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IU trustees approve five new degrees, including three online master’s programs

Feb 2, 2018

The Indiana University Board of Trustees has approved four new master’s degree programs and one new bachelor’s degree, including three online master’s programs that will be offered via several IU campuses.

SPEA building
One degree approved by the IU Board of Trustees is a Masters of Science in health care management at IU Bloomington. The degree is a partnership between the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Kelley School of Business.Photo by James Brosher, IU Communications

A new Master of Liberal Studies online degree program is the result of a collaboration among six Indiana University campuses: IU Bloomington, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend and IU Southeast. The program is designed for students seeking an advanced degree that teaches interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving. Working professionals will be able to complete the 33- to 36-credit program in three years of part-time enrollment, but students who are able to take more than one course at a time may complete the degree more quickly.

Another online master’s degree, the Master of Science in criminal justice and public safety, will be offered via five Indiana University campuses: IU Bloomington, IUPUI, IU East, IU Kokomo and IU Southeast. The collaborative program will draw on the teaching expertise and instructional resources from the five campuses to provide working professionals with a high-quality online degree. Students will be trained in research methods and data analysis in preparation for careers in law enforcement and public policy management or research.

The third collaborative online degree program approved by the Board of Trustees, the Master of Arts in English, will pool resources from six Indiana University campuses: IU Bloomington, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend and IU Southeast. In addition to serving graduates interested in publishing, editing and writing, the new master’s will help Indiana dual-credit instructors meet the Higher Learning Commission’s requirement of 18 credit hours of graduate work for faculty. Working professionals will be able to complete the program in three years of consecutive part time enrollment.

Hodge Hall
Hodge Hall, home of the Kelley School of Business.Photo by James Brosher, IU Communications

Another master’s program approved by the board is the Master of Science in health care management at IU Bloomington. The degree, which is a partnership between the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Kelley School of Business, can be completed in three semesters. Health administration graduate degrees at other universities tend to focus on preparing students for hospital administration, but the program at IU Bloomington will expand preparation to careers with health care providers, insurers, pharmaceutical and medical device suppliers, long-term care organizations, management consulting firms, accounting firms, law practices, human resource departments, advocacy organizations and more.

One bachelor’s degree was approved by the Board of Trustees: a Bachelor of Arts in sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus. Recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that more bachelor’s degrees are conferred in sociology and criminology than in any other social science discipline. The coursework will complement programs like business, communication studies, education and nursing by teaching skills in teamwork, creativity, and oral and written communication.

The degrees approved by the trustees still await final approval by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

Author

IU Newsroom

Marah Yankey

Deputy director for storytelling

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