Plymouth University has been selected as one of just a few higher education institutions in England to pilot new two-year honours degrees.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) selected Plymouth as the only university in the South West to be involved in the trial.

"Fast-track degrees", which were first announced by Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell in April 2006, allow students to begin work sooner and with less debt.

Plymouth University's School of Computing, Communications and Electronics (SoCCE) will offer prospective students two new two-year degrees - Information Technology Management and Computing for Business Applications - both starting in September 2008.

The structure of the courses makes use of the traditional long summer break, with summer schools provided in June and July, allowing students to continue their studies and achieve their degree a year earlier than those on traditional honours courses.

Chris Johnson, of SoCCE: "Our well-respected, innovative teaching puts us in an excellent position to offer these new degrees and we are delighted to be providing such an exciting opportunity for students."

The courses will also offer students the opportunity of an optional paid year in industry, enabling them to achieve an honours degree and a year's work experience within three years.

Chris Johnson, of SoCCE, said: "Our well-respected, innovative teaching puts us in an excellent position to offer these new degrees and we are delighted to be providing such an exciting opportunity for students."

Plymouth University believes "fast-track degrees" will appeal to mature students seeking a change of direction and wanting to gain a respected qualification in two years rather than three.

It also claims that two-year degrees will allow students to "stand out from the crowd".

"Successful completion of a full honours degree in two years demonstrates a 'get-ahead' mentality, motivation and commitment to hard work," the university said.

Lecturers' union Natfhe has already criticised two-year degrees, saying they "devalue" the qualification and encourage a culture of "cramming".

Natfhe has also warned that university staff lose out on time for research and updating course material.

Staffordshire University, Derby University, Leeds Metropolitan University, Northampton University and The Medway Partnership already offer two-year degrees.

In other news, Plymouth University has been ranked 60th in this year’s Times Good University Guide out of more than 100 higher education institutions in the UK.

Exeter University ranks at number 17, while the inclusion of Bristol University and Bath University (ranked as 8th and 11th respectively) further highlights the strong performance of academic institutions in the South West region.