A team at High Point University will fast-track the research and consideration process for adding more health-related programs to their catalog.
The programs in consideration are optometry, occupational therapy and nursing. School officials want to add these three programs so the school can grow congruently, according to HPU President Nido Qubein.
“Anytime that you can have efficiencies of scale with faculty that could cross over from one program to another, we very carefully analyze how that fits into our strategy,” he said
For example, with the possible graduate program in optometry, anatomy professors could be used to teach courses. The programs also align with the launch of the Congdon School of Health Sciences, which offers a doctoral physical therapy degree, a physician assistant master’s degree and an athletic training master’s degree.
Thousands of applications, along with a high volume of candidates for new graduate health care programs forced Qubein and the university to accelerate the process. This year, Congdon Hall received more than 4,000 applications but only accepted limited availability for their current programs—60 for physical therapy, 74 for pharmacy and 35 for physician assistant studies.
“We at High Point look towards the future with anticipation and with determination and tenacity to be relevant and to be excellent,” Qubein said.
New program timelines should be finalized by August 2018.
