YSU committee proposes 2 new master's programs

YOUNGSTOWN

A Youngstown State University trustees committee approved two new master’s degrees at the school.

The Academic Quality and Student Success Committee approved resolutions to create a master’s of athletic training and a master’s of fine arts in interdisciplinary visual arts at a meeting Tuesday.

The two new degrees still must be approved by the full trustee board and the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

Jennifer Pintar, chairwoman of the Department of Human Performance and Exercise Science, told trustees that YSU has 412 majors in undergraduate programs that may go on to graduate school, but YSU offers a graduate degree only in physical therapy.

More than 345 people applied last year for 30 spots for the physical therapy graduate program.

“It seems like this is a program that might actually be a good recruitment tool,” Pintar said.

Athletic training is seeing a 19 percent growth in the athletic training field compared with an 11 percent average growth across all industries.

The program would require 60 credit hours and would be offered in two options.

In fine arts, the master’s is a terminal degree. There isn’t a doctorate that’s recognized by the accrediting agency for such programs.

What’s being proposed is unique, the department chairman said.

Read more about the new degrees in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.