A student works on a computer in the
new School of Digital Sciences.

Kent State University’s School of Digital Sciences this fall welcomed its first class of students after Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Jim Petro approved the school’s proposed degrees.

The new interdisciplinary school offers three degrees — a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Digital Sciences. Many of the courses are available online and will likely be offered soon on some of the regional campuses.

“This is going to be a great degree for a variety of people,” Director of the School of Digital Sciences Robert Walker says. “For example, it’s perfect for students who like computers but don’t want to focus exclusively on the programming aspect.”

The bachelor’s degrees offered by the School of Digital Sciences are designed for students who are creative, who want to be exposed to a broad range of topics, who want to use computers responsibly to solve problems efficiently and who enjoy working with other people as part of a team. The graduates will be well-rounded, taking courses that span computer design and web design, information science, technology, project management, visual communication design, journalism and more.

Undergraduate students can now officially declare their majors. Starting in the spring semester, 25 to 30 students are expected to be in the program.

At the graduate level, applications for the Master of Digital Sciences will be accepted starting in October for enrollment in the Spring 2012 semester; however, some students started early as guest admission students. There are approximately 14 students from California to New Jersey enrolled in the graduate program.

“The master’s program augments a student’s undergraduate program with targeted depth in one or two additional areas,” Walker says. “It can benefit students from any undergraduate program by giving them valuable skills needed in today’s workplace.”

For more information about the School of Digital Sciences, visit www.kent.edu/dsci.