Missouri Southern has begun the process of bringing master’s level courses to campus.

To stay true to the legislation making Southern a university, associates degrees will be phased out in the next five years.

We are looking at bringing graduate degrees to campus as soon as fall 2004, said University President Julio León.

Both Southern and the cooperating university will issue the degrees.

“I have focused since July 12 on graduate degrees by visiting with cooperating universities,” said Dr. Tia Strait, dean of the school of technology.

The school of technology is working with two different institutions to make programs available. A master of nurse practitioner degree has been available on campus since 1994. However, the University of Missouri-Kansas City issued the degree strictly. With a cooperative effort, the degree will soon be issued by both UMKC and Southern. Southern will also be working with UMKC on a master of science in dental hygiene degree.

Strait has been discussing programs with Central Missouri State University to bring graduate programs in criminal justice, information technology, industrial management and industrial technology to campus as well.

Southern can petition the Coordinating Board for Higher Education if administration believes there is a need in the community to retain an associate’s program.

” We are in discussion with Crowder College for cooperation, as we have been for a long time,” she said. “Our relationship with Crowder is nothing new.”

The school of business offers associates programs in general business and accounting.

“I don’t believe we will be looking at a loss of students since most students use the associates as a stepping stone,” he said Dr Brad Kleindl, dean of the school of business. “Most go on to the four year program.”

“We have an array of things we are working on, but we are concentrating on three areas for next year,” Horvath said.

The school of education is developing a masters program for early childhood education, educational technology and elementary education.

“We will not be gaining any full time faculty right away,” said Dr. Michael Horvath, dean of the school of Education.

“We will be tapping current faculty to teach courses and hiring adjuncts to help us support the areas we take those people from.”

The programs will be offered online, through interactive television (ITV) and through hybrids of the two.

“These methods will make the programs beneficial to those already professionals in their field who want to further their education,” Strait said.