Woodlands Villager - News
Woodlands part of UH-Downtown expansion plans
By JAKE MUONIO
The University of Houston-Downtown is working on several new programs to help people earn business degrees.
The school, which is also working to change its name to distinguish it from the University of Houston, is working to launch a masters in business administration degree program next school year, tooling the program toward students who have families and full-time jobs.
“We’re targeting people in the mid levels of an organization who are working full-time, but are looking for an MBA to improve their promotability and provide job security,” said Donald Bates, dean of UHD’s School of Business. “And the last one may be the most important in these economic times.”
A similar program is also being created to help people with two-year degrees earn a bachelor’s degree in business.
UHD was formed in 1974 as University of Houston —Downtown College after the University of Houston acquired South Texas Junior College. By the end of the decade it became its own four-year university and a part of the UH system. Within five years it went from offering only a bachelor in science degree in criminal justice to include business services, office management, real estate and engineering technology.
The school currently offers 42 different undergraduate degrees and eight masters degrees. Its courses are offered at several Lone Star College locations around Houston, as well as at the University Center in The Woodlands.
“We’re an innovative campus, and we like to try different things, and the market segment we serve requires we be different. We can’t be a UT-Austin, or A&M. We’ve got to put together programs that develop the human resources to keep the economic engine of Houston going,” Bates said.
Bates said Houston, as the fourth-largest city in the country, has a surprising lack of opportunities for students interested in pursuing an MBA. It was that need that led to the school — which is the only Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accredited university in Texas to not offer an MBA program — to begin creating the program. The final two steps remaining before the program is launched are approval from UHD’s board, which is expected in February or March, and final approval from the Texas Coordinating Board, which will come six months after that.
A quick decision by the Coordinating Board, or a decision by UHD to begin marketing the program prior to final approval could mean the program would be ready for launch in September, Bates said.
“At this point we’re not real sure whether it will be offered here (downtown) or at University Center (in The Woodlands). We have to negotiate to have it offered at University Center,” Bates said.
Both the MBA and the bachelor’s degree in applied administration are what Bates called “hybrid” programs. In order to more easily accommodate students who work full time jobs, the courses are comprised of a combination of classroom instruction and independent projects.
“What we’re able to do is address an educational opportunity for a large segment of the Houston area of people who are employed full time, that can’t go to the Bauer school (at the University of Houston) on a full time basis or don’t meet requirements to get into the school,” he said.
The bachelors degree program is intended to allow students to get their two-year degrees at the satellite locations, and continue attending the same campus to finish off the degree. Many of the courses required for the degree will also be offered as online classes.
Bates said the hope is to offer the bachelor’s program at Lone Star College – CyFair, University Center, Lone Star College-Kingwood and at UHD’s main campus. Currently the degree program is entering its second semester at LSC-CyFair, and planned to begin at Lone Star College-Kingwood this fall.
In addition to the business administration programs, UHD also just got approval to begin a graduate level course for insurance and risk management. That program, which will also start this fall, was created after Houston area insurance companies brought the need for “insurance people” to the college’s attention, Bates said.
Education program
In addition to the changes with its business degree offerings, UHD is also growing several education programs it launched over the past couple of years.
Among them is the university’s teacher’s education partnership. Under that program, students are jointly admitted to a community college and UHD, and then take all the classes required for a teacher’s license at their local community college.
The program started at LSC-Cy Fair, and has since expanded to the Kingwood location.
“There is a movement afoot to develop a University Center in the northwest, and if if that happens we would want to move there,” said Beth Pelz, dean of the College of Public Service. “It would encompass Tomball and that area.”
Pelz said nearly every community college in the area has asked about partnering with the program, but other expansions are not in the works yet.
The school, which is also working to change its name to distinguish it from the University of Houston, is working to launch a masters in business administration degree program next school year, tooling the program toward students who have families and full-time jobs.
“We’re targeting people in the mid levels of an organization who are working full-time, but are looking for an MBA to improve their promotability and provide job security,” said Donald Bates, dean of UHD’s School of Business. “And the last one may be the most important in these economic times.”
A similar program is also being created to help people with two-year degrees earn a bachelor’s degree in business.
UHD was formed in 1974 as University of Houston —Downtown College after the University of Houston acquired South Texas Junior College. By the end of the decade it became its own four-year university and a part of the UH system. Within five years it went from offering only a bachelor in science degree in criminal justice to include business services, office management, real estate and engineering technology.
The school currently offers 42 different undergraduate degrees and eight masters degrees. Its courses are offered at several Lone Star College locations around Houston, as well as at the University Center in The Woodlands.
“We’re an innovative campus, and we like to try different things, and the market segment we serve requires we be different. We can’t be a UT-Austin, or A&M. We’ve got to put together programs that develop the human resources to keep the economic engine of Houston going,” Bates said.
Bates said Houston, as the fourth-largest city in the country, has a surprising lack of opportunities for students interested in pursuing an MBA. It was that need that led to the school — which is the only Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accredited university in Texas to not offer an MBA program — to begin creating the program. The final two steps remaining before the program is launched are approval from UHD’s board, which is expected in February or March, and final approval from the Texas Coordinating Board, which will come six months after that.
A quick decision by the Coordinating Board, or a decision by UHD to begin marketing the program prior to final approval could mean the program would be ready for launch in September, Bates said.
“At this point we’re not real sure whether it will be offered here (downtown) or at University Center (in The Woodlands). We have to negotiate to have it offered at University Center,” Bates said.
Both the MBA and the bachelor’s degree in applied administration are what Bates called “hybrid” programs. In order to more easily accommodate students who work full time jobs, the courses are comprised of a combination of classroom instruction and independent projects.
“What we’re able to do is address an educational opportunity for a large segment of the Houston area of people who are employed full time, that can’t go to the Bauer school (at the University of Houston) on a full time basis or don’t meet requirements to get into the school,” he said.
The bachelors degree program is intended to allow students to get their two-year degrees at the satellite locations, and continue attending the same campus to finish off the degree. Many of the courses required for the degree will also be offered as online classes.
Bates said the hope is to offer the bachelor’s program at Lone Star College – CyFair, University Center, Lone Star College-Kingwood and at UHD’s main campus. Currently the degree program is entering its second semester at LSC-CyFair, and planned to begin at Lone Star College-Kingwood this fall.
In addition to the business administration programs, UHD also just got approval to begin a graduate level course for insurance and risk management. That program, which will also start this fall, was created after Houston area insurance companies brought the need for “insurance people” to the college’s attention, Bates said.
Education program
In addition to the changes with its business degree offerings, UHD is also growing several education programs it launched over the past couple of years.
Among them is the university’s teacher’s education partnership. Under that program, students are jointly admitted to a community college and UHD, and then take all the classes required for a teacher’s license at their local community college.
The program started at LSC-Cy Fair, and has since expanded to the Kingwood location.
“There is a movement afoot to develop a University Center in the northwest, and if if that happens we would want to move there,” said Beth Pelz, dean of the College of Public Service. “It would encompass Tomball and that area.”
Pelz said nearly every community college in the area has asked about partnering with the program, but other expansions are not in the works yet.
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