Messiah College expands its undergraduate majors and graduate programs
September 7th, 2011
GRANTHAM, Pa. (Sept. 7, 2011) — With the start of the 2011-2012 academic year, Messiah College announces the addition of several new academic programs to its undergraduate and graduate course offerings. Undergraduate students enrolled at Messiah College can select from five new majors: Chinese business; Chinese studies; dance; digital media; and ethnic and area studies.
Messiah’s graduate program offerings have expanded to six, including three new master’s programs in education, higher education, and youth and young adult ministry. All of Messiah’s graduate programs are designed for working professionals and are conducted primarily online.
“Expanding our undergraduate majors and graduate programs is an important way that Messiah College is seeking to meet the educational and career goals of our students—and to meet the demand of employers in many of these emerging fields in both the U.S. and abroad,” said John Chopka, vice president for enrollment management at Messiah College.
New undergraduate majors
The Chinese business major prepares students to meet global demand for individuals with a strong background in business and proficiency in a second language. Every student in this program will study abroad at a university in Dalian, China, with a focus on language immersion and international business courses.
The Chinese studies major expands the Mandarin Chinese language courses that Messiah launched in fall 2009 to now include additional preparation in both Chinese language and culture. Students are required to study abroad for one semester at a university in Dalian, China.
Messiah’s dance major builds upon the dance minor that Messiah launched in fall 2010. The dance major provides professional-level dance and performance training for students desiring to succeed as professional dancers, dance instructors or professional actors and actresses. Students will receive extensive instruction in ballet, jazz, modern and tap courses and can study improvisation, choreography, arts management and creative dynamics.
The new digital media major offers interdisciplinary core courses in digital video, sound design, computer science and visual art that allow students to select from concentrations in art and design, church media, digital video and story or mobile applications and game design. To practically prepare for careers in these emerging fields, all students apply their digital media skills through an internship in a business, commercial or organizational setting.
Ethnic and area studies is an interdisciplinary major with concentrations in African and African American studies; Asian studies; and U.S. ethnic studies. Students in this program will gain understanding of theories of culture, ethnicity, race and identity and will learn skills related to conflict resolution and cultural understanding.
New graduate programs
Messiah’s master’s in education offers specialized tracks in the high-demand fields of special education and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
The master of arts in higher education offers specialized tracks in college athletics management, institutional advancement, student affairs or an individualized concentration with the focus of preparing students to work in a variety of higher education settings.
The master of arts in youth and young adult ministry is designed to enhance the professional expertise of individuals working with students ages 12 to 25 in a variety of congregational and parachurch settings. The program utilizes Messiah’s network of programming, alumni and organizational partners in youth and young adult ministry.
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