July 13, 2017

Board of Governors approves eight degree programs

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education today approved eight new degree programs, in areas including international business; environmental, mechanical and biomedical engineering; social media; sustainability; and health information management.

Various State System universities developed the new programs, designing them to respond to changing student and workforce needs. The new degrees, which the universities will offer beginning as soon as this fall semester, are:

•Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in international business at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
•Bachelor of Science in environmental engineering at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
•Bachelor of Science in social media theory and strategy at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
•Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
•Bachelor of Science in sustainability at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
•Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
•Master of Science in health information management at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
•Doctor of Philosophy in business at Indiana University of Pennsylvania

“Our universities continue to be forward thinking and innovative in redesigning their academic programs to meet the evolving needs of students, their future employers and the Commonwealth,” said State System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. “We are convinced that these degree programs will prepare a new generation of students for success.”

The Bachelor of Science in business administration in international business at Bloomsburg University beginning this fall will prepare students with a wider set of skills and a global mindset. Graduates will be able to pursue successful careers with profit, nonprofit and government organizations in an increasingly global, interconnected world. It will combine liberal arts learning with the functional business disciplines, experiential learning and leadership training.

The Bachelor of Science in environmental engineering IUP will offer beginning in the spring semester will combine a solid grounding in college level basic sciences and mathematics with environmental engineering and technical courses. The program will prepare students to apply scientific and mathematical principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems controlling living environments, and to monitor controlling factors in the natural environment. These systems include pollution control, waste and hazardous material disposal, health and safety protection, conservation, life support and requirements for protection of special materials and related work environments.

The Bachelor of Science in social media theory and strategy at Kutztown University will prepare graduates with the skills needed for careers rooted in social media content development, management, administration, marketing and analysis. Degree recipients will be able to apply social media knowledge to lead generation, public advocacy, digital marketing management, concept promotion, e-commerce, digital content marketing, pay per click (PPC) ad construction and evaluation and content marketing. Completion of the program will require an internship and a capstone course incorporating pre-professional mentoring and a public presentation. The program will begin in August.

The Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering at Shippensburg University will prepare students for a wide variety of careers, including in the design and manufacturing of mechanical and electromechanical components and systems. The curriculum will include a focus on professional engineering practice and access to the latest Computer Assisted Design (CAD) and Computer Assisted Manufacturing (CAM) tools, with an emphasis on design for manufacturability, modeling, simulation, process control and rapid prototyping. It will balance theory and hands-on practice that will prepare students to be effective and practical engineers when they graduate. The program will begin in the fall 2018 semester.

The Bachelor of Science in sustainability at Shippensburg University will prepare graduates to be environmental scientists with expertise in sustainability, coupled with technical skills in geographic information systems (GIS) and real-world work experience through required internships. The program will begin this fall.

The Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering program West Chester will offer beginning in fall 2018 will build on the university’s expertise in the health and life sciences, including its existing pharmaceutical product development major. Biomedical engineering has emerged as a professional discipline largely in response to the increasing dependence of modern healthcare on complex diagnostic, screening, monitoring, prosthetics, surgical instrumentation and biotechnology. The new program will offer tracks in biosystems, bioinstrumentation and imaging; biomolecular and biochemical; biomechanics; and biomaterials and tissues.

The Master of Science in health information management at Slippery Rock will join two existing graduate programs in data analytics and health informatics as data-oriented supplements to the university’s health and wellness focus. The 33-credit professional degree program will complement the existing programs, focusing on designing, storing and utilizing data for daily operational decisions. Courses, which will be offered in a blended format, will be held at the Regional Learning Alliance just outside of Pittsburgh beginning in fall 2018. Flexible scheduling will accommodate working practitioners.

The Doctor of Philosophy in business degree program at IUP will be offered in a weekend, cohort-based format for working professionals in the Pittsburgh region. The program is designed to be offered on a part-time basis, consisting of two years of coursework, a comprehensive examination and a dissertation. It will be the first such program in the region to enable working professionals to complete their doctorate in a convenient and cost-effective format, enabling them either to transition into academic positions at universities or to enhance their abilities and credentials related to modern business data analytics and strategic analysis to advance their careers in business and industry. The first program cohort is expected to begin in spring 2018.

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