Four new degree programs and a new graduate track were among the curriculum items approved by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees during its June 19 meeting.
These degree programs now will be submitted to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education for evaluation and review:
- bachelor of general studies in the College of Arts and Sciences,
- bachelor of science in human resource management in the Collat School of Business,
- bachelor of science in genetics and genomic sciences jointly administered by the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine, and
- master of arts in psychometry in the School of Education.
The general studies degree will offer students an academic experience that prepares them with fundamental skills in critical thinking, inquiry, communication, writing and teamwork needed for competitive for careers in a variety of fields including government, health care, social services, retail and private industry.
The human resource management degree builds on an existing concentration in the bachelor’s degree in management to provide expanded expertise in recruitment, compensation and employment law required in the increasingly complex field of human resource management.
The degree in genetics and genomic sciences will be an interdisciplinary baccalaureate program led by the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology and the School of Medicine Department of Genetics. The proposed program will leverage UAB faculty expertise and research in these fields to meet increased demand for research scientists, health-care professionals and other specialists with expertise and training in these disciplines. It will be the only program of its kind in Alabama.
The graduate degree in psychometry expands upon the School of Education post-master’s certification-only program in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. It will prepare education professionals to appropriately address the growing population —especially in rural areas — of K-12 students with complex and diverse learning and developmental needs.
The board also approved the request to establish a track in lifestyle management and disease prevention within the master of science in nutrition sciences degree offered in UAB’s School of Health Professions. The track builds on existing strengths, faculty and expertise and resources and will offer students an inter-professional educational experience grounded in evidence-based translational research.
