Kutztown University is introducing five new minors which will be open to students for the fall 2015 semester, including astronomy; digital communication and new media; entrepreneurship; Spanish for modern business; and supply chain management and logistics.
The astronomy minor will give students the opportunity to broaden their areas of study through scientific inquiry in astronomy. The population of KU students who might enroll in this minor consists of science majors and non-science majors alike. Any student with strong algebra and critical thinking skills could successfully complete the curriculum for this minor. The astronomy minor will require 20 credit hours.
The digital communication and new media minor will help educate and train students for our new world of digital media and reorganized media circulation and production. Today, new hires in social media marketing, journalism, public relations and video production are increasingly expected to have skill sets that include managing blogs, establishing and growing a social media presence and producing content for multiple platforms. The minor emphasizes that the student best prepared for the workplace of the next generation will not only be technically trained in the use of digital media, but will also have a deeper understanding of how to analyze and produce communication effectively for those media.
The minor in entrepreneurship will teach students to develop and carry out an individualized approach to their careers, connecting their passion and diverse set of skills to a practical business and career plan. This minor is intended to be experiential in nature, and includes engagement with the Career Development Center, an internship and development of an individualized business plan. The entrepreneurship minor is structured to be a customizable learning experience and to complement any major. This program will include the development of leadership skills and will teach students the principles needed to succeed in new ventures, aspiring companies, family businesses and large institutions. This minor will require 18 credit hours.
The Spanish for modern business minor will provide an in-depth program that will complement the already existing KU majors and enable students to be prepared for the global environment. This global society is one in which the Spanish-speaking population is strong and ever-growing. Kutztown graduates from every field of study will no doubt have some level of professional contact with members of the Spanish-speaking community. Therefore, it is important for students to be able to compete with success within this environment; doing so involves being able to communicate in the Spanish language, to understand cultural differences within Hispanic cultures and to appreciate said language and cultures within a business-specific context, which is exactly what this minor will provide. This minor will consist of 21 credit hours.
Students will be eligible to take courses for the supply chain management and logistics minor after successful completion of the business core. The rapid expansion of warehousing, transportation and logistics firms in the Lehigh Valley and across the United States have greatly increased the need for supply chain and logistics-trained personnel. The need for qualified students is substantial, and this provides an impact and leadership opportunity for KU through this minor.
