The Iowa Board of Regents recommended approval Wednesday for the University of Iowa to offer a new Bachelor of Arts in Counseling and Behavioral Health Services in the College of Education.
The program would allow UI students to develop the skills and knowledge they need for a helping profession in the nonprofit sector, community centers, health-related organizations and clinics, and the private industry.
The proposed degrees will require a minimum of 120 semester hours, with 36-39 of those hours relating to major coursework.
Additionally, students will develop interpersonal communication skills needed in professions and will learn how behavioral health care access and disparities are impacted by social and cultural contexts, according to a report in the regents’ meeting agenda.
This degree will be housed in the College of Education and will work in collaboration with other colleges at the university, such as the College of Public Health.
Similar programs exist in some capacity at other regents’ universities, such as the Bachelor of Sciences in Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University.
No new facilities will be needed if the program is approved. Tuition generated from this program will be used to cover all expenses.
The College of Education conducted an informal survey sent out to undergraduate students with a minor in human relations. Results showed high interest in the proposed program.
If approved, the program is set to begin in the fall of 2024. Tanya Uden-Holman, associate provost for undergraduate education at the UI, said the university expects projected enrollment to begin with 60 students in year one and is expected to grow to 150 students by year five.
Currently, there is a high demand for helping professionals with bachelor’s degrees, particularly in rural Iowa.
Department of Economics change
The UI also requested regent approval to move the Department of Economics from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to the Tippie College of Business.Â
The proposed change will not alter the number of credit hours or change faculty appointments but will place all administrative and academic aspects of the department in one central location.
Uden-Holman said there would be no revenue lost by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences through this change.
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Accreditation for Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees have been reviewed as a part of the Tippie College of Business, and all requirements for the change have been addressed.
One new academic advisor will be added to Tippie’s Undergraduate Program Office to advise students in the major.
No new facilities will be added to the college, and if approved, the change will be implemented in July 2025.
