Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) has approved four new graduate degree programs to be offered beginning this fall. The new programs are:

· Doctor of Philosophy in communications media and instructional technology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

· Master of Arts in applied archaeology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

· Master of Education in educational leadership at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.

· Master of Science in adapted physical activity at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

The Doctor of Philosophy in communications media and instructional technology degree program at IUP will prepare communications faculty and will provide leaders in the communications field for business and industry.

Eleven other PASSHE universities currently offer master’s level programs in educational technology, communications studies, information systems and instructional technology, which will be natural “feeder” programs into the new Ph.D. A proportion of seats in each entering class will be reserved for graduates of PASSHE universities.

The Master of Arts in applied archaeology at IUP was designed to meet industry and government needs for professional archaeologists, particularly in the areas of cultural resource management (CRM), historic preservation, public archaeology and heritage planning and tourism. The passage of the National Historic Preservation Act created new employment opportunities in the field, with both government agencies and private consulting firms. A master’s degree is required for professional level archaeologists, including managers and supervisors in CRM projects. Only four colleges and universities in the United States and Canada offer a specialized master’s program in CRM.

More than 4,000 archaeological projects are reviewed annually by the Bureau of Historic Preservation, and more than 1,000 require field investigations. Each of the field projects must be supervised by a professional archaeologist with at least a master’s degree. It is expected that students who enroll in the program will be able to participate in internships with such organizations as the U.S. Forest Service and state Department of Transportation.

The Master of Education program in educational leadership at Lock Haven, which will be offered online, will help prepare students to become elementary and high school principals, with the option of specializing in educational leadership in at-risk schools.

The Master of Science degree program in adapted physical activity at Slippery Rock will expand opportunities for therapy and exercise majors and for students majoring in education. It will accommodate varying career paths, ranging from fitness and sports to more traditional rehabilitations careers. An academic scholarship program through the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation will provide tuition remission to students with disabilities.

There is a critical shortage of qualified professionals who can address the physical activity needs of individuals with disabilities. The number of persons with disabilities is growing in the nation and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has identified the need for professionals to provide physical activity as a preventive measure to this population.

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

With more than 110,000 students, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Approximately 405,000 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, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.