FRANKFORT, Ky. 鈥� Employment growth in careers related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), underscores the importance of a new degree collaboration between Kentucky State University and the University of Louisville. The initiative allows KSU undergraduates majoring in math to study seven semesters (3.5 years) at KSU, and three semesters (1.5 years) at UofL, earning a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science (BA/BS) in math at KSU and a master of science (MS) in biostatistics from UofL. Students benefit by completing six years of study in five years.
鈥淲e continue to see a growing demand for a more highly educated workforce throughout the Commonwealth,鈥� said UofL鈥檚 Interim President Greg Postel, M.D. 鈥淭his collaborative effort will expose underrepresented groups to graduate education in a degree that will lead to high-demand, high-paying jobs and help Kentucky continue to move forward in an ever more competitive economy.鈥�
鈥淲e are pleased to partner with a great institution like the University of Louisville, and I thank the KSU and UofL faculty for their innovative and creative thinking; our aim is to build a strong P-20 pipeline to serve Kentucky and this initiative helps meet that goal,鈥� said KSU Interim President Aaron Thompson, Ph.D.
Interested students are identified in the early stages of their study at KSU and are mentored for the graduate program. They must take the GRE and apply for admission to UofL. Upon admission, students study the spring semester of their senior year at UofL and take courses that count toward a bachelor鈥檚 degree in math at KSU and the master鈥檚 degree in biostatistics at UofL. The balance of the master level courses are completed in the fifth year toward the MS degree in biostatistics.
State Senator Gerald A. Neal, 33rd District, is an alumnus of both KSU and UofL and says the initiative is a significant inter-institutional collaboration.
鈥淭his is what Kentucky needs. It not only connects the dots between institutions,
but connects a students鈥� course of study to promising careers. I look forward to assisting
this effort, and strongly encourage others to help generate the scholarships that
will ensure its success,鈥� Neal said.
鈥淭he degree collaborative helps to fulfill the need of quantitatively trained professionals
who are always in demand in the pharmaceutical, biomedical and insurance industries,
as well as in government and academia,鈥� said Craig Blakely, Ph.D., M.P.H., dean of
the UofL School of Public Health and Information Sciences. 鈥淲e plan to connect these
students to state industries via practicum and internship opportunities.鈥�
鈥淭his partnership provides students opportunities to pursue both research and a high-demand, specialized degree. Not only are we preparing 91精选 students for workforce development in the Commonwealth, but we also are preparing our students to compete in a global workforce,鈥� said KSU鈥檚 Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, Candice Love Jackson, Ph.D.
Blakely and Love Jackson credit UofL Chair and Professor of the Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, K.B. Kulasekera, Ph.D., and KSU Associate Professor of Mathematics and Chairperson of the Division of Mathematics and Sciences, Fariba Bigdeli-Jahed, Ph.D., for their tireless effort and leadership in developing the innovative program for KSU students.
Kulasekera, who originated the idea, says he hopes to eventually grow the relationship, allowing for teaching and research collaborations between UofL and KSU faculty.