When students enroll in our programs, we know they’re looking for courses that provide a balance between theory and practice. That’s why, when we develop new programs or revisit existing ones, we start with one essential question: What do professionals in this field need right now…and tomorrow?
Developing Program Goals
“Our academic standards hold little value unless they are aligned with the needs of the industry,” says Faisal Akkawi, faculty director of the MS in Information Systems (MSIS) program. “That’s why we place stronger emphasis on understanding current industry demands first, then map those needs back to our curriculum and academic frameworks.”
This approach is echoed across our programs. Brice Clinton, faculty director of the MS in Sports Administration, puts it simply: “The creation of program goals is a collective effort that includes the input and expertise of the incredible faculty we have in the program.” With many of those faculty also working as practitioners, Clinton says they’re uniquely positioned to sense changes in the industry and adapt quickly.
In Health Analytics, faculty director Imran Khan emphasizes the importance of balance. “We work closely with industry advisors, faculty experts, and alumni to define competencies that are not just academically rigorous, but directly aligned with the real-world needs of healthcare, life sciences, and digital health organizations.” The goal, Khan says, is to develop “strategic problem-solvers: professionals who can lead innovation, drive impact, and shape the future of healthcare.”
Selecting New Courses
Opportunities for new courses often emerge from faculty who are on the front lines of change. Akkawi points to the new Digital Transformation specialization in MSIS as an example. “That initiative was driven directly by our faculty, many of whom are industry leaders, who saw an urgent need for such a specialization, particularly in healthcare, as organizations began rethinking their digital infrastructures in the post-COVID era.”
Scott Durham, faculty director of the MA in Literature (MALit), shared that new courses can arise from student interest in an “urgent topical question,” highlighting Literature of the Plague and Pandemic. Durham told us, “Kasey Evans proposed that course because of her sense that our students felt the compelling need to get some perspective on what felt like an overwhelming situation. To that end, her class read texts ranging from Boccaccio’s Decameron and Defoe’s Journal of the Plague Year to 20th-century and contemporary texts by authors such as Zora Neale Hurston, Albert Camus, José Saramago and Karen Thompson Walker. In providing that perspective, Kasey’s class fulfilled one of the core vocations of literary studies (and work in the Humanities generally): to articulate and reflect on the meaning, forms and stakes of the stories that recount our individual experiences, even as we situate the narration of those stories in a broader historical and cultural context.”
Across disciplines, our programs start from goals designed to help our learners navigate change in their fields. These goals evolve alongside industries, technologies, and societal needs. They offer a valuable lens to revisit your own course content: How does your course reflect your program goals, and where might it grow to better serve today’s learners?