The School of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts will soon introduce two new interdisciplinary academic programs that will both be firsts in the University System of Maryland poised to become a springboard for future programs.
During the spring campus update held prior to the start of the semester, Dr. Marshall F. Stevenson, the dean of the School of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts, announced the creation of an art therapy program and a music production program. The programs are expected to be launched in the fall of 2024.
“The impetus for these new programs comes out of our HBCU settlement funding initiative,” Stevenson said. “We have created some new majors and programs in this school and other schools across the University in order to use the first several years of those dollars, but beyond that, we’re looking at additional programs that will benefit the university, particularly in the School of Education, Social Sciences and the Arts.”
Stevenson said the art therapy program, which will be offered as a bachelor’s with an eye towards a future master’s program, the major will consist of a majority of art courses as well as psychology and counseling courses, all of which are offered at the university. “There’s a lot of interdisciplinary collaboration within this degree,” he added. “It’s not offered in any other USM institution, and aligns with the health focus the university is taking with a greater emphasis on mental health services, especially on the Eastern Shore.”
The music production degree aligns closely with the Digital Media Studies program and would be a new curriculum that combines music, business, and digital production while allowing prospective students to learn the technical aspects of music creation. The curriculum will incorporate much of the technology already used in the DMST program, a program that has also taken off in its own right.
“We see this as a vital part of 21st-century curriculum in terms of what students have the opportunity for relative to jobs in the marketplace,” Stevenson said. “It will make students marketable once coming out of undergraduate seeking that degree and acquiring that degree because along the way they’ll have internships with many big corporations like Sony, some film companies, and other music areas where they’ll be able to develop seamlessly right into employment.”
In addition to the two new programs, there is potential for the creation of a Master of Fine Arts program as well according to Stevenson.
“A lot of teachers have asked for this, but it’s also a way to pipeline our undergrad students to go above and beyond and acquire the master’s degree.
Stevenson said the arrival of these and other programs is the start of a “very exciting time” on campus.
“We really have an opportunity to make our mark nationally and across the globe with the kinds of things we’re doing,” he said. “I think these two programs will highlight just the kind of quality education and career opportunities the university has to offer anyone who matriculates to UMES.”
The new School of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts programs are just a few of the many new offerings provided by the university.
Other programs include several new courses recently approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission such as fashion merchandising, aviation technology, and various graduate degree programs as well as a number of new online courses in a number of disciplines including child development, construction management, and hospitality and tourism management.
