Emphasizing career-focused experiences and student passions, the new structure uniquely prepares graduates for an evolving job market and will inform new major offerings.
Vermont Business Magazine Champlain College has announced that beginning in Fall 2026 all incoming students pursuing four-year degrees will be enrolled in the college’s Flex 30 model, a program that provides a full year’s worth of flexible credits for curated, career-focused experiences designed to meet the needs of today’s workforce.
Students can use Flex 30 credits for double majors, co-ops, internships, study abroad experiences, or independent projects to drive value in their degrees without extending their timeline to graduate. The structure is designed to help students intentionally connect their interests with academic and career goals. With Flex 30, students can shape an education that reflects who they are and where they want to go, bringing their passion and purpose together to build compelling career paths.
“Our students are highly capable, enthusiastic, and motivated. Champlain graduates hit the ground running and our new model will help them thrive during a time of profound change,” said Alex Hernandez, president of Champlain College. “By providing students with the most powerful career-focused education possible, we’re setting them up to innovate, lead, and succeed with their passions.”
Through thoughtfully curated courses and experiences, students will engage with their chosen fields earlier in their college careers, make meaningful contributions well before graduation and enter the job market with valuable work experiences and strong professional portfolios.
Key principles of the learning model include:
- Upside-Down Curriculum: On day one at Champlain, students get started in their field and major. Early experiences provide students with ample time to explore interests and build practical skills, while finding a career path that collides their passion and purpose.
- Degrees Powered by the Flex 30: Students combine in- and out-of-classroom experiences across 30 flexible credits—a full year’s worth—to enhance the value of their degrees and build a personalized trajectory. Intentionally structured classes and practical learning experiences allow students to develop additional skills, pursue extracurricular passions, and connect interdisciplinary interests to help them build compelling career paths in a dynamic job market.
- Studio Learning and Applied General Education Connected to Each Major: Applied projects and studio-style classes taken over four years will focus on field work, real-world challenges, and professional skills like collaboration, communication and innovation. General Education courses will be tailored to each major, helping students develop the adaptability, collaboration, and problem-solving skills employers value.
- Career-Readiness: Alongside the new model, the college is expanding the Champlain Exchange, a career platform that connects Champlain students directly with leading employers through transformative course projects, semester-long co-ops, tailored internships, workforce-based experiences and more.
“Champlain’s new academic model is the natural evolution of our professionally-focused mission. Its emphasis on experiential learning provides a wide variety of options that will help students engage with the campus, the community and the world,” said Monique Taylor, Champlain College provost and chief academic officer. “Current Champlain students are also encouraged to collaborate with their academic advisors to explore opportunities within the model that align with their planned graduation requirements and timelines.”
Under the new model, Champlain’s Curriculum Committee is exploring a new generation of majors in high-demand areas including AI, healthcare, business, and the arts. Final approval is expected in June and new programs will be available to current and enrolling students beginning in Fall 2027.
To learn more about Champlain’s academic structure and offerings, visit www.champlain.edu.
About Champlain College Founded in 1878, Champlain College is an innovative college with a distinctive, career-focused approach to higher education. Champlain offers a residential undergraduate experience at its beautiful campus overlooking Lake Champlain in Burlington, VT, as well as over 100 online undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certificates to students across fifty states. Champlain College is different by design: we believe experiential, real-world learning creates unreal opportunity for students. Our graduates are ready to advance their careers with leading employers in future-focused fields—on average, 90% of on-campus students have a successful career outcome within six months of graduation. Champlain ranks in multiple categories of U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Colleges,” is included in The Princeton Review’s 2025 list of “The Best 390 Colleges,” and earned the #9 spot in Princeton Review’s “2025 Top Schools for Game Design.” Champlain was awarded one of America’s Best Colleges by Money for combining quality and affordability.
BURLINGTON, VT (April 7, 2026) – Champlain College www.champlain.edu
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