April 07, 2016

State System’s Board of Governors approves five new academic programs

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education today approved five new academic degree programs, including three doctoral programs and a pair of bachelor’s degrees, in engineering and international business.

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.

“We continue to evolve our system in a way that addresses the changing needs of both students and employers,” said State System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. “Each of the programs approved today was developed in response to specific demands in the workforce, and with the desire to ensure our students’ success in their careers beyond graduation.”

The new degrees approved today by the Board of Governors are:

•Doctor of Education in educational leadership and administration at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

•Doctor of Education in transformational teaching and learning at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

•Doctor of Psychology in clinical psychology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

•Bachelor of Science in industrial and systems engineering at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

•Bachelor of Science in international business at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

The Doctor of Education in educational leadership and administration program at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania was designed to enhance leadership and administrative skills of both PreK through 12 and higher education leaders. The program has been offered since 2000 in conjunction with Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).

East Stroudsburg now will offer the program independently. It will continue to provide entering students a “challenging and contemporary graduate curricula,” that will including a variety of research opportunities.

The Doctor of Education in transformational teaching and learning program at Kutztown University is designed for practicing classroom teachers who hold a master’s degree and are ready to take on the role of practitioner-scholar. Graduates of the program will be able to apply research to contemporary educational issues and needs, build community-school partnerships, and lead transformational change in the schools using a social justice approach.

While traditional Ph.D. programs prepare graduate students for conducting research in a specialized area of educational practice, this program was designed for the career educator – the individual who envisions their career as a lifelong practitioner-scholar in the classroom, working with children and adults to improve lives.

The Doctor of Psychology in clinical psychology program at West Chester University will follow a practitioner-scholar model that will prepare students for leadership roles as culturally competent psychologists. The program will be unique in that students will choose one of two specialty tracks: child and adolescent health or post-traumatic stress.

Graduates will be able to employ evidence-based interventions to assess, treat and prevent mental, emotional and behavioral disorders, particularly among individuals who are at greatest risk and demonstrate the greatest need. The program will provide significant training in assessment and therapeutic interventions through didactic coursework and supervised clinical training experiences beginning in the first year of the program.

The Bachelor of Science in industrial and systems engineering program at Slippery Rock will build upon the university’s recently approved engineering degree in petroleum and natural gas. Industrial and systems engineering is primarily concerned with how to improve processes and systems within an organization, particularly those processes that improve quality and productivity.

The program has been designed to provide graduates with the knowledge and capabilities required to work in areas including project and program management, supply chain management, quality measurement and improvement, ergonomics, technology development, strategic planning, change management and financial engineering. Industries in which they could be employed include aerospace, manufacturing, banking, consulting, construction, energy, forestry, insurance, medical services and transportation.

The Bachelor of Science in international business program at West Chester University will require students to take courses with an international emphasis from departments within and outside of the College of Business and Public Affairs. Students will be required to complete the business core course, international business courses and a set of electives. They will be encouraged to use their electives to earn a complementary minor from a program outside of the business school.

The interdisciplinary approach is intended to broaden students’ competency at identifying, analyzing and resolving business challenges in an international context and from a range of perspectives. Students also will be encouraged to advance their foreign language skills and complete an international education experience.

For more information on any of the new programs, please contact the respective university.

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.