The Miami University senate passed a motion 49-1 at Monday's meeting approving a Bachelor of Integrative Studies at the regional campuses.
"We think this will be an interesting and different degree that will meet the needs of our students and be attractive to our students," said Jeffrey Sommers, associate dean at the Middletown campus.
Sommers said this program would be aimed at current students at the Hamilton and Middletown campuses.
"We are supposed to be serving our community and this is an aspect of what the community (wants) that we haven't been able to serve," Sommers said. "We're trying to fill the need that we know is out there."
Sommers said this need is for students who are currently employed and looking to advance in their respective careers.
"People are eager to get these degrees at the Hamilton and Middletown campuses," Sommers said.
Sommers also said the branch campuses plan, for now, to use the existing faculty to teach the new courses.
"We tried to develop concentrations based on the 300- and 400-level courses we already have," Sommers said.
The degree will require students to complete two concentrations-a primary concentration consisting of five courses and a secondary concentration consisting of three courses, according to Lee Sanders, senior associate dean at the Hamilton campus.
"There are seven concentrations currently and they have each been approved in the division in which (their) courses live," Sanders said. "For example, one of them has family studies and social work, sociology and gender and family courses."
Sanders said that each concentration has a specific theme, and that each concentration the student completes must be have different themes.
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All concentrations include five courses, but for students' secondary concentration they need only take three of those courses.
"A student's smaller concentration could be an additional thematic sequence," Sanders said.
After students complete the two concentrations, they would then take integrative seminars that will work at uniting the themes of both concentrations, according to Sanders.
The first of these seminars would be offered in the fall of 2008.
Sommers added that with the new major, Miami Plan Foundation (MPF) requirements would still be in effect.
"If students come into the program without having completed the Miami Plan, they'll have to do that," Sommers said.
The Bachelor of Integrative Studies will be taken to the Board of Trustees meeting April 25 where the chancellor must approve the degree.
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