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

The new programs are:

• Associate of Applied Science in nanotechnology at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
• Bachelor of Science in professional studies at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
• Master of Arts in tourism planning and development at California University of Pennsylvania

The new associate degree in nanotechnology program at Lock Haven University will produce graduates skilled in a rapidly growing field utilized by the information technology, biotechnology and defense industries, among others. Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of matter at the molecular level. It is being incorporated into a variety of manufacturing processes and is producing a tremendous demand for skilled scientists, engineers and technicians.

Graduates of the Lock Haven program will be able to transfer into four-year science programs involving nanotechnology or to go directly to work in the field. The University plans to enroll 12 students in the initial class and 12 more students annually thereafter. The curriculum will combine academic work in mathematics, science – with concentrations in both the biological and physical sciences – and liberal arts with intensive hands-on training at the Pennsylvania State University Nanofabrication Center.

The new bachelor’s degree program in professional studies at Shippensburg University will be offered as a degree completion program in cooperation with Harrisburg Area Community College, and will concentrate on the area of health care administration. Students who enroll in the program will be able to take junior and senior level courses from Shippensburg at the various HACC campus locations, beginning this fall at the college’s Penn Center location in Harrisburg and at its Gettysburg campus.

Students in the program will work on the development of their communications skills, their knowledge of organizations and the integration of theory and practice. Graduates will be prepared for entry-level managerial positions, with strong backgrounds in health care economics and finance, law, human resources and strategic management.

The new program represents the centerpiece of Shippensburg University’s collaborative agreement with HACC, which was designed to provide expanded educational opportunities for working adults, especially in high-demand fields of study. Additional programs will be developed, and will be offered at other HACC locations. HACC also has branch campuses in Lancaster and Lebanon and a center in York.

The new master’s program in tourism planning and development at California University will be offered over the Internet. Graduates will be prepared for management and executive level careers in the tourism industry. The World Tourism Organization projects this industry will be the world’s largest employer by 2006.

The University will seek to have the program become the first fully online tourism education program to be accredited by the World Tourism Organization. Students will complete a core of courses designed to help them develop a thorough understanding of the business of international tourism. They then will apply the concepts they have learned through field experiences, theses or master’s degree projects.

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.