By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
The Baylor Board of Regents approved two new master’s degrees at its regular fall board meeting, making strides in the engineering and health sciences departments.
The Board of Regents is Baylor’s official governing body, which meets several times a year to vote on issues pressing to the university. University President Dr. Linda Livingstone said that the meeting — in addition to adding new degrees — explored options for growth in academics and research.
“We focused a lot on updating the growing academic and research enterprise at Baylor, along with how we’re doing on student recruitment and retention,” Livingstone said.
At the meeting, the board approved a Masters of Science degree in the Materials Science and Engineering Graduate School and a Masters of Science in Learning Design and Technology in the School of Education.
“Both degrees will prepare our graduates for careers in areas that are high in demand, both in Texas and well beyond the borders of Texas,” Livingstone said.
According to the official press release, the M.S. in the Materials Science and Engineering Graduate School will begin in spring 2025 and complements the existing interdisciplinary doctoral program. The new degree will equip Baylor students with research opportunities among top Baylor scholars, and prepare them to enter the rapidly changing engineering workforce.
“It opens the door for students that just want to come get the master’s in materials science,” Livingstone said. “Many aspects of it are tied towards getting a Ph.D. … So it’s clearly in alignment with our continued emphasis on research and the growth of the research enterprise here at Baylor.”
The M.S. in Learning Design and Technology will be available in fall 2025 and will aid students in creating “digital learning experiences” across various educational sectors.
“It’s a field that’s growing rapidly, there’s a special type of expertise it takes to design online learning environments,” Livingstone said. “This will be a wonderful opportunity for us to educate others outside the walls of Baylor on these techniques.”
In the meeting, the board also discussed a “comprehensive resource strategy” to mitigate the “economic strains in higher education,” according to the press release.
Provost Dr. Nancy Brickhouse highlighted several statistics surrounding affordability. The retention of Baylor students that received a Pell Grant for their tuition was as high as 94%, according to the press release.
Chair of the Board Dr. William E. Mearse said that the board is currently facing the problem of tuition affordability.
“Those new ideas we hope to be able to apply within the strategic plan,” Mearse said. “It is a key focus area in terms of the board and administration going forward.”
The university’s new strategic plan, Baylor In Deeds was also discussed in the meeting. The board continues to keep academic department growth in mind through the lens of Baylor’s strategic plan.
“We need to grow the size of our engineering program — both undergraduate and graduate — in terms of students,” Livingstone said. “Another element of that is the early stages of planning for the potential of a new, shared interdisciplinary facility for engineering and health sciences.”
Within the lens of scientific advancement, Baylor will continue to hone its use of technology from an educational standpoint, Mearse added.
“We talk about human technology interface, in terms of how can we use new technology such as AI,” said Mearse. “Not only in terms of training our students, but how we can turn around and make our processes more modern and effective as well.”
President Livingstone and the Board of Regents are confident in Baylor’s growth and Christian excellence guided by Baylor In Deeds for the next five years.
“It’s not just about Christian mission, it’s about research [and] global engagement,” Livingstone said. “So you’ll see that work continue.”
