Here are the 24 new degrees CSUCI plans to launch in the next four years

CSU Channel Islands plans to dramatically overhaul its course catalog in the next four years, launching two dozen new undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on the Camarillo campus by fall 2027.

Lina Neto, associate vice president of academic programs, said the overhaul is aimed at boosting flagging enrollment, but that CSUCI, one of the state's newest and smallest public universities, is also playing catch up.

CSUCI currently has 42 degree programs, according to board documents, fewer than any CSU campus beside from Monterey Bay, with 39. The next smallest degree catalogues, at CSU Bakersfield and CSU Sonoma, each have 72 programs.

"CI is the newest of campuses. It had stagnated for awhile in terms of offerings," said Neto, a 26-year veteran of the CSU system who came to CSUCI in July 2022. "It's a good time to reassess what we've done in the past and work on maturing, to assess what has been and what needs to be."

Neto said the university selected its planned offerings, ranging from Native American studies to sustainable agriculture, to recruit students, but also to fill what the university sees as industry gaps.

"There's a need, not just in the community, but in the state and in some cases federally. We have an opportunity to be at the forefront of supporting that need," Neto said.

The CSU board of trustees approved 18 of the new degrees in January, with another five approved in June. The new psychology degree, planned for fall 2024, was approved in 2014.

Karin Grennan, a university spokesperson, said the university does not have cost estimates for the programs, but that cost could range depending on how many new faculty the university needs to hire and what facilities need to be developed for each program.

The first batch of new programs ‒ a bachelor's in Black studies, master's degrees in business analytics, psychology and public administration and a doctorate in educational leadership ‒ are slated to launch in fall 2024.

Some of the new degrees, like a doctorate of nursing practice program planned for fall 2026, expand upon or update programs the university already has in place.

Others, like planned bachelor's degrees in forensic science and Spanish/English translation, are rare in the CSU system and across the state.

The university is also working to expand academic offerings beyond the full degree programs. Faculty are working on an all-online health science bachelor's degree program, starting fall 2024, and an early childhood teaching credential that undergraduates can earn alongside their bachelor's.

The credential, scheduled to start Fall 2025, could go a long way toward helping the county staff expanding transitional kindergarten classes, which require the special certification.

Here are all 24 of the new degrees the university plans to launch by fall 2027.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Here are the 24 new degrees CSUCI plans to launch in the next four years