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.