Contact: Monty Jones, (512) 499-4363

Date: May 9, 2002

UT System News Release

Regents Approve 7 Graduate Degree Programs Across UT System

AUSTIN - Expansion of graduate programs at institutions across the University of Texas System moved forward Thursday when the Board of Regents approved seven new master's and doctoral programs. The programs will now go to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for final approval.

"UT System institutions are continuing to expand advanced educational opportunities for Texas by developing new graduate programs," said Chancellor R.D. Burck. "These include new programs at both established and emerging graduate institutions, as well as a number of collaborative programs in which two or more institutions join forces to serve students in new ways. We are particularly pleased about the new collaborative programs approved today because they continue our efforts to pool resources both for greater cost-effectiveness and for enhanced academic quality."

In addition to approving new graduate degree programs, the Board of Regents authorized the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio to begin the planning process for master's and doctoral programs in sports sciences in collaboration with UT San Antonio and UT Austin.

The newly approved degree programs are as follows:

• UT Dallas - Ph.D. in computer engineering; Doctor of Executive Leadership degree; Ph.D. in software engineering; Ph.D. in telecommunications engineering.
• UT El Paso - Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition.
• UT San Antonio and the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio - joint master of science and joint Ph.D. in biomedical engineering.
• UT Health Science Center at San Antonio - master's degree in deaf education and hearing science.

Note: More information about each of these programs is available in the online background material accompanying the agenda for the regents' meeting. See the Academic Affairs and Health Affairs committees.

Other News and Items from the Board of Regents Meeting:

UT System Unveils Expanded Public School Initiative - May 9, 2002

Component Institution Public School Initiatives
Presentation by Dr. Ed Sharpe, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs

K - 16 Initiative White Paper: Every Child, Every Advantage
Handout from the UT System Office of Acadmic Affairs

Facilities Planning and Construction Committee Update on Projects
Presentation by Sid Sanders, UT System

UT System Management and Leadership Development Program
Presentation by Chancellor R. D. Burck, UT System