Jackson State University will offer four new STEM degree programs in its College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), beginning fall 2014 semester.
The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions (IST) of Higher Learning certified two doctorate programs (engineering and in computational and data-enabled science and engineering) and two Bachelor of Science programs (biomedical engineering and in statistics).
University President Carolyn Meyers said that the bachelor degree program in biomedical engineering is the first undergraduate course offered in Mississippi. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the need for statisticians is projected to grow 27 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations.
"These new programs will enrich the inventory of academic offerings available to our students," Meyers said in a statement. "The programs also are consistent with the mission of JSU to produce graduates capable of addressing critical challenges in our society."
The doctoral program in engineering will be focused on computer engineering, industrial engineering, electrical engineering, computational engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering and geological engineering.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the demand for electrical and electronics engineers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2012 to 2022, whereas environmental engineers is expected to increase by 15 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations.
The statistics indicates that there is a growing demand for highly educated engineers with terminal degrees who can either join the workforce or become educators to support the need.
Dr. James C. Renick, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, said the program would considerably improve the university's engineering research capability. "This new program should facilitate increased research conducted by our faculty and doctoral students," Renick said.
The Computational and Data-Enabled Science & Engineering program will include biology, chemistry, computer engineering, computer science, civil and environmental engineering, industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials science and engineering, physics, mathematics, technology, public health, economics, finance and other non-STEM disciplines.
The last CSET program approved by IHL was Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1996.
