CEDAR FALLS, Iowa —

The University of Northern Iowa is working to fast-track elementary teacher training through a new three-year degree program, with the goal of getting qualified educators out of college classrooms and into their own more quickly.

UNI announced in a news release it will launch a “Degree in 3” program in fall 2026 that will allow students to earn a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education in three years.

Provost José Herrera said in the release the new initiative “extends the reach” of the elementary education program — the largest major at the university — and upholds directives from the Iowa Legislature for each state university to offer at least one three-year degree program.

“UNI’s three-year degree is a bold response to the state’s demand for teachers an

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