June 30, 2011

PASSHE Board of Governors approves three new academic programs, announces new Professional Science Master’s initiative

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education today approved three new academic programs, including the first new program under PASSHE’s Professional Science Master’s (PSM) initiative designed to address critical workforce needs in the Commonwealth.
The Board approved a new Master of Science in Integrated Scientific Applications degree program at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. It will be among the first six PSM programs to be offered by PASSHE universities. The other five are existing programs that have been redesigned to meet the PSM criteria.
PSM degrees combine rigorous study in science or mathematics with professional skills-based coursework in business, management, communications, policy and other fields. The programs are designed in close cooperation with employers to ensure they meet their needs.
The other new programs approved by the Board are a Master of Science in Strategic Studies in Weapons of Mass Destruction degree to be offered at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence degree at California University of Pennsylvania.
Millersville’s new program in integrated scientific applications will be unique in the state and nation. The interdisciplinary program will include specializations in environmental systems management, geo-informatics, weather intelligence and risk management and climate science applications. Each area of specialization represents an area of current or emerging workforce demand, and will engage Millersville’s existing and readily accessible business and employer partners throughout the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States for internship, research and immediate employment opportunities.
The other PSM programs that will be offered beginning this fall will be:
•Master of Science in Instructional Technology: Application and Management at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

•Master of Science in General Science: Application of Remote Sensing and GIS in Environmental Science at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

•Professional Science Master’s in Applied and Industrial Chemistry at IUP.

•Professional Science Master’s in Nanoscience for Industrial Materials at IUP.

•Master of Science in Computer Science at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.
PASSHE earlier this year received a $50,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to assist in the development of at least five Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree programs. An additional five PSM programs are expected to be ready by Spring 2012.
IUP’s new Master of Science in Strategic Studies in Weapons of Mass Destruction degree program was developed in response to a specific request by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for an advanced degree program to provide career agents with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify threats to critical assets; to prevent, delay, intervene and respond to attacks on critical assets; and to fulfill the growing need for experts in the field of strategic studies in weapons of mass destruction.
The program is based on the Sandia National Laboratories procedural model for protecting national assets, and builds on best-practice principles related to graduate curriculum development and delivery. IUP has established strong partnerships with the FBI and Sandia National Laboratories. Over the last five years the university has been awarded contracts in excess of $1.3 million to deliver graduate courses to selected cohorts of FBI agents. The new program is designed on a closed-cohort model. Initially, prospective graduate students will be competitively screened and selected by the FBI.
Cal U’s new Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence degree is designed with a multi-dimensional approach and will offer graduates immediate employability in rising demand careers, including title examiners, administrative judicial personnel, not-for profit advocacy groups, think tank researchers, insurance analysts, securities enforcement, commodities regulators, inspectors and disability evaluators. It also will provide a pathway for graduates to pursue advanced study in graduate and professional schools in fields such as public policy and law.
For more information on any of the new programs, please contact the appropriate university.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with nearly 120,000 students. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. About 500,000 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.