 New Curriculum Approved by Board of Trustees
Internet engineering, international studies, and Japanese are among four new programs or majors approved by the USF Board of Trustees at its Dec. 5 meeting. The new programs begin this fall.
Globalization’s effect on world cultures, human rights, social justice, and the environment will be the focus of a new bachelor of arts in international studies. The interdisciplinary major will study international issues, institutions, and relations in the context of increasing globalization. Students will take core courses on globalization and then choose one of five disciplines (for example, “environment and development” or “world religions and spiritualities”) and a geographic area (Latin America, Africa, Asia Pacific, or Europe) in which to specialize.
“This is a program that is holistic and global in its sweep. In the 21st century, you need many disciplines to understand the world’s critical issues and trends. We have to look at the world as a whole now,” said Barbara Bundy, executive director of the Center for the Pacific Rim who chaired the committee that developed the major.
Japanese studies will also become part of the College of Arts and Sciences curriculum this fall. Classes in Japanese language, culture, literature, and linguistics, as well as electives ranging from the country’s history to its politics are part of a new bachelor of arts degree. Students will also have the opportunity to study at Japan’s Sophia University through a student exchange program, and local research and internship programs will be available.
Citing the fact that Japan’s economy is the second largest in the world, Noriko Nagata, associate professor and chair of the department of modern and classical languages, said, “It is ever more desirable for Americans to be well versed in Japanese language and culture. The Japanese major provides students with an exceptional opportunity.” Students will also use an advanced Japanese instructional software called Robo-Sensei, developed by Nagata, for practice in grammar and sentence construction.
The College of Arts and Sciences’ master of science in Internet engineering teaches students how to apply a traditional computer science degree to the continuing evolution of the Internet. Internet systems, application development, and the social and legal issues associated with the Web will be part of the curriculum. The program also requires an eight-unit internship under the supervision of a professor. A five-year honors program for both a bachelor’s and a master’s will also be offered.
“(The master’s) is somewhere in between traditional computer science and information management,” said David Wolber, associate professor and chair of the department of computer science. “We haven’t even imagined how we can make use of today’s powerful computers and the explosion of information on the Web. We want to train people to take part in this emerging world.”
Mid-career professionals will have the opportunity to further their skills in creating organizational change through the College of Professional Studies’ new master of science in organizational development (MSOD). A replacement of the master of human resources and organizational development (HROD), the new master’s requires a theoretical foundation in organizational behavior, theory, and change as well as a knowledge of the field’s history, values, ethics, and professional practices.
“We’ve taken the best of the HROD degree and expanded and deepened our organizational development offerings,” said Sharon Wagner, program director of the new degree. The MSOD program includes new courses in leadership, and group facilitation and communication. Wagner said the program will retain its two human resources courses as electives.
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