October 06, 2016
Board of Governors approves new degrees at IUP, Kutztown
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education today
gave final approval to three new academic degree programs, including a doctoral program
in counselor education and supervision to be offered at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
IUP also received approval to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in public health
and Kutztown University, a Bachelor of Science in information technology.
The new programs represent the State System universities’ continuing efforts to align
their programming with the needs of students and employers in their regions, the Commonwealth
and beyond.
“Our universities are adapting to the changing needs of Pennsylvania,” said State System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. “We are listening to our students, and to employers, to help ensure the success of both.”
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) program in counselor education and supervision at IUP will be offered as a full-time, residential program. It will build on the perquisite 60-graduate-credit entry-level practitioner degree in counseling. The curriculum will be based on the most current Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs standards, with a high focus on scholarship and research.
“Our universities are adapting to the changing needs of Pennsylvania,” said State System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. “We are listening to our students, and to employers, to help ensure the success of both.”
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) program in counselor education and supervision at IUP will be offered as a full-time, residential program. It will build on the perquisite 60-graduate-credit entry-level practitioner degree in counseling. The curriculum will be based on the most current Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs standards, with a high focus on scholarship and research.
The program will prepare counselor educators who are equipped to enter academia or
positions of leadership with a specialization in scholarship, research, supervision
and teaching. At the master’s level, many practitioners are licensed by the state
as professional counselors and provide direct service to clients. To date, all 50
states have licensure for professional counselors.
The Bachelor of Science in public health degree program at IUP will meet the growing
workforce need in public health and related healthcare fields. Graduates will understand
the science of human health and the epidemiology of infectious and chronic diseases,
as well as the complications of the U.S. and global healthcare systems with regard
to access and ethics of the disparities in healthcare delivery.
The program will provide students options to focus in three academic areas: epidemiology
and biostatistics, environmental and occupational health, and behavioral and mental
health. Existing relationships with local and regional community stakeholders will
be strengthened as the proposed program develops field placements for students and
career placements for graduates.
Kutztown University’s Bachelor of Science in information technology degree program
will cover the broader, fundamental technology areas of computer science, with a focus
on the design, development, implementation, support and management of computer-based
information systems. Students will take courses relating to security, networking,
database and web development.
The curriculum will provide students with the core concepts necessary for a career
in numerous related fields, such as system or database administrator, network administrator
or technician, web designer and cybersecurity. Students will learn to solve problems
utilizing current technology, with an emphasis on emerging standards and trends. The
proposed courses include programming, web programming, IT systems, networks, security,
database and software engineering. Additionally, students will be required to complete
a capstone project as part of a two-semester software engineering sequence.
For more information on any of the new programs, please contact the university.
Pennsylvania’s 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.