Texas State authorized to offer new degrees

The Texas State University System Board of Regents has authorized Texas State University to offer two new Master of Science degrees in Construction Science, and Quantitative Finance and Economics to address pressing demand in the state’s economy.

The board approved the new degrees during its quarterly meeting on Feb. 13 in San Marcos. The programs will begin enrolling students in the fall of 2020, pending final approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

A Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Religious Studies was also approved during the board meeting.

The Master of Science. in Construction Management degree, to be offered by the Department of Engineering Technology, is part of Texas State's ongoing commitment to address the workforce needs of Texas. Large construction firms increasingly require construction managers with both construction experience and a master’s degree in construction-related field. Construction managers coordinate and supervise a wide variety of construction projects, often performing the tasks of cost estimators and schedulers. The use of specialized software requires advanced skills to decide how to allocate time and money in order to complete projects within budget and time constraints.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS) projects 11% in demand for construction managers from 2018 to 2028, an increase of 44,800 additional jobs nationwide. Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) data anticipates the number of construction managers growing 18.4% from 2016 to 2026 in the state, creating an additional 3,950 new jobs annually.

The Master of Science.. in Quantitative Finance and Economics degree will be offered by the Department of Finance and Economics to meet the needs of employers requiring a new set of advanced financial and economic data analysis skills in employees. The role of advanced mathematical and statistical techniques in leveraging financial and economic data to gain a competitive edge has become increasingly important as these techniques have been refined and the quality of large data sets has improved.

Between 2016 and 2026, the TWC projects job demand to increase 19%, 18% and 30% for economists, financial analysts and financial managers, respectively. Texas State graduates will possess important marketable skills, including the ability to analyze financial data and generate financial reports with the help of specialize software, communicate the relationship between economic events and business decisions using data visualization techniques and apply analytical and risk management tools to economic and financial data to inform strategic decisions.

The Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies degree will be offered by the Department of Philosophy to address the rising demand in many fields for employees who possess religious literacy. The USBLS projects a 7-8% growth rate in the job categories of “director, religious activities and education” and “religious workers, all others,” for a total of 27,100 openings nationwide. In Texas, the TWC projects more robust growth of 15-16%, equating to nearly 4,000 new jobs from 2016-2026.

All new programs are expected to start in fall 2020.