May 5, 2006

Regents approve 4 new degrees in College of Public Programs

The ASU College of Public Programs gained approval from the Arizona Board of Regents at its late April meeting to implement four new degree programs that will be available to students at the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus. These innovative programs include a master's degree in public policy, and bachelor's degrees in urban and metropolitan studies, nonprofit leadership and management, and tourism development and management.

These degrees address key workforce development issues across major growth and demand sectors of the state. They link ASU to Phoenix and offer students a vibrant urban laboratory where they can study and live.

The master's degree in public policy, and the undergraduate degree in urban and metropolitan studies, are particularly vital to the development of leaders in all sectors who are prepared to develop innovative forms of governance to address complex urban issues.

The nonprofit leadership and management major provides theoretical and practical understanding of the sector's role in improving the quality of life as an integral part of the social, political, economic, and philanthropic fabric of American society. The tourism degree's most compelling and timely areas of study include regional tourism planning, economic development, destination development, marketing, supply and demand assessments, and environmental and socio-cultural impact issues.

“As diverse as these new degrees may seem, they are bound together by our sense of urgency that our society has the capacity for greater prosperity, justice and quality of life for all,” notes Debra Friedman, dean of the College of Public Programs. “We prepare our students through rigorous and innovative programs that provide the theoretical and practical underpinnings for their success.”

The School of Public Affairs is adding the master's in public policy to its highly ranked master's in public administration and doctorate of philosophy in public administration. This new graduate degree will prepare students for professional careers as policy analysts and leaders in public service involved in the formulation, approval, implementation and evaluation of public policy at all levels of government, and in the private and nonprofit sectors.

Graduates will have the foundation to pursue doctoral degrees in public policy, public administration, urban studies or other related programs.

The School of Public Affairs also is offering its first undergraduate degree this fall, in urban and metropolitan studies. Students will explore a wide variety of issues that influence the quality of life in urban communities. Cities will be studied as historical, social, cultural, economic, and political phenomena to gain a strong understanding of the complex relationships that contribute to the problems and opportunities of rapid-growth urban areas and urban living in a global context.

The program will prepare students for professional careers related to improving urban life, and for graduate degrees such as urban studies, public administration, public policy and law. A minor also is available for students who want to supplement their majors.

The nonprofit leadership and management degree offered by the School of Community Resources and Development is an enhancement to the nationally recognized ASU American Humanics certificate program, which has been preparing students for work in the dramatically growing nonprofit sector for more than 25 years. Graduates will acquire foundational and professional competencies and an understanding of the unique aspects of the social, political, economic and philanthropic factors related to the nonprofit sector.

The degree will prepare graduates for professional nonprofit careers as program directors, fund development directors, field executives, volunteer coordinators, and for advanced degrees in nonprofit management, public administration and other related areas.

The program is unique in Arizona and on the leading edge of a national trend reflected in a 2003 Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC) report, showing more than 242 U.S. colleges and universities offering at least one course in nonprofit management education. The anticipated student enrollment in this program is expected to be 65 its first year and 140 students by fall 2010 in response to a growing nonprofit sector demand for professionally trained entry-level graduates.

Faculty and community partners from the School of Community Resources and Development, and its Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management, will provide expert instruction and new courses on sustainable communities; inclusive community development; social entrepreneurship; and voluntary action and community leadership. Professional leadership experience hours and a capstone senior internship are required.

The second new degree in the School of Community Resources and Development is the bachelor's in tourism development and management. It replaces the existing concentration in tourism management. Increased specialization of the field and the prominence of tourism in the region have merited a separate tourism degree at ASU.

According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC), the travel and tourism industry is the largest industry and employer in the world. It is the third-largest industry in the United States and the second-largest industry in Arizona. To meet the expanding industry's demands, tourism graduates will be exposed to a growing body of knowledge in tourism studies from the scholarly and industry perspectives, and will be better prepared to compete on the job market and in graduate school.

The new courses are vital to meeting the growing needs of the tourism industry, ranging from the economic, ecological and socio-cultural impacts of tourism in the developing and developed world to service delivery, and consumption by diverse domestic and international market segments.

Professional skills such as information technology, management, and marketing proficiencies will be acquired through this degree. Students will gain practical experience through a required internship.

Students also will be able to participate in existing exchange programs with the Netherlands Institute of Transportation and Tourism in Breda, Holland, and the University of Applied Sciences in Krems, Austria.

Projected enrollments in this program, which is unique in Arizona, are estimated to grow from 177 this fall to around 235 by 2010. The School projects 50 graduates the first year and 90 graduates per year by 2010.

The College of Public Programs will begin classes at the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus Aug. 21, offering these new degree programs as well as existing degrees in social work, public administration, and parks and recreation management.

Debra Palka , debra.palka@asu.edu
(480) 727-6238