Contact: Anthony de Bruyn, (512) 499-4363

Date: August 12, 2004

UT System News Release

Four New Degree Programs Approved by Board of Regents

HOUSTON – Four new graduate degrees at academic institutions in the University of Texas System were approved by the Board of Regents on Thursday. The programs will go to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for final approval.

The programs include:

• A Ph.D. in computer science at UT El Paso. The proposal involves creating a separate Ph.D. program in Computer Science from the existing interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Computer Engineering.
• A master's degree in occupational therapy at UT El Paso. This program will provide an 82 hour entry level master's degree that will replace the current baccalaureate program, in accordance with new accreditation requirements.
• Both a master of science and a Ph.D. degree in physics at UT San Antonio in conjunction with physicists from Southwest Research Institute.

These programs are designed to prepare graduates to make contributions to the evolution of space technologies, the nation's biomedical infrastructure and to enhance scientific and technology development.

The University of Texas System has 15 campuses, including nine academic and six health institutions, an enrollment exceeding 177,000 students, more than 87,000 employees, and an annual operating budget of $8.5 billion (FY 2005). The UT System confers one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates three-fourths of the state's health care professionals annually.

Note: For more information about each of the degree programs see the Academic Affairs and Health Affairs committees of the background material accompanying the agenda for the regents' meeting (URLs provided below).

Agenda Book

• Academic Affairs Committee
• Health Affairs Committee

Other news and materials from the meeting of the board