July 08, 1999

BOARD APPROVES NEW DEGREE PROGRAMS IN ART, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND SOCIAL WORK

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

The State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors has approved two new bachelor’s degree programs for Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a new master of social work program at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

The new degrees, all of which are designed to help meet changing workforce needs in the Commonwealth, are:

· Bachelor of Arts in Art.

· Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in International Business.

· Master of Social Work.

The Board of Governors in the last year has approved the start up of more than a dozen new associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, all of which have been designed to address the needs of Pennsylvania employers. Several of the new programs were developed with direct input from companies that likely will employ future graduates.

“These programs approved today and those approved earlier by the Board will help Pennsylvania businesses meet their needs for highly skilled workers in the future,” said Chancellor James H. McCormick. “We will continue to work with business and industry leaders to learn firsthand from them what their needs are and will respond with the appropriate programs to address them.”

The new art degree at Clarion University will prepare students for entry into such art-related fields as design, arts administration, museum or gallery work or retail industries. It also will prepare students for graduate work in the areas of art history, art education or museum studies.

The degree will provide an alternative to the more studio-intensive bachelor of fine arts degree, especially for students with an interest in art-related fields, but who may not have the skills or interest necessary for the BFA. The new program also will increase students’ abilities to pursue dual majors or add a minor to their degree program, such as communications, education, psychology, anthropology, philosophy or advertising.

The bachelor of science in business administration in international business that also will be offered at Clarion will help meet the growing demand for college graduates with a knowledge of the international environments in which U.S. businesses operate.

The new major is designed to provide students with an opportunity to develop expertise in the field of international business and to prepare them for employment in business enterprises that compete in a dynamic global economy. Students will be required to earn 52 credits in general education, 42 credits in business administration, 24 credits in international business and six credits in a foreign language. They also will have to complete an international experience requirement and international cultural coursework taken outside of the College of Business Administration.

More than one-third of the business school faculty at Clarion have international experience in their respective fields and nearly one-fourth have participated in international faculty exchanges or engaged in teaching abroad in the last five years. The university’s College of Business Administration is among the few in the state that is accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business.

The master of social work degree at Edinboro University will prepare individuals for positions in social service agencies, especially in northwest Pennsylvania where there is a high demand.

A recently completed needs assessment determined there are substantial community needs that could be addressed by the development of a master’s level program. The six counties in the targeted service area for the program show some of the highest levels of poverty for children, families, the elderly and minority citizens in the state.

The State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. Its 14 state-owned universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 350,000 System alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.