Oakland University
Thursday, March 29, 2012

New programs to prepare students for rewarding, in-demand careers

Continuing to build on its mission of providing students rigorous and relevant academic experiences, as well as to help invigorate Michigan's evolving new economy, Oakland University has approved several new academic programs to begin this fall.

Responding to an anticipated 13-percent increase in graphic design jobs, the Department of Art and Art History will offer a bachelor of arts degree in graphic design.

Students will take courses in design studio and professional practices, materials and processes, art history, and design history and theory. They will gain knowledge and skills in print-specific practices, web design, motion graphics for film and television, interactive applications, and branding and identity.

The Department of Psychology will offer a master of science degree and a doctoral degree in psychology to help answer a significant need for both practicing and research psychologists.

Program concentrations will focus on both biological and basic processes, and social and behavioral processes. Masters students will be exposed to both concentrations, whereas doctoral students will augment their study with an intensive inquiry specialized in one concentration.

Expanding upon the strengths of an existing concentration in criminal justice, the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work is now offering a bachelor's degree in the discipline.

The program, which will incorporate an interdisciplinary component, an internship and a capstone course, will allow students to tailor their studies to specific career area interests such as law enforcement, courts, corrections and treatment, juvenile justice, information security and assurance, and homeland security. Courses will be offered both on OU's main campus and at the Anton Frankel Center in Mount Clemens.

In addition to new degree programs, OU faculty and staff are expanding academic concentrations within popular, existing programs.

The Master of Public Administration program, for example, is adding a concentration in the growing profession of court administration. Created by a group of judges, court administrators and faculty, the program will be the only one of its kind in Michigan and one of very few in the United States. This program, too, will be offered both on OU's main campus and at the Anton Frankel Center.

Meanwhile, the Wellness, Health Promotion and Injury Prevention program in the School of Health Sciences has added a nutrition and health specialization to seven concentrations is already offers. Focusing generally on health enhancement, disease prevention, injury prevention, health education and promotion, health and fitness, corporate and worksite wellness, and human resource practice and management, the new concentration will prepare students either for further study in nutrition and dietetics or to become skilled in assisting registered dieticians.

To learn more about these new programs and the more than 260 other programs Oakland University offers, prospective undergraduate students should visit oakland.edu/programs and prospective graduate students should visit oakland.edu/grad.
Providing students rigorous and relevant academic experiences, and helping to invigorate Michigan's evolving economy, OU is introducing several new programs this fall.

Created by Katherine Land - Deleted (land@oakland.edu) on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Modified by Katherine Land - Deleted (land@oakland.edu) on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Article Start Date: Thursday, March 29, 2012