One new undergraduate major and four new certificates of advanced study in Syracuse University’s graduate program were approved at the University Senate meeting Wednesday.

The new programs include an undergraduate major in biotechnology and certificates of advanced study in public health, cultural heritage preservation, econometrics, and European Union and contemporary Europe. They must now be approved by the New York State Education Department before being put into place at SU and will be available in fall 2011, at the earliest, said Sandra Hurd, the associate provost for academic programs.

‘If approved, they will go into the next iteration of the calendar. They’ll probably be brand new for the fall of 2011, and students will not be able to declare them as a major or certificate of advanced study until then,’ Hurd said.

It normally takes about two to six months to gain approval from the state, Hurd said. Approval time depends on how busy the State Department is with proposals from other schools. Once SU has gained approval, students will be able to officially declare the major and the certificate of advanced study, she said.

The biotechnology major will be the only new program available for undergraduate students. According to the proposal, the biotechnology program would help students prepare for jobs in areas such as the biotech industry, health professions, pharmaceutical, and agricultural industry and environmental conversation. The major would combine the normal science classes involved with a biology major with classes in management, public policy and law.

The proposal for the major was written in order for SU to provide adequate workers to the growing field of biotechnology, according to the proposal.

Tiffany Neach, a freshman biology and exercise science major, said she would not switch her major to biotechnology but thinks other students will.

‘I think biotechnology would pull some people away from the straight bio major because nowadays technology is extremely popular amongst the younger generation,’ Neach said. ‘So I believe kids who like technology and want to be bio majors would want to pursue that aspect of biology.’

The rest of the proposed programs are only available as certificates of advanced study at the graduate level, which are concentrations students pursue along with their master’s degrees, Hurd said.

According to the USen Web site, a certificate is a credential issued by the institution in recognition of the completion of a curriculum other than one leading to a degree. The certificates are not as extensive of a degree since they are only for 15 credit hours.

The proposed certification in public health will complement the existing master of public health. It was proposed by a collaborative graduate program, Central New York Master of Public Heath, which is sponsored by State University of New York Upstate Medical University and SU.

The certification of advanced study in cultural heritage preservation is intended to prepare students to work with organizations such as libraries, museums, national parks, and state and local agencies in preserving cultural resources, according to the proposal. This certificate is a partnership of the School of Information Studies, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and the department of anthropology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Econometrics, which is the application of statistics to economics, is the third proposed certificate. According to the proposal, statistics and econometrics have moved closer together over time, making this proposed certificate timely and appropriate. The certificate combines courses offered by the economics department in Maxwell and the department of mathematics in Arts and Sciences.

The last proposed certificate is European Union and Contemporary Europe. According to the proposal, this certificate will focus on the region’s politics and culture and will help prepare students for a career focusing on the region.

medelane@syr.edu

Published on February 21, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Meghin: medelane@syr.edu | @meghinwithani