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4 new degrees, including 3 collaborative online offerings, get trustees’ go-ahead

Jun 12, 2020

Indiana University has added three online, collaborative degrees to its offerings for students across four campuses. Those were among the four degrees that the Indiana University Board of Trustees approved during its June 12 meeting.

A patient receives assistance walking during a physical therapy session
A Master of Science in occupational therapy at IU South Bend was among four new degrees the Indiana University Board of Trustees approved.Photo by Liz Kaye, Indiana University

The new collaborative degrees offered through IU Online are:

  • Bachelor of Science in data science, at IU Northwest.
  • Education Specialist in educational leadership, at IU East, IU Kokomo and IU Northwest
  • Master of Arts for teachers in French, at IUPUI and IU East.

Also approved was a Master of Science in occupational therapy at IU South Bend.

The collaborative Bachelor of Science in data science will be the only completely online degree that IU will offer in that high-demand field. The program will equip students with the skills to evaluate and apply data-driven tools to produce creative solutions in jobs such as database architect, database administrator and business intelligence analyst.

Students must complete 120 credit hours total, including 65 divided between foundational and core courses.

Approving the degree for IU Northwest creates a collaboration with IUPUI, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU South Bend and IU Southeast. They were approved for the degree in August 2019.

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The Educational Specialist in educational leadership degree will provide current and future teachers with career advancement opportunities and a pathway to leadership positions within a school or school corporation. It requires 60 credit hours, and it provides the knowledge base and technical and interpersonal skills needed for effective and visionary leadership.

Applicants with post-baccalaureate degrees from accredited institutions can transfer up to 30 credits toward the Educational Specialist in educational leadership degree. Those with certain IU post-graduate degrees in educational leadership can transfer up to 36.

Approving the Educational Specialist in educational leadership degree for IU East, IU Kokomo and IU Northwest creates a collaboration with IUPUI, IU South Bend and IU Southeast, which were approved at the trustees’ April meeting, and pools instructional resources.

The Master of Arts for teachers in French will provide graduate-level instruction to secondary and community college instructors who teach introductory college-level French courses. Those who earn the degree will qualify to teach advanced French courses for college credit in Indiana high schools and community colleges.

Thirty credits of graduate coursework in French is required, and the program integrates new teaching concepts and approaches.

Approving this master’s degree for IUPUI and IU East creates a collaboration and pooling of expertise with IU Bloomington, IU Northwest and IU Southeast.

IU South Bend’s new Master of Science in occupational therapy degree will help address a shortage of occupational therapy personnel in the South Bend-Elkhart region and statewide. No occupational therapy program is offered within a two-hour drive of the area.

Those who earn the degree can take the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy examination. Those who pass the exam will be registered nationally as an occupational therapist and can obtain licensure in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

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

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Kirk Johannesen

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