Annual Academic Planning Report
Academic Affairs
University of Colorado Boulder
August 2012
2012 PROGRAM PLANNING INFORMATION
Updates to 2011 Program Planning
Reorganize Journalism degrees through Journalism Plus (Completed)
The Program in Journalism and Mass Communications which offers the Journalism Plus
degree currently reports to Dean of the Graduate School. A visioning process is
underway to establish the future direction and organization for program.
Realign Bachelor in Environmental Design (BEnvd) – In Progress
The Boulder and Denver campuses cooperated on a process to reorganize Boulder’s
Program in Environmental Design and Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning.
Boulder will now take full administrative responsibility for delivering the BEnvd. This
move allows both campuses to focus their individual programs on campus strengths and
campus based visioning processes will be undertaken toward these ends. In Boulder we
expect to link the ENVD program more closely with complementary programs ranging
from Environmental Studies to Architectural Engineering.
Programs approved:
International Bachelor of Arts (Approved by BOR February, 2012)
M.S. and Ph.D. in Architectural Engineering (Approved by BOR April, 2012)
B.A. in Jewish Studies (Approved by BOR February, 2012)
Ph.D. in German Studies (Approved by BOR April, 2012)
During the past year, the Office of the Provost has worked with the Associate Vice Chancellor
for Undergraduate Education, the Dean of the Graduate School, and the Director of Institutional
Analysis to conduct an extensive review of the campus process for submitting new degree
proposals for approval. The review resulted in several revisions, which are designed to improve
efficiency and effectiveness of the process.
Programs expected to be proposed in AY 12-13:
B.A. in Computer Science
Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering
Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies
Ph.D. in Women and Gender Studies
More information about some of the above programs:
B.A. in Computer Science
The Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering and Applied Science
currently offers a B.S. degree in Computer Science. It is a highly technical degree, with its
graduates required to take the core math and science courses required of all engineering
students. However, computers and their applications are now pervasive in society, and there
is a need for students trained in computer science and applications for a variety of fields
(business, communications, entertainment, health, science, transportation, etc.), but not
necessarily with the full technical training required of engineering students. Thus, we
propose to establish a B.A. degree in Computer Science, which would be the primary
responsibility of faculty in the Department of Computer Science but for which students
would matriculate in the College of Arts and Sciences rather than in the College of
Engineering and Applied Science. The new major of Computer Science for the B.A. degree
was approved by the College of Arts and Sciences in the 2011-2012 academic year and
submitted to the campus for review in May 2012.
Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering
Materials science and engineering (MSE) is an interdisciplinary field that involves a wide
variety of science and engineering disciplines. While many schools have separate
Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, we will propose instead an
interdisciplinary Ph.D. degree program that draws on faculty with tenure homes in a variety
of science and engineering departments. It will have an administrative home in the College of
Engineering and Applied Science. Professor Chris Bowman was appointed Director of the
MSE program, and an interdisciplinary committee was formed to develop the program plan
in fall 2010. The committee completed the proposal in 2011-2012, and it was reviewed by
the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the College of Arts and Sciences, and
then submitted in April 2012 for review by the Graduate School.
Other Academic Developments Underway during AY 2012-2013
Undergraduate Education
We are in earliest stages of collecting information about a possible campus-wide advising
system.
The Leeds School of Business
A new undergraduate minor is currently being developed with the expectation that it would be
implemented in the fall of 2013. This program would be shorter (fewer credits) than our current
program with more integrated delivery of the core concepts. The goal is to enable more cross campus
students to have an operational understanding of basic business practices.
Leeds is also developing a new undergraduate core curriculum. This core would be integrated than
our existing core and include different forms of delivery than we are currently employing. One
example would be a significant increase in experiential learning.
Programs expected to be developed in AY 2012-13
MBA in Construction Management
B.S. in Engineering for Society
B.A. in Computing and Interactive Media (BA-CIM)
More information about some of the above programs:
MBA in Construction Management
This program would be a joint program with engineering.
B.S. in Engineering for Society
The College of Engineering and Applied Science has formed a task force in cooperation with
the School of Education and received seed funding from the Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr.
Foundation to develop a B.S. degree in Engineering for Society. It will provide a general
engineering education that prepares students for a variety of fields that serve society. The
first track to be developed will prepare students to teach science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM) in secondary schools, thereby creating a new pathway (through
engineering) for meeting state and national needs for STEM teachers. Future tracks may
prepare engineering students for professional school or for meeting needs of developing
communities, for example. A program plan for this new degree will be completed in fall
2012 for further review.
Bachelor of Arts in Computing and Interactive Media (BA-CIM)
The ATLAS Institute is continuing to develop a Bachelor of Arts in Computing and
Interactive Media (BA-CIM). This degree program involves substantial collaboration with
other academic units, and builds upon existing strengths and collaborations that have led to
two highly successful ATLAS programs: an undergraduate program in Technology, Arts and
Media, and a doctoral program in Technology, Media, and Society. The proposed program
will not require campus start-up funds, and will attract “net new students,” thus generating
new revenue.
Programs that may be developed in the next five years:
Arts & Sciences
M.A. in Russian Studies
Ph.D. in Art History
Ph.D. in Religious Studies
ATLAS
B.A. in Technology, Arts & Media (BA–TAM)
M.S. in Game Development
Engineering
B.S. Degree in Electrical and Energy Engineering
B.S. Degree in Biomedical Engineering
B.S. Degree in Industrial Engineering
B.S. Degree in Computing for Society
B.S. Degree in Technology Arts and Media
(Note: Not all of these degrees will be pursued; a committee is investigating which of these
possibilities have the most promise)
Graduate School
Professional master’s degrees in Environmental Studies; Remote Sensing; and Renewable and
Sustainable Energy
Law
Expanded LLM offerings
Leeds School of Business
M.S. in Data Analytics
M.S. in Finance (technically already on the books)
M.S. in Finance- Real Estate emphasis
M.S. in Supply Chain/Logistics and Technology Management
Joint M.S. program with Law
Joint (blended) M.S. program Engineering
Joint (blended) M.S. program with the physical sciences