Cottey Offers Four New Degrees

Building on the success of Cottey College’s new Health Sciences baccalaureate degree, Dr. Jann Weitzel, president of Cottey College, is pleased to announce the addition of four more baccalaureate degree programs and a certificate program. The growth of degrees and certificate programs offered by the College is part of its strategic plan to increase enrollment through offering a wider range of programs for women of all ages.

The new offerings will begin in the fall of 2017 and include degrees in Criminology; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Organizational Leadership; and Secondary Education (pending approval of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education). A one-year certificate program in Administrative Office Technology will also be offered in the fall, pending approval of the college curriculum committee.

“This is an exciting time at Cottey. With the announcement of the new degrees and a certificate program, we will be able to open our doors to more women who have expressed an interest in these fields,” said Dr. Weitzel. “A careful examination of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and discussion with students, faculty and staff led us to choose these degrees based on the needs of the region and the positive job outlook for students.”

The new degrees will build on the strengths of the current faculty and course offerings.

“Expanding our baccalaureate programs is part of an ongoing initiative to shape Cottey’s curriculum in a way that equips students with the competencies they need to lead and to succeed in the workforce,” said Dr. Chioma Ugochukwu, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “We have been careful to propose programs that align with our mission and elevate the quality of existing degree offerings. Adding to our programs is beneficial to both our current and prospective students as they now have more options from which to choose a career path.”

Several new positions will be added to support the programs. The position descriptions are available on the Cottey website.

Criminology degree will prepare students to pursue careers in law enforcement at various levels or work in other governmental agencies (e.g. FBI, CIA, or Homeland Security), community service, or justice organizations. This degree also prepares students to pursue graduate work in a number of fields. Because Cottey is a liberal arts college, the degree will emphasize critical thinking through interdisciplinary perspectives.

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies degree is an umbrella program that examines the relationship of race, class, gender, and sexuality in women’s lives. The Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses focus on the role and issues facing women historically and in contemporary society. This degree will prepare students for careers in domestic violence shelter director, higher education, human rights advocate, government agency staff, political adviser, victims’ advocate, women’s health specialist, and public relations.

Organizational Leadership degree prepares students for careers in a wide variety of fields including community development, human resources, management consulting, military, non-profit management, or project management. This major is designed to provide an opportunity for students to study the theoretical and academic aspects of leadership while developing practical skills through the development of individual leadership skills. Students will have an opportunity to create an individualized Leadership Development Plan that stresses and tracks leadership development within each student.

Secondary Education will offer seven certification area options for grades 9-12: biology, chemistry, business education, English, social science, and speech and theatre. This degree will involve a high level of involvement with local youth in area high schools. Students working in classrooms every semester will find the experience beneficial as prospective teachers and to the schools and families served in the community.

Certificate in Administrative Office Technology is a one-year program for women preparing to return to the workforce or wishing to advance their professional skills. Courses can be applied toward an associate degree or toward immediate employment in an office setting. Students may choose from courses in keyboarding, accounting, office management, communication, spreadsheets, databases, and office machine operation. Classes will be offered live, online or in a hybrid format.

For more information about the new degrees or certificate program, contact Enrollment Management at admit@cottey.edu or 417-667-8181, ext. 2107.

Cottey College, located in Nevada, Missouri, is owned and supported by the P.E.O. Sisterhood making it the only nonsectarian college in the United States owned by women for women. Cottey draws students from more than 40 states and 20 countries with an emphasis on leadership programming through the Serenbetz Institute for Women’s Leadership, Social Responsibility and Global Awareness. In 2016, Cottey was listed at number 15 out of 49 institutions of higher education in the State of Missouri by BestValuesSchools.com and among the Top Regional Colleges in the Midwest by www.usnews.com/colleges.