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New Academic Programs

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B.S. in Rehabilitation Science

The Bachelor of Science in rehabilitation science was approved at the Fall 2018 meeting of the Board of
Regents of the University System of Georgia and was first offered in January 2019.

The curriculum integrates the basic sciences of anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and physics with the ap-
plied and clinical social sciences to form a comprehensive study of human function/dysfunction and emerg-
ing rehabilitation interventions. Coursework covers the basic concepts of disability studies, restorative and
supportive therapy, statistics and research methods, psychology, health ethics, medical terminology, assistive
technology, health informatics, and rehabilitation case management. The program is based on the Cochran
campus and the majority of upper-level coursework is taught in traditional face-to-face classes.

This degree will be appealing to prospective students who will use their bachelor’s degrees in rehab sci-
ence to begin or continue in a rewarding healthcare career where they work in the community to help people
prevent, overcome, or adapt to disabilities. This degree will give students a competitive edge when applying
to graduate programs in rehab science fields such as physical therapy, athletic training, speech-language pa-
thology, rehabilitation counseling, clinical exercise physiology, and physician assistant.

It will attract licensed certified occupational therapy assistants who want to advance their careers by
earning a bachelor’s degree that also will provide the required prerequisites for admission to graduate occu-
pational therapy programs.
B.S. in Political Science

The Bachelor of Science in political science, ap-
proved by the Board of Regents in the spring of
2018, went live fall 2018 on MGA’s Cochran campus,
where the University continues to expand four-year
degree options. The degree is designed to unique-
ly combine skills associated with STEM programs,
such as applied statistics and data analysis, with
courses traditionally offered within the discipline.

“We’re excited to give students interested in
politics and government an opportunity to com-
plete a four-year degree close to home at one of
the most affordable universities in the state,” said
Dr. Christopher Lawrence, chair of the Department
of Political Science, who led the program’s devel-
opment. “Given the many career pathways avail-
able for students who major in political science,
we created a flexible curriculum, drawing on the
strengths of our expert faculty, that allows them to
tailor their coursework to their specific workforce
goals.”

The degree includes upper-level courses--gen-
erally those taken in the junior and senior years--
in research methods, public opinion, international
relations, environmental politics, American consti-
tutional law, parties and elections, urban politics,
interest groups, Southern politics, the presidency,
the American Congress, and others. The program
will appeal to students interested in law school or
other advanced study and/or work related to do-
mestic issues, international affairs, government and
non-profit sectors.

Academic Affairs Annual Report 2019 | Middle Georgia State University 1