What students want
Jun. 24—Students attending Lebanon's Cumberland University this fall will have 10 new programs of study to choose from.
New bachelor degree programs of study include homeland security, musical theater, coaching and sport performance, and licensed practical nurses to bachelor of science in nursing (LPN to BSN). Master degree programs include information technology management, engineering management, forensic psychology, professional studies, athletic coaching, and physical education and physical activity leadership.
"We do a lot of market research and employer research," Millard and J.J. Oakley School of Humanities, Education & the Arts Dean Jenny Mason said. "We've listened to what the students who are reaching out to various universities want. We listened to what the high-school counselors and teachers wanted. We listen to what (careers are) growing in the community and what employers want. It really comes down to data. When a lot of people are seeking something, we want to be able to offer that service to them."
The new programs mark a 12% increase in the programs of study that Cumberland offers for bachelor's degrees. The programs marked a 42% increase in programs of study for Cumberland's master's degree program.
Adding programs of study in homeland security, musical theater and forensic psychology was a direct result of the research done to gauge what's in demand.
"The reason I got those three (programs) on the list is because there's been a demand," Mason said. "(The programs) are in high demand, and there aren't any (universities) around here offering any of these degrees. We feel like that's sort of a hole in the education system locally, and I wanted to make sure that we fulfill those needs."
There wasn't a certain amount of bachelor's or master's degree programs that the university wanted to add.
"We don't have a set number (of programs of study) that we must get done this year, or at (a certain) degree level," Dean of the Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business Christopher Fuller said. "We look at the department of labor bureau statistics. What are the forecasts for careers? What's needed? We also look at what's feasible for us, what other programs we offer that are either similar or we're getting a lot of requests for."
Sometimes, it's easier to determine what master's degree programs of study are needed.
"We don't have to do quite the level of outside research," Mason said. "We have students internally who are asking to move on into these areas. So, we start looking at it and say, 'Yeah, we could probably look into that.' "
One key aspect of creating new programs of study is determining whether a subject area requires a new major, concentration or a minor.
"It depends on what we currently have (at Cumberland)," Fuller said. "Sometimes, we have a program with some flexibility, and it makes sense to do a concentration rather than a whole new major. Sometimes, we do it so that we can further our research. If we want to introduce a completely new area, we might start with a minor. We might grow that into a concentration if it's related to the existing major or start that into its own major."
The new programs of study should increase Cumberland's enrollment.
"It's certainly going to increase enrollment," Fuller said. "One of the goals is just to increase options for students that want to come here but have expressed an interest in majors that we don't have."
