The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors has approved five new degree programs to be offered at various PASSHE universities.

The new programs are:

• Bachelor of Arts in German studies at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
• Bachelor of Science in biochemistry at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
• Master of Science in radiologist assistant at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
• Master of Science in sport management studies at California University of Pennsylvania
• Master of Public Administration at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

The new bachelor’s degree program in German studies at Kutztown University will help address a growing demand in the region for German language fluency, and will enhance other programs offered at Kutztown, including the university’s multicultural and international studies minors and the international business program in the College of Business. The university already plays a prominent role in the area of German studies. It hosts the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center and has an endowed chair in Pennsylvania German Studies. German is the third most frequently studied language in the United States, and interest in the language continues to grow.

The new bachelor’s degree program in biochemistry at Kutztown will help address a growing need for biochemists to work in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Pennsylvania ranks second nationally in pharmaceutical employment and third in biotechnology. Students who enroll in the program will be encouraged to conduct research or to participate in internships with nearby food or pharmaceutical companies. The new program meets the curricular standards of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the American Chemical Society (ACS), and the university will seek program accreditation from ACS. Kutztown also will pursue articulation agreements with several community colleges in the region to help students interested in the new major advance more easily toward the degree.

The Master of Science in radiologist assistant degree program at Bloomsburg University was designed to address a critical health care need and to provide a career path option for practicing radiologic technologists. Program graduates will be qualified to participate in patient assessment, management and education; to perform selected radiology procedures; and to participate in systemic analysis of the quality of patient care delivered within the radiology environment. This is a new degree program nationally and was developed with the encouragement of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Partnerships will be formed with Geisinger Medical Center, other hospitals and radiology practices to provide students with supporting mentors.

The master’s degree program in sport management studies at California University will be offered online. It builds on the university’s existing baccalaureate sport management program and is designed to prepare graduates for executive administrative positions in the sports industry. The program meets standards developed by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the North American Society for Sport Management. It will be the first such program to be offered online, which will enable working professionals in the field to enroll while continuing with their careers.

Cheyney University’s Master of Public Administration degree program will offer broad training in management skills that will prepare graduates for employment in both the public and private sectors, with small and large organizations, including non-profits. It will offer three areas of concentration: non-profit administration, state and local government administration and administration of justice. Among the objectives of the new MPA program are to provide current and future administrators with the necessary analytical and critical thinking skills that will allow them to create and maintain public and private institutions, and to develop competent professionals who are prepared for the challenges of the 21^st century, including new technological developments.

The sport management program at California University is scheduled to begin in July. The other four new programs will be implemented at the beginning of the fall semester.

With nearly 106,000 students, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. The 14 PASSHE universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 400,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.