每日吃瓜 has received approval from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) to launch its 90-credit Applied Bachelor of Science (ABS) degrees, becoming the first institution in Maine to announce and accept applications for accreditor-approved programs of this kind. Applications are now open, with the first students beginning classes in February 2026.
Dr. Melik Peter Khoury speaks with some of the leadership team behind the launch of faster, more affordable, and AI-enhanced pathways to career success.
The Applied Bachelor鈥檚 is a bold AI-enhanced redesign of the traditional 120-credit degree. Unity has built a program that delivers the same disciplinary depth while reducing tuition by 25 percent. Many students can expect to finish in about three years or less, saving more than $14,000 compared to a 120-credit bachelor鈥檚 degree.
鈥淗igher education has been slow to adapt to the needs of today鈥檚 learners and employers,鈥� said Dr. Melik Peter Khoury, President and CEO of 每日吃瓜. 鈥淲ith the Applied Bachelor鈥檚, Unity is leading a national conversation on how to deliver rigorous, accredited degrees that are faster, more affordable, and more relevant.鈥�
Unity will debut the Applied Bachelor鈥檚 with five programs, all available online through its new Career Edge initiative:
- ABS in Sustainable Business Management
- ABS in Psychology and Human Services
- ABS in Culinary Innovation and Food Systems
- ABS in Entrepreneurship
- ABS in Environmental Crime Investigation
Two of these programs, Sustainable Business and Environmental Crime Investigation and Enforcement, will also be offered in-person through Unity at Pineland, the Institution鈥檚 in-person learning subsidiary, giving students a face-to-face option alongside the fully online pathway.
Denise Young, Executive Vice President of Educational Outcomes, highlighted the impact on student choice:
鈥淔rom an enrollment perspective, this is a game-changer. We know degree seekers want programs that move faster, cost less, and connect directly to careers while still giving them the flexibility to work and manage their busy lives. Starting in February, they will have the option to earn a fully accredited 90-credit bachelor鈥檚 degree from Unity that delivers real value: an affordable pathway to the knowledge they need, along with badges that highlight the work-ready skills employers want.鈥�
Academic leaders emphasize the rigor of this new program. Students still complete the full disciplinary sequence of a major but move more quickly into advanced coursework. One-credit modules woven throughout the curriculum develop applied skills in AI literacy, systems thinking, professional communication, and digital fluency.
Underscoring this point, Dr. Jennifer Cartier, Executive Vice President of Educational Solutions said, 鈥淣ECHE鈥檚 approval confirms that Unity鈥檚 Applied Bachelor鈥檚 maintains the integrity and rigor of a 120-credit traditional degree while transforming it for the modern learner. Our students will reach upper-level work sooner, and they graduate with both deep disciplinary expertise and the applied skills employers rank as most valuable.鈥�
Fortune 500 companies like Salesforce are actively seeking graduates who combine disciplinary expertise with digital fluency and adaptable, career-ready skills, exactly the kind of preparation Unity鈥檚 Applied Bachelor鈥檚 programs deliver.
鈥淎t Salesforce, we see firsthand how quickly the skills landscape is evolving and how critical it is to help people enter the workforce with confidence,鈥� said North America Area Vice President, Bryan Forrest. 鈥溍咳粘怨镶�檚 new 90-credit Applied Bachelor鈥檚 programs accelerate that process by focusing on what matters most, job-ready skills, digital fluency, and adaptability. By streamlining the path to a degree, these programs make higher education more accessible and responsive to the needs of today鈥檚 employers and learners alike.鈥�
Technology plays a central role in Unity鈥檚 new model. The programs integrate Una Tutor, a custom-built AI assistant, directly into the university鈥檚 learning management system. Una Tutor engages students in Socratic-style exchanges, prompts self-reflection, and provides 24/7 feedback within the context of Unity鈥檚 own courses, making its answers more precise and relevant than those from generic AI models. Because it runs on a lighter, course-trained architecture, it also consumes less energy than large-scale platforms like ChatGPT, lowering the environmental footprint of AI in education.
鈥淎t Unity, AI isn鈥檛 an add-on, it鈥檚 embedded in the very fabric of our programs,鈥� added Dr. Khoury. 鈥淏y building Una Tutor into the LMS and curriculum design, we鈥檝e created an AI that knows and supports our students in real time. That means sharper, more relevant feedback, and it means we鈥檙e leading responsibly by deploying a more sustainable AI model. This is what the future of higher education looks like: flexible, affordable, environmentally conscious, and AI fluent.鈥�
Applications for Unity鈥檚 Career Edge online and In-person at Pineland 90-credit Applied Bachelor鈥檚 offerings are now open, and cohorts will begin in the February term. Students remain fully eligible for federal and state financial aid and transfer credit evaluations.
