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

Date: May 12, 2005

UT System News Release

Three New Degree Programs Approved by Board of Regents

AUSTIN – Three new graduate degrees at 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 educational leadership and policy studies at UT Arlington. This program seeks to engage graduate students in education and other leaders in the North Texas region in research-driven policy discussions that affect the future course of K-16 education.
• A Ph.D. in Applied Statistics/Demography at UT San Antonio. The program, which will draw on the extensive health-related expertise of faculty at the UT Health Science Center–San Antonio, is designed to prepare students to make predictions and forecasts, design experiments, and analyze large complex data sets requisite to success in the fields of biostatistics and applied demography.
• A doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree at UT Health Science Center–Houston. The DNP program is designed to prepare advance practice nurses (APNs) for hospital staff privileges and allows them to demonstrate high-level clinical skills.

The UT System has 15 campuses, including nine academic and six health institutions, and an annual operating budget of $8.5 billion (FY 2005). Student enrollment exceeded 182,000 in 2004. The UT System confers one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates three-fourths of Texas health care professionals. With more than 76,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in Texas.

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).

Academic Affairs Committee section of the Agenda Book (PDF)

Health Affairs Committee section of the Agenda Book (PDF)