New Degree Programs Approved by Missouri Southern State University Board of Governors

(Joplin, MO) – A Master’s of Health Administration is among the degrees and certificates approved by the Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) Board of Governors during the meeting held Friday, March 11.

Workforce demand, along with student interest, led to the proposed graduate degree program. A Bachelor’s of Science in Healthcare Administration degree launched in Fall 2019; graduates are in high demand for business and management positions within the healthcare industry — one of the largest and fastest-growing fields in the U.S.

The program includes both health science and business courses, and will be offered 100-percent online.

“The online curriculum was designed to serve working professionals,” said Dr. Richard Schooler, chair of the Department of Healthcare Administration and Management and executive director of Missouri Southern’s Gipson Center for Healthcare Leadership. “It will be available for a variety of health and business professionals seeking an education to prepare them for administrative and leadership opportunities in the health industry.”

A General Studies-Business Emphasis degree program and certificates in American Studies, Nutrition and Stakeholder Engagement were among several of the degrees and certificates approved by the board.

In other business:

• Dr. Van Galen, university president, highlighted Governor Mike Parson’s proposed investment in higher education for Fiscal Year 2023.
• Van Galen also discussed the model being developed to reduce the number of academic colleges at MSSU from four to three, which will reduce expenses as well as foster innovative connections between academic departments.
• Dr. Brad Hodson, executive vice president, said the number of new freshmen gaining admission to MSSU is up 28 percent overall compared to the last day of February 2021.
• Hodson also detailed MSSU’s participation in season six of the Amazon Prime series “The College Tour.” The production crew will be on campus and in the Joplin community to shoot the series April 18–22.
• Rob Yust, vice president of business affairs, reviewed the ongoing campus improvement projects, which are paid for by the Federal Budget Stabilization Fund. The projects — which include street replacements and new crosswalks, improvements to the tunnel connecting to the residence hall side of campus, and improvements to the Oval infrastructure — are nearly all complete.

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