Shorter degrees, same workload
«There are certain specialties where four years is really too long; the content changes too much,» Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek announced at a press conference after a government meeting. «Degrees will be shortened, and new formats will appear.»
At that briefing, Nurbek said his ministry had sent the government a proposal for a shorter form of university study, the applied bachelor’s degree, proposing to «launch a pilot format with higher colleges.»
The minister had raised the subject a year earlier. In August 2025, he highlighted Astana IT University as one of the first to introduce three-year programs at the request of large IT companies.
«Even three years no longer satisfies some. That is why we gave universities very great flexibility,» he said.
On 1 October, the matter was brought up again as deputies of Kazakhstan’s parliament, the Kurultai, formally asked the government about introducing three-year bachelor’s programs, including a pilot model developed with employers. To that, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov replied in writing.
The government’s answer
According to the response, three-year and four-year bachelor’s programs do not differ in content or volume. Students must complete 240 academic credits, and in some fields at least 300, in line with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).
The format «may be seen not as a mechanical shortening of the educational program, but as an opportunity to organize study more flexibly without harming the quality of training,» the response reads.
For students, that means a heavier pace. A four-year degree requires about 60 academic credits a year, while the same 240 academic credits over three years require about 80, a third more every year. Universities may organize study in semesters, trimesters, or quarters.
More than 16,000 students already study in trimesters, mostly in computer science, cybersecurity, software engineering, artificial intelligence, and business analytics, at universities including Astana IT University, KazNU, Almaty Management University, and ENU.
For universities, the government adds, «An intensive three-year format does not reduce the workload on universities’ infrastructure and teaching staff. On the contrary, it concentrates it in a shorter period.»
Not for every field
The response also singles out medicine, veterinary science, and the arts as areas that need a special approach, along with some teaching, natural science, engineering, and humanities programs, where professional skills take long and consistent training.
To understand what the reform means inside a university, we spoke to Anar Ibrayeva, provost of Maqsut Narikbayev University (MNU).
«Shortening the duration of bachelor’s programs could be an opportunity to improve higher education in Kazakhstan,» she says. «However, the main goal should not simply be to reduce the number of years students spend at university. What matters is the quality of education they receive and whether they acquire the knowledge and skills they need for their future careers.»
Photo credits: Maqsut Narikbayev University’s website
Her view echoes the government’s response, which also puts learning outcomes ahead of the number of years. But which programs can make the switch?
«I think a three-year format could be suitable for some fields, particularly IT. For example, Astana IT University already offers programs with a shorter duration,» Ibrayeva says. «However, this approach cannot be applied to every discipline. Medicine, for example, requires a different approach to education, and the specific requirements of each profession need to be taken into account.»
The trimester test
The trimester system is the example the government’s response highlights for fitting a degree into three years. It has already been tested close to home. Ibrayeva points to an example from Maqsut Narikbayev University, where the International School of Journalism once moved from semesters to trimesters.
«This required us to reconsider not only the teaching process but also many organizational aspects of university life,» she shared. «We had to adjust the academic calendar, including holiday schedules, and address issues related to lecturers’ salaries. Some students also faced difficulties choosing minor programs because of the way the academic schedule was organized.»
The school ultimately returned to semesters and a four-year format. That experience is now part of a national debate. As the government allows universities to rethink the length of their programs, MNU has already been through both sides of such a change: moving to a new calendar and moving back. For Ibrayeva, it says something about the reform itself.
«These challenges showed that changing the format of education involves much more than simply shortening the duration of a degree,» Ibrayeva says.
The case does not prove that trimesters fail: more than 16,000 students study under them. It shows that the hardest part of a shorter degree may not be the curriculum but the calendar, contracts, and choices built around it.
What must 2027 answer?
«I do not mean to offend other universities, but the quality of education can be an issue. It is not simply about how many years students spend studying. Much depends on teaching approaches, the selection of lecturers, and the equipment available at the university,» Ibrayeva says. «Shortening the duration of a degree alone does not guarantee better education. Universities need to focus on how programs are delivered and what kind of learning environment they provide for students.»
The government plans to test exactly that. In 2027, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education will review how three-year programs work, together with the Ministry of Labour, the Atameken business chamber, and industry business communities.
«The end result of a university’s work is not a diploma but a specialist who has mastered the competencies the economy needs,» the response says.
By that measure, the reform will not be judged by how many years students save. It will be judged by whether a graduate who studied for three years is as ready for work as one who studied for four.
