New degrees proposed by SRU

Staff report

SLIPPERY ROCK, PA.

Slippery Rock University’s council of trustees voted to advance four new degree programs to Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education board of governors for approval.

The quarter of programs, a master of arts in teaching English to speakers of other languages, a master of science in health informatics, a master of science in athletic training and a master of music therapy, will be presented for action at the BOG’s Jan. 20-21 meeting.

The teaching English to speakers of other languages degree, a linguistically based program, focuses on second language acquisition studies and the teaching of adult English language learners.

The program would require 30 to 33 credits and provide graduates with advanced skills in adult learners’ productive and receptive skills based on communicative competencies.

The blended pedagogy would involve face-to-face teaching and online learning. Students could complete the program in 16 to 24 months.

The program is needed, organizers say, because evidence shows Pennsylvania and the region are seeing an influx of immigrants who are increasingly less proficient in English.

“This lack of proficiency,” said Marnie Petray, instructor of English, “will be an economic and social barrier for hundreds of thousands of people. In Pennsylvania alone, the percentage of foreign-born residents doubled from 3.1 percent in 1990 to 6.2 percent in 2013. This represents almost 800,000 people in 2013.”

The proposed master of science in health informatics would be a 10-month, full-time program requiring 33 credits, with an optional part-time sequence to accommodate working professionals.

“Health care is in the midst of an information revolution as organizations rapidly adopt information systems to improve both business operations and clinical care,” said Sam Thangiah, computer science professor. “Along with a demand for data to improve decision-making is a demand for informatics specialists – people who can use technology tools to support the management of information.”

Health informatics, Thangiah said, is a broad, interdisciplinary field that lies at the intersection of computer science, mathematics and public health.

Students would be expected to have completed previous course work in computer science or a closely related field.

The program would offer concentrations in public health, data analytics and health care management. A required capstone/internship course would provide an opportunity for students to acquire relevant experience and demonstrate competencies in an applied field of interest. Working health professionals would realize enhanced skills with consequential benefits for the communities they serve.

The proposal for an entry-level master of science in athletic training would transition SRU’s current undergraduate athletic program to a graduate offering.

The need to transition the program is based on a decision by the Strategic Alliance of the Board of Certification, Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, National Athletic Trainers’ Association and National Athletic Trainer’s Association Foundation to require a master’s as the professional entry-level degree.

“A seamless transition of the current undergraduate athletic training program to a graduate-level professional degree will build upon the success that the program has achieved over the last 41 years, and align with the future direction of the profession and health care,” said Jackie Williams, associate professor of exercise and rehabilitative sciences.

The program would require 63 credits of blended online and classroom courses with clinical experiences over two consecutive years. To maintain the university’s service to its undergraduates, there would be a 3/2 track that will allow students to enter Slippery Rock as freshmen and earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in five years. Students in a traditional model will complete a bachelor’s degree in four years in fields such as exercise science, physical education, therapeutic recreation and public health.

The master of music therapy would prepare advanced-level music therapists to work in the rapidly expanding field of music therapy by providing students with the opportunity to expand the breadth and depth of their knowledge and skills in the field, including advanced clinical education.

The MMT proposal is for a two-year, full-time program requiring 36 credits, with a part-time option to accommodate all students. Entering students would be expected to have completed either a bachelor’s degree in music therapy or equivalency requirements.

Students would have core requirements and opportunities to take further electives in music therapy or specialty courses such as counseling, special education or gerontology. The final project/thesis would provide an opportunity for students to acquire relevant experience and demonstrate competence in an applied field of interest.