faculty will guide and assist you on learning activities and exercises to help build your knowledge in areas where you will be assessed to demonstrate your level of learning and comprehension for a competency. Faculty then will help support you by providing robust feedback and further development opportunities on your authentic assessments to assist you in reaching mastery. 

Competency-based degree programs emphasize the mastery of skills for specific fields, industries and jobs. The application of that theory through projects and assignments allows students to demonstrate their understanding of the curricular components in an outcome that can yield a tangible result. Review the program you are interested in—we offer four CBE degrees—to learn more about the specific competencies correlated to that degree.

Unlike our traditional degree programs where you take one course at a time, competency-based programs are designed for you to take several 16-week courses at the same time, allowing you the flexibility to demonstrate mastery that fits within your schedule — and the flexibility to balance work, life and school throughout the 16 weeks.

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