Pennsylvania State System Board of Governors has approved three new degree programs for Clarion University: Master of Science in applied data analytics, a Bachelor of Science in sport management, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in paralegal studies.
MS in applied data analytics
The Master of Science in applied data analytics has been in development for about
18 months, said Phil Frese, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business Administration
and Information Sciences. The 30-credit program is offered entirely online.
Frese said the key word is "applied" – that's what differentiates Clarion's program.
"We've chosen to go with the application of data analytics, also known as 'big data.'" he said. "The job market is really moving for the applied (data analytics degree)."
'Businesses generate large amounts of data every day," said Matt Brigida, Ph.D., faculty member in the College of Business. "The analytics program will give students the skills to turn large amounts of unstructured data into actionable information with which to make decisions."
"This is an area geared toward analyzing big data sets," Frese said. "These data sets are so large that they require a special methods to analyze them. An example is Amazon – they know what I'm going to buy – through analytics – before I know what I'll buy."
Frese said as this area has grown, the need for skilled individuals has grown. Two years ago, a student with a bachelor's degree in this field could expect a starting salary of $70,000 to $80,000. Only 80 schools in the country offer the degree, according to Frese, and no other State System school currently offers it.
Students will learn the design and manipulation of large data sets for a specific application, whether it be finance, marketing, management, health care, social science, political science, education or many other fields. The degree program is open to any undergraduate major who desires to leverage their training with a big data specialty.
"Clarion is well suited to offer the degree, because the School of Information Sciences is part of the College of Business Administration, so the two can work together immediately," Frese said.
"As soon as we mentioned (the development of the degree), we had over 30 (undergraduate) students who are graduating who said they'd be interested in the program," he said. "In addition, more than 80 alumni were surveyed, and more than 50 were interested in the program. We feel very confident that it will be successful."
Frese said the online structure of the program will allow students to interact with peers all over the United States, as well as abroad. "The interaction should be extraordinary."
Brigida will lead the instruction. He has significant experience in working with large data sets, which he did prior to joining Clarion's faculty. More faculty members will be added in the future as the program grows.
For information about the Master of Science in applied data analytics, contact Frese at pfrese@clarion.edu.
BS in sport management
Regarding the bachelor's degree in sport management, Colleen McAleer, Ph.D., who led
Venango College as interim executive dean during the development of the degree, said
the faculty spent the past year working on the degree proposal.
"The departmental faculty have added six new elective courses over the past three years and have incorporated these courses into the new Bachelor of Science degree proposal," said Doug Knepp, Ph.D., a faculty member in student affairs.
"The university currently has a degree in liberal studies with a concentration in sport management," McAleer said. "That program has grown steadily in enrollment, and existing students were surveyed and indicated that they wanted the degree in sport management to be offered on the Clarion campus."
McAleer said the new degree will qualify graduates to pursue hundreds of various careers in the ever-expanding, multi-billion dollar sports industry including positions such as: sales associate, social media manager, fan experience manager, operations director, marketing director, facility manager, and athletic director.
The program focuses on skills related to the business and legal aspects of sport and athletics, including management, marketing, athletic administration, athletic directing, promotions and facility management. Existing, qualified faculty will teach the coursework, although McAleer expects additional faculty to be added as the program continues to grow.
For information about the sport management degree, contact Doug Knepp, Ph.D., at dknepp@clarion.edu.
BSBA in paralegal studies
The BSBA in paralegal studies has been a work in progress. Currently all of Clarion's
American Business Association-approved competitors offer a degree above the associate
level. This new degree will allow Clarion to compete with any paralegal program in
the nation."
"This is an area that has a 17 percent growth rate," said Jerry Belloit, Ph.D., chair of the finance department.
"(Paralegals) who work in business earn a mean salary of $62,020. In certain sectors business paralegals earn a higher mean salary, such as software publishing companies who pay paralegals a mean wage of $77,140," Belloit said.
"The combination of an (American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business)-accredited and ABA-approved paralegal program provides the best of both worlds," Frese said. "I'm proud of my faculty in moving forward in a profession which is going to be requiring a bachelor's degree in the future. Clarion is ahead of the trend. We're setting the pace."
A BSBA in paralegal studies opens a wide range of doors for the graduate from corporate board rooms to the criminal justice system, enabling the student to use the legal knowledge for the betterment of society.
Frank Shepard, J.D., will head the program. Beginning in 1990 he spearheaded the effort for the associate in paralegal studies to be approved by the ABA. Since that time, under his direction, the program evolved as necessary and maintained ABA standards. The new offerings in paralegal are a continuation of that effort and classes will be offered on both the Venango and Clarion campuses.
For information about the paralegal studies program or letters of completion, contact Shepard at shepard@clarion.edu.