New Delhi, April 20 -- A growing number of Americans are finishing college degrees in weeks, not years. They use online platforms, credit transfers, and competency-based programs to do it. The trend is known as 'Degree Hacking', 'College Speed Runs', or 'Hyper-Accelerated Degrees'. It has passionate supporters and serious critics in equal measure.

Christie Williams is one of the most talked-about examples. The North Carolina HR executive finished her bachelor's degree in just three months in 2024.

She first spent two months earning credits through online tutorials after work. Then she completed 11 classes at the University of Maine at Presque Isle in four weeks. She later earned her master's degree in just five weeks.

Both degrees toge...