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UNCP offers new degrees to boost workforce

By Staff Report, posted Jun 13, 2022 on BizFayetteville.com

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke will expand its academic landscape with two new academic programs – a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity. 

The university will introduce the undergraduate degree this fall and students can begin applying for the MSOT program in the 2023-2024 academic year, with classes being offered in fall 2024.

“As an institution of higher education, our ability to develop academic programs that will transform the lives of our students largely depends on the efforts of our faculty,” said Provost Marsha Pollard. 

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, cybersecurity and occupational therapy are two of the most in-demand professions and fastest-growing career areas nationally. The cybersecurity workforce needs to grow by 145 percent to meet the demand globally. 

In the U.S. the field of cybersecurity needs to increase by 62 percent. 

UNCP currently offers cybersecurity tracks with undergraduate programs in computer science and information technology. These tracks within computer science and information technology have increased 119 percent since 2019 and 44 percent in the past year. 

Dr. Selvarajah Mohanarajah, chair of the Department of Math and Computer Science, was among the faculty who helped build the program. 

"There is a massive demand for cybersecurity professionals," Mohanarajah said. “This major is built on a technical foundation of computing and IT and utilizes technology, systems, information, and people and processes to ensure secure cyber operations. The major is one of only two in the UNC System.” 

At the same time, the employment of occupational therapists is projected to grow 16 percent from 2019 to 2029. However, the rate of occupational therapists per 10,000 population in the UNCP service region falls below the state average. 

UNCP will be the only public institution in southeastern North Carolina offering a graduate degree in occupational therapy. The MSOT will prepare a health workforce that is already facing a shortage in southeastern North Carolina and is predicted to increase by an additional 17 percent by 2030. 

"The College of Health Sciences is excited about the approval of the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy," said Dr. Cherry Beasley, interim dean of the College of Health Sciences. 

UNCP established the College of Health Sciences in 2018 and implemented goals to meet the needs of southeastern North Carolina set by the General Assembly. 

"We are looking forward to working closely with our community partners to design the program and provide exceptional learning opportunities for students and practice opportunities for faculty," Beasley said.

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