Kennesaw State to offer two new master’s degrees, new bachelor’s degree
Board of Regents approves new majors in criminal justice, integrated global communication and art…
Georgia (Apr 20, 2011) —
Board of Regents approves new majors in criminal justice, integrated global communication
and art history
Kennesaw, Ga. (April 20, 2011)– Kennesaw State University continues to expand its degree offerings, with the Board
of Regents of the University System of Georgia today approving two new master’s degrees,
and a new bachelor’s degree.
The new Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Master of Arts in Integrated Global
Communication and Bachelor of Arts in Art History degree programs all will be launched
this fall.
“As Kennesaw State University grows as an institution, our capacity to serve our
community’s expanding needs likewise is growing,” Interim Provost and Vice President
for Academic Affairs W. Ken Harmon said. “The faculty and administrators of these
programs identified significant community demand for these new degrees, and we are
pleased the Board of Regents supported our request to add these exciting new offerings
here at KSU.”
In keeping with the university’s emphasis on global education, KSU’s new master’s
programs will include a focus on internationalization. In addition, the Master of
Science in Criminal Justice has an international criminal justice focus, including
experiential learning through study-abroad opportunities. The program also includes
a comparative criminal justice systems course and will help to recruit and prepare
diverse groups for careers in criminal justice professions.
“The increased diversity in the metro area, and across the country, represents a multi-layered
phenomenon that criminal justice practitioners must be able to understand and work
with,” Sam Abaidoo, chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice Chair,
said. “The MSCJ provides an opportunity for criminal justice practitioners to acquire
the necessary knowledge and skills.”
The Master of Arts in Integrated Global Communication also will offer a study abroad
opportunity and culminate with student teams competing against each other to resolve
a global communications problem for a client. It will be the only graduate communication
program in Georgia with a purely global focus.
“Only a handful of U.S. universities offer graduate communications programs with an
international or global focus,” said Charles M. Mayo, associate professor of communication
at Kennesaw State. “By offering the M.A. in Integrated Global Communication, Kennesaw
State University will not only fulfill an important need in Georgia, the Southeast
and the nation for communications managers knowledgeable of the global economy, global
media and global audiences, but we also will join an elite group of universities across
the U.S. that have recognized this need.”
While also meeting the needs of the larger community, a grassroots effort by students
is partially credited with the addition of the new Bachelor of Arts in Art History.
"This new program has been driven by popular demand from the students,” KSU Department
of Visual Arts Chair Joe Thomas said. “There is a high level of interest, and we have
people who are waiting for the degree to be approved.”
Supporters of the new bachelor’s degree even started their own Facebook page. The
group boasts 77 members.
“The program presents new opportunities for students who are interested in art but
are not necessarily artists,” Thomas said. “The degree is strong because it is interdisciplinary.
All students are required to take one foreign language, and they are encouraged to
take two. The program also connects to English, history and studio art. Art history
majors will have access to careers in museum work, television production, publishing
and the auction industry. Many art history majors may even go on to earn professional
degrees in business or law.”
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Kennesaw State University is the third largest university in Georgia, offering more
than 70 graduate and undergraduate degrees, including doctorates in education, business
and nursing and a new Ph.D. in international conflict management. A member of the
35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a comprehensive, residential
institution with a growing population of more than 23,400 students from 142 countries.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers close to 200 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
