There may soon be some new educational choices at
Michigan Technological University, as its board approved five new degree programs at its December meeting.
The new degree programs aren't ready to open their doors quite yet -- they still have to be approved by state officials. But when they are, there will be two new master's degrees, two new bachelor's degrees, and a Ph.D program; all in response to the type of jobs and credentials industries are seeking.
"The demand for master’s degrees is growing in industry," says Michigan Tech Provost Max Seel, "and we are trying to be proactive in meeting that need."
The two new master's degrees are in biomedical engineering and medical informatics, both focusing in the advancement of technology in the medical field. The biomedical degree also is one of the first degrees at Tech to fall under a new, accelerated master's degree framework, which allows students to go through a bachelor's and master's degree at Tech more quickly than previously. The others are in the School of Technology and mechanical engineering.
The new Ph.D. program is non-departmental, combining existing faculty and courses from more than one department to create a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology.
As for the bachelor's degrees, both are in the physics department, with a Bachelor of Arts in Physics in addition to the typical Bachelor of Science program in physics. A Bachelor of Arts in Physics with a concentration in secondary education also will be added, to fit the needs of students who will become physics educators.
"The motivation for offering a BA degree in physics is to give students who are not planning to study physics in graduate school a strong foundation in physics but significantly fewer physics course requirements than our current BS programs," Seel says. "The resulting flexibility will allow students to pursue other scholarly interests and career goals in the arts, humanities, social sciences, business, entrepreneurship, medicine and law. Physics can provide an excellent foundation for interdisciplinary endeavors in all of these fields."
At the same meeting, the board extended Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz's contract for two additional years, so that it now will end in 2016.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Max Seel, Michigan Technological University
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