Responding to hiring needs, legislation and popular demand, colleges and universities across Alabama have added several new programs for the 2024-2025 school year in a variety of relevant fields including medicine, education, technology and sports management. The programs range from community college offerings, including a 60+ hour cybersecurity certificate program and a sports management degree pathway, to graduate-level programs such as a dyslexia therapy master’s degree and an online doctorate in educational leadership. The ongoing need for health care personnel is being addressed by programs to train nurses and laboratory technologists.
IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF ALABAMA
The Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program at Northwest Shoals Community College was developed in response to a shortage of qualified laboratory technicians to fill positions in the Muscle Shoals community and surrounding areas.
While there are similar programs in the state, getting to those campuses can mean a one- or two-hour commute for local students. Beginning in spring 2025, the four-semester MLT program will offer students the opportunity to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree, preparing them for careers in hospitals, physician/provider offices and research laboratories. Courses will be offered in person at the Shoals campus with the final semester including clinical rotations and certification exam preparation.
MLT Program Director Michelle Hayes says that enrollment is going very well. “We are excited to offer this program to our students and the community,” says Hayes. “Northwest Shoals strives to produce exceptional and prepared graduates for the workforce.” She notes that the field of MLT offers rewarding career opportunities and excellent versatility. Registration for the spring semester began in mid-October, and the first cohort will start classes in January.
AT THE STATE’S SOUTHERN TIP
Coastal Alabama Community College (CACC) and the U.S. Sports Academy (USSA), both located in Baldwin County, signed an agreement in June establishing a new Sports Management degree pathway.
Offering programs of instruction, research and service to more than 1,300 students annually, the USSA is the only accredited freestanding sports university in the country. Dr. Mary Beth Lancaster, dean of academic instruction at CACC, says that the pathway is available as of this fall.
“Often, students know what they want to do, but maybe they haven’t gotten a clear direction on their pathway,” she says. “This partnership will be strengthened because we are able to talk with students more and help them to understand the options they have that may coincide with their interests.”
Plans are in the works for representatives from the USSA to visit CACC campuses to meet with student athlete groups and other interested students.
ON THE WESTERN LINE
The University of West Alabama (UWA) in Livingston is offering the first Master of Education in Dyslexia Therapy degree in the state. UWA leaders chose to add this program in response to implementation of the Alabama State Department of Education’s literacy act, which outlines the need for Certified Academic Language Therapists in Alabama schools.
This fully online graduate program is designed for dyslexia therapists in training, preparing students to help improve the reading proficiency of kindergarteners through third graders.
“The coursework is inspired by the Orton-Gillingham approach to instruction, teaching students how to navigate cognitive barriers to processing language by creating new neural pathways for building reading competencies,” says Sara Reynolds, UWA coordinator of clinical experiences. “Our goal is to hold International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council accreditation in two years.”
The program’s first cohort — around 20 students — began classes on October 21.
STATEWIDE
In July, multinational technology company IBM announced two new IBM SkillsBuild certificates in cybersecurity and data analytics that were piloted and designed with community colleges, including those within the Alabama Community College System (ACCS).
The certificates are designed to meet the needs of learners and allow community colleges to integrate them into existing curriculums for students to earn credits. Each certificate learning plan is 60-65 hours long, and the earned credential is recognized by potential employers.
“Alabama community colleges worked with IBM to pilot the cybersecurity certificate because of the strong need for entry-level, competency-based credentials that help students start on a pathway for an IT career,” says Dr. Courtney Monnette, special programs project director at ACCS. “In 2021, Alabama adopted a skills-based workforce training program called Mobilizing Alabama Pathways that allows new and returning adult education and career pathway students an opportunity to earn a credential like the IBM SkillsBuild Cybersecurity or Data Analytics Certificate; thus, building confidence and basic employability skills for all high-demand, high-wage career clusters.”
IN THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE STATE
The University of Montevallo (UM) is offering two new programs, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership.
According to Dr. Crystal G. Bennett, dean of the College of Health Professions, increased demand for health care professionals in the state of Alabama coupled with challenges coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted an opportunity for the university to address the need for more nurses. The program, which began in Fall 2024, offers a pre-licensure track for those seeking to become licensed registered nurses (RN) and an RN to BSN track for associate-degree prepared RNs who wish to obtain their BSN. Currently, UM has 40 students enrolled across its pre-nursing, pre-licensure and RN to BSN programs.
Bennett says the program’s inaugural semester is off to a great start. “Our students are excited and enjoying the new skills and simulation lab where they are getting hands-on training to prepare them for clinical experiences,” Bennett says.
UM’s College of Education and Human Development began offering its Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed. D.) program in Fall 2024. This collaborative online curriculum is for seasoned professionals who aim to elevate their careers.
Melding theory with practical inquiry, the Ed.D. program prepares graduates to offer sustainable solutions to intricate problems and enhance leadership for transformative change.
Dr. Jennifer Alexiou-Ray, director of graduate studies at UM, notes that graduate education began on campus in 1955 with a master’s degree in elementary education. “It makes sense that our first doctoral degree will also be held in the College of Education and Human Development,” she says. The first cohort consists of 16 accomplished educational leaders.
“We have a strong tradition as an educator preparation institution,” says Dr. Courtney Bentley, UM provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “For many years, we’ve had stakeholders in our partner school districts ask, ‘When are you getting a doctoral program?’ And it’s a joy to say, ‘Now we do.’”
A second cohort of students will be admitted for Fall 2025. The application deadline is March 1, 2025.
Kathleen Farrell is a Mobile-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
This article appears in the November issue of Business Alabama.
