Astana, 23 October. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said in reply to a parliamentary inquiry that a bachelor's degree can already be completed in three years instead of four in Kazakhstan, but tuition fees will not fall as a result: they are calculated on the volume of academic credits, not the number of years.
"The key factor is not the length of study but completing the established volume of academic credits and achieving the learning outcomes," the prime minister's reply says. An academic credit is a unit of study load; a bachelor's student must complete a set number of them regardless of how many years it takes. The programme itself cannot be shortened: universities can, for example, divide the year into three trimesters instead of two semesters.
According to Bektenov, some universities have already introduced trimesters in high-demand fields such as computer science, cybersecurity, big data analysis, software engineering, information systems and artificial intelligence, digital law, business analytics and marketing; more than 16,000 students study under this system. Medical, veterinary, engineering, humanities, teaching and natural science programmes, as well as the arts, require long and consistent training, and the format does not suit them. In 2027 the government will assess the effectiveness of the three-year bachelor's degree, including costs and graduate employment.
A student who graduates a year early saves a year, but not money.
What it means: A fast-track degree is a matter of scheduling, not a discount. The government does not plan to move everyone to three years.
Who benefits: Students in IT, digital and business fields who will enter the labour market sooner, and employers who, according to the MP, lack specialists. Students' families gain nothing financially.
Background: A three-year bachelor's degree in IT, marketing, services and tourism was proposed by Kurultai deputy Makhambet Khassenov, who cited Almaty Management University and Astana IT University, where students complete 240 credits in three years.
List of sources used: Informburo, Qumash, Tengrinews, NUR.KZ, NewTimes.kz, Bizmedia.kz
Artificial intelligence was used in preparing this material.
