New degrees to be approved soon

The Oregon State Board of Higher Education will likely decide to approve two new programs for PSU at their July 11 meeting.

One of the programs would allow for a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering to be obtained through PSU. This would round out Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science by allowing each of its departments to have a doctoral program.

The other program the board will look at would allow PSU to offer a Graduate Certificate in Public Management. The certificate would be obtained through a graduate level program that is designed to consist of about half of what is typical for a masters degree.

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Roy Koch said many fields evolve and require new programs to help accommodate.

“It’s an ongoing process,” Koch said.

In June, the board approved two degrees within the School of Fine & Performing Arts that will allow them to offer a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Art degree.

“We are delighted about both of these,” Barbara Sestak said, dean of the School of Fine & Performing Arts.

The Masters of Architecture is a first professional degree, which is one of the paths to take in becoming licensed in architecture. Sestak said many students had to move out of state to progress after receiving a bachelor’s degree with a major in Architecture.

A Bachelor in Fine Arts was missing from PSU in the past and will also serve as a professional degree for those in that field.

“A lot of the students in that program want to be professional artists,” Koch said.