5 Things to Know About BYU-Pathway Worldwide

Since the announcement of BYU-Pathway Worldwide in February 2017, students have been excited about what the new organization will mean for them. Many have wondered how it will impact their education, and others have asked whether it is any different at all. 

Here are five things you should know about BYU-Pathway Worldwide:

1. Pathway (the program) has changed names to PathwayConnect

The creation of BYU-Pathway Worldwide has prompted a name change for the three-semester Pathway program to avoid confusion between the two. The three-semester program is now called PathwayConnect. This change preserves the hope and opportunity Pathway has been known for. It also indicates a connection to BYU-Idaho online certificates and degrees made available through BYU-Pathway.

2. There’s more to BYU-Pathway Worldwide than just PathwayConnect

In addition to offering PathwayConnect, BYU-Pathway will be the single point of entry to online certificates and degrees offered to non-resident students¹ within the Church Educational System (CES).

The certificates and degrees offered online through BYU-Pathway will be granted from Brigham Young University-Idaho. However, all schools within the Church Educational System will help contribute individual courses and curriculum offered online through BYU-Pathway. Students who wish to attend the campuses of BYU, BYU-Idaho, BYU-Hawaii, or LDS Business College may apply separately to those institutions and must adhere to their individual admission standards.

PathwayConnect opens the door to stackable degrees, which allows students to earn a certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree — or all three — online from BYU-Idaho.

3. Seamless support and advising for students

BYU-Pathway will provide seamless support from PathwayConnect to a certificate and/or degree.

Historically, PathwayConnect has been administered in a separate system from BYU-Idaho’s online certificates and degrees and has had dedicated support and advising teams, course registration procedures, and more. This has meant that when PathwayConnect students matriculate to a BYU-Idaho online program, they’ve had to learn entirely new processes and systems.

But with the creation of BYU-Pathway, the transition from PathwayConnect to an online certificate or degree program will eventually be seamless: one place to go for support, one place to go for course registration, one place for everything — from enrollment to graduation.

4. Collaboration with other Church programs and departments

PathwayConnect students gather weekly for face-to-face interaction and support.

BYU-Pathway full-time employees are in the process of moving themselves and their families from Rexburg, Idaho, to Salt Lake City, Utah, which is the new headquarters for BYU-Pathway Worldwide. Why? Because being in Salt Lake City means BYU-Pathway administrators can work more closely with Self-Reliance Services (SRS), the Church Missionary Department, Seminaries and Institutes, as well as Church leadership.

These close connections will help BYU-Pathway grow and evolve in a more strategic and focused manner, ultimately providing more meaningful opportunities to Church members throughout the world. BYU-Pathway continues to work closely with BYU-Idaho for the creation of curriculum and online programs.

5. A way to grow spiritually, academically, and professionally

Every CES college and university offers a unique opportunity to earn more than just a certificate or degree, and BYU-Pathway Worldwide is no different. As students participate in gospel-based education, they will learn doctrines and skills that will help them get better jobs, serve their families and communities, and deepen their testimonies of Jesus Christ.

As students take the gospel-centered teaching into their lives they will see an increase of the Spirit in their own homes.

Now that you know a little about BYU-Pathway Worldwide, you can visit our website to apply today!

1. ^ A “non-resident student” is any individual pursuing a certificate or degree online. A “resident student” is an individual pursuing a degree on a physical campus.