(Photo from MSU website)
- Four of the programs are first of their kinds in the Magnolia State, not offered at other public universities in Mississippi.
Three bachelor and two master level degree programs are being added to the course offerings at Mississippi State University.
On Thursday, the Board of Trustees for the Mississippi State Institutions of Higher Learning approved MSU to begin offering the Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Technology, Bachelor of Applied Science in Weather and Environmental Science, the Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship, the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence, and the Master of Science in Construction Management.
Dr. Casey Prestwood, Associate Commissioner for Academic Affairs for the IHL, said the Construction Technology degree will provide students with skills in managing construction projects.
The anticipated five-year cost to implement the program is $545,776, with potential revenue over that time anticipated to be close to $2.1 million. Prestwood said no other public institutions in Mississippi offer the degree path.
“Community college partners were surveyed and it was determined there was significant interest in offering the major to meet the needs of those seeking paths to management in the construction sector,” Prestwood said.
Salaries in related careers range from $55,000 for building inspectors to $74,000 for construction supervisors.
The Weather and Environmental Science degree will focus on weather prediction, climate analysis and human environmental interactions. The five-year anticipated cost to implement the 120-hour degree program is $160,000, with a potential revenue over that time of more than $600,000.
Graduates of the first-of-its-kind program in the state will be prepared to take positions as climate change policy analysts, geoscientists or as weather operator positions within the military. Projected salaries for graduates entering those fields range between $78,000 to $88,000.
Prestwood informed the IHL Board that Mississippi State met with Keesler Air Force Base’s administration to develop this program. The Biloxi-based military base houses the 81st Training Group, which annually trains more than 30,000 officers, airmen and civilian employees.
“The leadership of Keesler, due to their longstanding relationship with the Geoscience Department, requested this specific BAS degree to not only meet the educational needs of the Air Force, but also to provide airmen a path for a baccalaureate degree that was complimentary to the training provided on the base,” Prestwood said.
Students interested in the Entrepreneurship degree will be able to launch new business ventures and bring about innovation in existing businesses. Implementation of the program over five years is expected to cost $1.2 million but will produce about $2 million in revenue in that time.
Prestwood said starting salaries for graduates in the entrepreneurship degree path begin at about $53,000. Similar programs are offered at Jackson State University, University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi.
“Entrepreneurship plays a vital role in the growth of the U.S. economy. The rise of e-commerce, digital entrepreneurship and venture capital back startups allow entrepreneurship graduates to pursue careers beyond geographic constraints,” Prestwood added.
Another first-of-its-kind program for the state, the Master’s in Artificial Intelligence will provide graduates with the tools they need to innovate in the field. The 31-hour program will provide students with skills in machine learning, natural language processing, robotics and computer vision, Prestwood described.
Salaries for those who complete the program can range from $80,000 to $120,000, which Prestwood said is comparable to other computer science programs.
“AI is not industry specific,” Prestwood stated. “It has applications in healthcare, automotive, finance, cybersecurity and many other domains, diversifying the demand.”
The Master’s in Construction Management will be an online and in-person 30 credit hour course that will provide students with advanced skills in construction management at a cost of $1.3 million to implement over five-years. It is anticipated to bring in $1.6 million in revenue over that time.
Prestwood said the program combines skills and concepts from a variety of construction areas and includes hands-on experience in the use of various construction sector datasets. Graduates can expect starting salaries to range from $94,000 to $120,000.
“The construction industry in Mississippi and the broader United States is experiencing significant growth and transformation creating a strong demand for professionals with advanced management skills,” Preswood described.
