October 22, 2012

Board of Governors approves new graduate degree programs in professional and new media writing, communication design

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) has approved a new graduate program in professional and new media writing designed to address the needs of employers in the corporate, government and non-profit sectors. The degree will be offered by East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

The Board also approved a new Master of Fine Arts degree in communication design at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. The program is intended to produce graduates who will be able to work as faculty at the collegiate level and also to advance their careers as art directors, web designers and creative-business entrepreneurs.

Both actions were taken by the Board at its Oct. 11 meeting.

The new Master of Arts degree in professional and new media writing at East Stroudsburg will be offered mostly online to meet the needs of students throughout the region, many of whom work full time commuting to Philadelphia, New York and other major metropolitan areas. It is designed to provide these workers the advanced skills and education they need to further their careers in fields such as publishing, healthcare, pharmaceutical, mass media, information technology, financial services and many others.

The job market for well-trained, well-educated professional writers is growing. Positions include technical writers, web content specialists, web journalists, digital content writers and producers and scientific writers. The graduate degree will be appropriate both for those whose undergraduate work was in the areas of English, journalism and communications, as well as those whose background is in business or the sciences, among others.

The Master of Fine Arts in communication design at Kutztown University will meet the twin goals of educating and preparing the next generation of college faculty and preparing new graphic designers for a growing industry. By taking advantage of the already strong undergraduate programs KU has in communication design and art education, the new program will enable students to broaden their skills in areas including product design, jewelry design, printmaking, painting, wood design and fibers, as well as drawing, sculpture and photography.

The program, which will be the only one of its kind in the State System, is designed to be completed in three years, including a six-month, off campus experience. The MFA is the terminal degree in the visual and performing arts, and is generally required for employment in post-secondary education.

For more information on either 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 about 115,000 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.