Following approval from the Iowa Board of Regents April 24, the University of Iowa will eliminate six specialty graduate programs within the Carver College of Medicine as part of a long-planned consolidation effort. The move fulfills a 2016 agreement to merge the programs into the broader Biomedical Science program, where they will continue as subprograms. […]
Following approval from the
Iowa Board of Regents April 24, the University of Iowa will eliminate six specialty graduate programs within the Carver College of Medicine as part of a long-planned consolidation effort. The move fulfills a 2016 agreement to merge the programs into the broader Biomedical Science program, where they will continue as subprograms.
The programs being terminated include:
- MS and PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology
- MS and PhD in Free Radical and Radiation Biology
- PhD in Molecular Biology
- PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology
- MS and PhD in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
- MS and PhD in Pharmacology
“The Biomedical Sciences subprogram structure has been meeting the needs of the students and faculty, and therefore the free standing programs are no longer necessary,” said University of Iowa Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Kregel. “Everything falls straight into this overarching program, and then the subprograms are available for the different students.”
There has been no admission to these programs for the last five years and no students have been enrolled since 2021, he added.
“We do not anticipate any impact on workforce,” Mr. Kieft said, and board documents stated that current students will be able to complete their degree under the academic program title and structure to which they are enrolled.
“Closing these programs will make clear the program offerings to prospective students,” the documents stated.
University to add MS audiology program
University of Iowa’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences received the greenlight to add a master of science in audiology program.
The program is considered an “en passant” degree, meaning there’s no direct admission; instead, it’s earned while pursuing a higher degree – in this case, the four-year doctor of audiology program at the university.
It will solve the issue doctorate students face during their fourth year, which requires a year-long clinical “externship” that includes qualifying for a temporary licensure in the state where they will intern. Temporary licensures require a master’s level degree, board documents stated.
“Previously, these audiology doctoral students were awarded an MA in speech pathology and audiology, but that degree is no longer viable,” Mr. Kregel told the board at its April 23 session. “(It) does not meet the professional requirements for audiology. And so this allows the audiology degree doctoral students to go forward."
These programs are highly sought-after degrees, with “a lot of opportunities for employment for (audiology graduates), and so this pass-through structure allows them to then more effectively engage,” Mr. Kregel said. “It's a more rigorous program, and it allows them to be effectively placed and prepared for their accreditation processes.”
