AMES — The Iowa Board of Regents approved the University of Iowa’s request to add two masters of science programs at their meeting Wednesday.
The regents also approved the UI’s request to restructure its Global Health Studies department.
The regents met at Iowa State University, where they approved a Master of Science in Audiology and a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology.
Master of Science in Audiology
The Master of Science in Audiology will be an additional degree added onto an existing four year program, Doctor of Audiology, or AuD.
The program will be a part of the doctoral program as a pre-clinical externship, or a learning experience in which students gain hands-on experience in the professional industry, according to the UI Pomerantz Career Center.
The externship is required in order for AuD students to apply for temporary state licensure in their fourth year, a requirement in the pursuit of their degree.
The Master of Science will be awarded to AuD students in proper academic standing who have completed 85 hours at the end of their third year. There will be no direct admission open for the Master of Science program.
The degree will also aid in differentiating students trained in Audiology from students trained in Speech Language Pathology, a No. 5 ranked program at the UI in 2024, according to U.S. News and World Report.
The Audiology program is currently ranked No.2 and is housed in the UI’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
There will be no new costs in addition to the degree, and the university projects eight students to enroll in the first year of the program, according to the report to the regents.
Kevin Kregel, executive vice president and provost at the UI, stated the addition of this program will provide more opportunities for employment and allow students to engage more effectively.
“Being in a more rigorous program allows them [students] to be effectively placed and prepared for their accreditation process,” Kregel said.
Regent Christine Hensley inquired about the projected number of majors within the program each year and how those numbers are collected.
The number, ranging from eight to ten majors in the span of five years, has been consistent in the years the program has existed, Provost Kregel said, and is standard for each incoming class.
“This [the audiology program] is a very heavy, hands-on training program and a really competitive process for these students,” Kregel said.
Enrollment is projected to begin in the fall of 2025.
Master of Arts in Speech Language and Pathology
The university requested a degree and name change to the Master of Arts in Speech Pathology and Audiology, or MA.
The degree will now be named Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, or MS. and will add two additional semester hours. The MA currently requires 51 semester hours to graduate. The MS will require 53 hours, with courses previously offered as electives under the program becoming a part of the core curriculum.
The name change seeks to add classes in audiology and better align with the curriculum and learning objectives within the program, according to a report provided to the regents.
Kregel said the new program will better represent the curriculum in preparing students within the program itself.
“The proposed name change would better represent the scientific rigor of the program and help the program remain competitive,” Kregel said
Those students who are currently in the MA program and wish to transition to the new MS program can do so. However, those who wish to remain in the existing program will be able to do so. All new students will be admitted to the new MS degree.
There will be no additional financial costs accrued with this implementation, and the new program will go into effect in July 2025.
Restructuring Global Health Studies program
The UI also requested approval to restructure its Global Health Studies program currently offered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The restructuring would mean housing the program in the Department of Anthropology instead of its current position in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. Both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees within the Global Health Studies program would be moved.
Tanya Uden-Holman, associate provost for Undergraduate Education and dean of the University College, said many faculty members within the Department of Anthropology teach courses offered through the Global Health studies program. The restructuring would allow for further faculty collaboration, Uden-Holman said, and streamline the curriculum, particularly in medical anthropology courses.
“The move should also lead to more support for student engagement opportunities, particularly for those interested in global health-related topics,” Uden-Holman said.
The restructuring will require no additional costs and will begin in July 2025.