The Auburn University Board of Trustees added four degrees to four colleges across campus and closed three Harbert College of Business degrees Friday morning.
New Degrees
- Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Enterprise Management, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
- Bachelor of Science in Biological and Agricultural Technology Management, College of Agriculture
- Bachelor of Science in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, College of Human Sciences
- Masters of Science in Teaching English for Specific Purposes (Non-Certification) and Distance Education Version, College of Education
Closed Degrees
- Entrepreneurship and Family Business, Harbert College of Business
- Human Resource Management, Harbert College of Business
- International Business, Harbert College of Business
The new wildlife enterprise management degree in the School of Forestry is the first of its kind in Alabama and the second in the nation, next to Kansas State University.
Students in this new degree program will also have the opportunity to earn a minor in business from the Harbert College of Business.
The curriculum will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for overseeing customer service, food and lodging and marketing required to effectively manage wildlife or outdoor facilities.
The degree will prepare students for professional careers in wildlife management and consumptive use enterprises, according to information Dr. Bill Hardgrave, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs presented to the Board.
The new biological and agricultural technology management degree in the College of Agriculture is meant for students interested in advancing new technologies related to the increasing demand for food production.
Graduates of this new degree program will have employment opportunities in technical sales and support, management in agricultural production operations and other supporting industries.
The new degree program will add one tenure-track position which the College of Agriculture will provide, according to information Hardgrave presented to the Board.
The new philanthropy and nonprofit studies degree in the College of Human Sciences is the first of its kind in Alabama.
The degree was added after an increase in student demand for the existing minor of the same name.
The new program is designed for students seeking administrative positions in nonprofit organizations. Students will be required to complete internships and practica with philanthropic organizations and nonprofit agencies to acquire hands-on professional knowledge and
The new degree program will also require two tenure-track faculty to be hired, according to information Hardgrave presented to the Board.
The new teaching English for
The College of Education currently offers a Masters of Education in English for Speakers of Other Languages that leads to teacher certification.
The new degree does not lead to teacher certification which will allow graduates to teach English in community settings, university-based intensive English programs
It will be offered as an in-person and distance learning program.
Each of the four new degrees has gone on to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education for review and approval.
The entrepreneurship and family business and human resource management degree programs in the College of Business were closed and will instead be offered as concentrations within the management major.
Before the closure students could complete either the entrepreneurship major or the management major with an entrepreneurship minor. The options' course requirements overlaped by over 90 percent.
Similarly, there were also two options for students studying human resources, the human resources major or the management major with the human resources minor. All of the courses in the human resources major were required for the management major with a human resources minor.
The degree programs turning into concentrations will not negatively impact the course offerings for students or the faculty that teach the courses, according to information Hardgrave provided to the Board.
The international business degree program was also closed.
The department of finance will continue to offer coursework for a minor in international business and offer business coursework for the department of foreign languages and literatures' Bachelor of Arts in International Trade.
The degree was closed because of the program's focus on foreign languages instead of business-focused knowledge and skills. Students in the program graduated with considerable foreign language skills, but not the appropriate business knowledge and skills, which led to lower placement rates compared to business graduates in other programs.
The closures will take effect Aug. 20, 2018. Students that are currently in or switch into any of the three degrees before Aug. 20, will be able to complete the degree because no courses in any of the three degree's curriculums have been closed, according to information Hardgrave provided to the Board.
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