Chestnut Hill College will expand its curriculum and will offer several new majors (at both at the undergraduate and graduate levels), new undergraduate minors and wider internship opportunities, beginning with the fall 2015 semester.

“Our faculty can justifiably take pride in their delivery of our curriculum,” said Wolfgang Natter, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “With these new programs, which lie at the intersection of faculty expertise, mission, and market demand, we have also significantly enhanced the curriculum itself.” 

The changes to the curriculum are: 

• The School of Graduate Studies has modified its degree program, a Master of Education (M.Ed.) without certification, to a Master of Education(M.Ed.) in Educational Studies. This36-credit course of study will be appealing to international students who wish to teach outside the United States, private sector teachers, and working professionals who already have earned a teacher certification and are seeking a master’s degree for employment purposes and whose professional educational goals are directed to the private sector rather than the education field.
   
• At the undergraduate level, the College will offer a Bachelor of Science in Education with Dual Certification (PreK-4 Education/Special Education PreK-8). This degree program that merges special education and general education certification preparation coursework into a dual program will enhance the academic, professional and employment opportunities for students completing a dual education course of study at the College. This degree will be offered in both the School of Undergraduate Studies and the School of Continuing & Professional Studies.
   
• In the School of Undergraduate Studies, the College will now offer a Bachelor of Arts in Music to complement theBachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education already offered through the Music Department. According to the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), this new degree program is regarded as a “professional degree” within the industry that focuses on the intensive work in music and is supported by a program in general studies. This degree, paired with a minor in business, psychology or computer science — all minors that work well with music — will offer graduates the opportunity to work in music stores, independent music schools and computer science for the growing interest in music and technology.
   
• In addition to the Bachelor of Arts in Music, students will have the opportunity to include additional coursework in vocal performance, resulting in a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. This degree is ideal for someone who wants a career as a working musician, a professional performer or a private music teacher.
   
• Also in the School of Undergraduate Studies, two new minors will be introduced: Film Production and Studies and Global Affairs.
   
  • Offered through the Political Science Department, the Global Affairs minor aims to provide students with a deeper understanding of how our globalized world affects people, governments, firms, international institutions and cultural practices in the 21st century. The minor also complements many of the College’s major fields of study by supporting career competencies that are considered highly desirable in today’s workplace. According to Kevin Hovland’s article, Shared Futures: Global Learning and Liberal Education, a student who minors in Global Affairs will be better able to evaluate societal challenges from a “global learning” perspective, bringing intercultural knowledge and critical thinking skills to professional and civic contexts.
     
  • Offered through the Communications Department, the Film Production and Studies is a 18-credit minor that will help students to pursue internships and careers in filmmaking, documentary journalism, advertising, TV news and sports journalism.  Film Studies programs provide a strong mixture of critical thinking, writing skills and hands-on work with new and emerging technology in an industry that is rapidly evolving.
     
• Through the Biology Department, the School of Undergraduate Studies will offer a Bachelor of Science in Biology: Sports Medicine Pre-Professional Track. This specialized biology major is intendedfor students interested in obtaining a degree in biology and who specifically are interested in entering sports-related health professions. This track, with specific course requirements not found in the traditional biology coursework, would be appropriate for those interested in applying to medical school, physician assistant degree programs or physical therapy degree programs that relate to sports medicine.
   
• Finally, the School of Undergraduate Studies is now offering a variable internship creditformula that varies from one to four credits. Students will now have the flexibility to take different kinds of internships for which they can earn academic credit, thus allowing higher participation rates for internships.  Having an internship as part of the undergraduate experience provides students with opportunities to better connect their academic learning to real-world experience and are sometimes the best way to jump start a career and full-time employment after graduation.

For more information on all academic programs at Chestnut Hill College, please visit our website.