January 26, 2017
Board of Governors approves new degree programs
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg 鈥� The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania鈥檚 State System of Higher Education today
approved four new graduate degree programs鈥攊n criminal justice, athletic training,
education and urban and regional planning鈥攁nd a bachelor鈥檚 degree program in professional
studies.
The new programs, designed to address growing workforce demands and new professional
certification requirements, will be offered beginning as early as this summer at various
System universities.
The new degrees are:
鈥octor of Criminal Justice in criminal justice at California University of Pennsylvania
鈥aster of Science in athletic training at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
鈥achelor of Applied Science in professional studies at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
鈥aster of Science in transformative education and social change at West Chester University
of Pennsylvania
鈥aster of Urban and Regional Planning at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
鈥淥ur universities are continuing to redesign their curricula to address the emerging
and future needs of students, their future employers and the Commonwealth,鈥� said State
System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. 鈥淓ach of these new programs was conceived and developed
at the campus level. They are practical, career-oriented degrees that will help prepare
a new generation of leaders in their fields.鈥�
The Doctor of Criminal Justice program to be offered by Cal U. beginning this summer
is designed for individuals who already are working as agency leaders, supervisors
and investigators, and who are seeking an educational opportunity that will allow
them to advance their careers. The cohort-based, 42-credit program will focus on analytical
skills, leadership and policy implementation and evaluation.
The program will be delivered primarily through Cal U.鈥檚 nationally recognized Global
Online division, with two five-day, on campus experiences. It is intended to be completed
in two years with students taking courses part time. A professional doctorate, the
degree will differ from a Ph.D. in either criminology or criminal justice, both of
which focus primarily on preparing individuals for academic careers or as researchers,
and will be the first such degree offered in the United States.
The Master of Science in athletic training degree program to be offered by IUP beginning
in summer 2018 was developed in response to the recent decision by several national
organizations to change the first professional degree in the field from a bachelor鈥檚
to a master鈥檚. In the future, individuals will need the graduate degree in order to
take the Board of Certification exam and to be hired as a certified athletic trainer.
IUP will no longer accept new students into its existing undergraduate program in
athletic training after this fall.
Students will be able to enroll in the new graduate program either through early graduate
school admission as part of a 3+2 program or after first earning an undergraduate
degree from IUP or another institution. The professional degree in athletic training
will provide students both classroom education and clinical training, maintaining
partnerships and affiliation agreements with a variety of local and regional healthcare
facilities and local high schools and colleges.
The Board of Governors last year approved similar new master鈥檚 degrees in athletic
training at three other State System universities鈥擫ock Haven, Slippery Rock and West
Chester Universities of Pennsylvania鈥攖hat previously offered only bachelor鈥檚 degrees.
All three universities also are phasing out their bachelor鈥檚 degree programs.
The Master of Science in transformative education and social change was developed
by West Chester University for current educators鈥攂oth classroom teachers and others
working in community education settings鈥攚ho are seeking to examine their profession
and improve the field of education. It was designed to provide those who enroll with
an opportunity to identify concerns and to conduct research that will have a direct
impact on their professional lives, communities and workplaces.
Students will develop a 鈥渢hematic concern鈥� based on their area of study, then conduct
a 鈥渃ritical action research鈥� project. They also will complete a thesis requiring them
to articulate a serious understanding of educational theory, to conduct an in-depth
literature review of their problem and to design a real-world solution to that problem.
The Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree to be offered by West Chester University
Is intended to help meet a growing demand for urban and regional planners in the region. Professional planners help influence future neighborhoods, as well as local, regional and metropolitan areas, providing guidance for sustainable development and addressing social, environmental, political and economic problems of communities.
Is intended to help meet a growing demand for urban and regional planners in the region. Professional planners help influence future neighborhoods, as well as local, regional and metropolitan areas, providing guidance for sustainable development and addressing social, environmental, political and economic problems of communities.
The new degree program is designed to complement the university鈥檚 recently approved
Bachelor of Science in urban and environmental planning. The undergraduate program
emphasizes environmental conservation and land use planning, while the new graduate
program will provide specialty areas in economic development and advanced geospatial
applications. Students will learn advanced approaches to developing plans, policies
and regulatory approaches to influence development and advise communities and clients
regarding public and private development interests.
The Bachelor of Applied Science in professional studies to be offered at Lock Haven University
is a degree completion program designed especially for adult learners who have earned an associate or technical degree/certification from a regionally accredited community college or non-regionally accredited post-secondary technical school. It is intended to enable non-traditional, working adult students to gain the additional knowledge, skills and credentials they need to enhance their career and life success
Students will be able to complete the courses they need to fulfill the requirements
for a bachelor鈥檚 degree while choosing a specialty from among entrepreneurship, management
or Spanish. Additional areas of specialty, such as art and graphic design, might be
added to the degree program depending on student and workforce demand. The new degree
will be offered beginning this fall.
For more information on any of the new degree programs, please contact the appropriate
university.
Pennsylvania鈥檚 State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher
education in the Commonwealth, with more than 100,000 degree-seeking students and
thousands more who are enrolled in certificate and other career-development programs.
Collectively, the 14 universities that comprise the State System offer more than 2,300
degree and certificate programs in more than 530 academic areas. Nearly 520,000 State
System university alumni live in Pennsylvania.
The State System universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg,
Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery
Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operate
branch campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP), and Clearfield
(Lock Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including
the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.