Professional Education News highlights interdisciplinary graduate programs at UD

1:01 p.m., May 8, 2012--The new issue of the University of Delaware's Professional Education News is available online now, and showcases UD programs that partner across departments and colleges to offer interdisciplinary graduate education that is greater than the sum of its parts.

“As a broad-based research intensive institution, the University of Delaware has the capability to build strong interdisciplinary professional programs in a manner with which small teaching institutions cannot compete,” commented John Sawyer, UD associate provost for professional education.  The best examples result in programs that capitalize on established expertise across colleges and disciplines, offering students the opportunity to learn with the best researchers and practitioners, regardless of field.

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One featured program is UD’s new master of science degree in software engineering (MSSE), developed by faculty in the Department of Computer Sciences and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Another article highlights UD’s graduate art conservation programs, the Winterthur-UD Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC) and doctoral level preservation studies program (PSP). Both programs are a blend of art and science, involving coursework and collaboration across many UD departments and disciplines. 

A new curatorial track doctoral program in art history provides another excellent example of how an interdisciplinary program can offer the most optimal preparation for a given field. In addition to rigorous art historical training through graduate seminars, the new curatorial track will expose students to a range of interdisciplinary areas that fall outside traditional art history education, including courses in museum studies, art conservation, public engagement and business and nonprofit management.

The Professional Education News is intended to communicate UD's successes, advances and efforts to provide the best in professional education characterized by “excellence, uniqueness, impact, and response to societal needs.”

The spring 2012 issue of the Professional Education News can be viewed online.

Photos by Ambre Alexander and Kathy F. Atkinson