The Board of Governors of the State System of Higher Education approved three new degree programs to be offered at Kutztown University. The State System approved a new Bachelor of Fine Arts in applied digital arts degree, a Master of Arts in arts administration degree and a Master of Education in music education. All three programs fall under Kutztown’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.
“We take great pride in our art and music programs,” said Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson, president of Kutztown University. “We have always excelled in the arts, and these three new degrees will allow us to expand our horizons and bring in new students with even greater options.”
“Kutztown University graduates in the arts are highly regarded and sought after by employers,” said Dr. Anne Zayaitz, acting provost at KU. “These three degrees in particular have seen double-digit growth in demand over the past several years, and we look forward to producing the same quality graduates in these new programs.”
“We are extremely proud to be able to augment our degree offerings,” said Dr. William Mowder, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “It is a tribute to the expertise of our faculty which keeps our programs relevant to the needs of today’s students.”
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in applied digital arts degree will prepare students to work in the creative fields of animation, game art and interactive media. The digital arts field is growing rapidly, with digital artists often finding work in the contemporary fields of game art, interactive media, animation, multimedia art, computer graphics, sound design, movies, television and video art. The new program will build upon KU’s already successful offerings in studio art, crafts and communication design.
The Master of Arts in arts administration degree program will prepare graduates with the tools needed to work in an administrative capacity at a wide variety of arts and cultural organizations, including museums, concert venues, foundations, galleries, symphony orchestras and arts councils. Coursework will include issues and trends, arts policy and legal issues, marketing and communications, fundraising, budgeting, organizational leadership and grant writing.
The Master of Education in music education is designed specifically for working professionals and will be offered fully online. Graduates will be prepared to work as advanced practitioners and leaders of music education in K-12 schools, as well as in after-school programs, community music centers, arts venues, private music studios and in higher education.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in applied digital arts and the Master of Arts in arts administration must now be approved by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design’s Commission on Accreditation. The Master of Education in music education needs to be approved by the National Association of Schools of Music’s Commission on Accreditation.
If approved, classes will begin for all three degrees in fall 2016.
Attending the meeting on behalf of Kutztown University were Dr. Carole Wells, vice provost and dean, graduate studies; Dr. William Mowder, dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts; Dr. Michelle Kiec, associate dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts; Dr. John White, chair, Department of Art Education and Crafts; Cheryl Hochberg, chair, Department of Fine Arts; Dr. Jeremy Justeson, chair, Department of Music and Dr. Anne Zayaitz, acting provost and vice president, Division of Academic and Student Affairs.
For more information contact the College of Visual and Performing Arts at 610-683-4500 or KutztownVPA@kutztown.edu.
