UTSA introduces new academic programs prepare students for evolving workforce

AUGUST 27, 2025 — This fall, thousands of new UTSA students are coming to campus with a renewed sense of purpose, ready to choose their paths. For those seeking careers in both emerging fields and more traditional disciplines, the university is expanding its academic landscape with several new degree and certificate programs.

The added programs, developed in close consultation with faculty, industry experts and the university’s employer partners, are designed to give students a competitive edge and make them leaders in their chosen professions.

"In addition to supporting today’s workforce needs in our city and state, our responsibility as a university is to prepare students for careers that may not yet exist,” said Heather Shipley, UTSA provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “As the job market evolves, we are developing degree programs with forward-thinking curricula to equip Roadrunners with the deep knowledge and skills to thrive now, and the adaptability and critical thinking to lead in the jobs of tomorrow."

“In addition to supporting today’s workforce needs in our city and state, our responsibility as a university is to prepare students for careers that may not yet exist.”

— Heather Shipley

New undergraduate programs

The Interdisciplinary School for Engagement in Humanities and Social Sciences in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts is offering two new bachelor’s degrees.

The bachelor of arts in community arts builds on UTSA’s integration of the former Southwest School of Art in 2021–22. The degree offers an innovative and practical multidisciplinary degree program that prepares students for leadership positions in nonprofit and community arts organizations focused on fine and/or performing arts.

Students can choose a concentration based on their area of interest: arts leadership, community arts education or public practice. In each, students will be offered opportunities to work with local arts and culture organizations through a variety of experiential learning opportunities.

The bachelor of arts in dramatic arts is the only such program at a public, four-year university in San Antonio. The program combines training in performance, scriptwriting and stagecraft with the study of drama and performance history, storytelling and technology, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in multiple areas of the production process.

Students can also connect with San Antonio’s creative community through internship placements at local theaters and businesses.

The college’s Department of Communication is launching a new bachelor of arts in journalism. With a focus on community journalism and multimedia news production, the curriculum is designed to prepare graduates to serve local audiences through ethical and accurate storytelling.

Through hands-on learning, students can gain the skills to work across a variety of media platforms while upholding journalistic integrity and public trust.

The College of Education and Human Development is introducing a bachelor of science in behavioral science to prepare graduates to work in educational and therapeutic settings.

Students in this degree program can gain a comprehensive understanding of human development, learning theories, counseling techniques and principles of behavior analysis. In addition to a general track, the program also offers focused tracks in applied behavior analysis, addiction sciences and child life sciences.

The Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design launched a bachelor of science in industrial and systems engineering at the start of the Spring 2025 semester to prepare graduate for careers in high-demand fields including advanced manufacturing, logistics and automation. The program will provide students with fundamental engineering knowledge and skills in manufacturing systems, data analytics and process optimization, and is housed in the Department of Mechanical Aerospace and Industrial Engineering.

Earlier this year, the Department of Computer Science introduced a bachelor of science in software engineering to train graduates to design, build and maintain complex software systems.

Beyond learning to code, students can pursue coursework in topics including algorithms, data structures and computer science fundamentals. The program is housed in the new College of AI, Cyber and Computing.

Online programs

To better support students whose commitments preclude them from taking in-person classes, as well as those who live outside San Antonio, UTSA Online this year has introduced fully online versions of two residential degree programs.

The online bachelor of arts in geography and environmental sustainability is designed to prepare graduates for careers in environmental science, urban and regional planning, business geography, medical geography and geographic education.

The program’s career-ready curriculum will train students in geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, aerial photo interpretation, spatial analysis, computer-based cartography and other skills. The program is administered by the Department of Political Science and Geography in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts.

The online master of arts/master of science multidisciplinary studies allows students from all academic backgrounds to design a degree plan that builds on their unique career interests opportunities.

Through this program, students select two from among the university’s 40+ graduate certificates (all of which are completely online) and will earn either a Master of Science or a Master of Arts, depending on their certificate selections. The program is administered by University College.

New graduate programs

The Carlos Alvarez College of Business has introduced a master of science in business research, which focuses on advanced business research skills and analytical expertise to prepare students for careers in consulting, market research, analytics and other related areas.

Elective courses in this program allow students to tailor their degree to specific areas of interest. The program also serves as a pathway for students considering doctoral programs in business.

The Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design is launching a master of science in chemical engineering. The program focuses on advanced process development, automation strategy, data analytics, risk management and reliability engineering.

As part of the curriculum, students also will take management and entrepreneurship courses offered by the Alvarez College of Business. By fostering both technical expertise and leadership capabilities, this program seeks to prepare graduates to drive innovation and make impactful contributions to the industry. The MS degree complements existing undergraduate and doctoral chemical engineering programs in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering.

New graduate certificates

In addition to those degree programs, this year UTSA introduced several new graduate certificates to support students seeking advanced specialization in specific fields and, in some cases, those designing their own degree programs through the M.A./M.S. in multidisciplinary studies. Certificate programs are typically 12 or 15 semester credit hours and all online.

• The Art History and Visual Culture graduate certificate is an interdisciplinary program that provides students with opportunities in public education, museums, galleries, archives and libraries. This certificate also would make those with master’s degrees in related disciplines — such as studio art, history or anthropology — eligible to teach art history at the college level.
• The graduate certificate in Data Engineering is designed to meet the demand for skilled data engineers in various industries and focuses on areas such as data ingestion, storage, transformation and pipeline architecture; applicants should have an undergraduate degree in a closely related field.
• For graduate counseling students, the Integrated Behavioral Healthcare certificate offers additional specialization in whole-person care and the integration of physical and behavioral healthcare services.
• The National Security Studies graduate certificate (introduced in Spring 2025) teaches key concepts to prepare students to work in industries including cybersecurity, immigration, emergency management, travel security, operations and mission support and more.
• The 100% online Bilingual Education graduate certificate is designed for current certified teachers and school administrators who are fully fluent in both English and Spanish, and want to enhance their knowledge of bilingual and dual-language teaching, as well as those who are preparing for the state exam in bilingual education.
• The graduate certificate in Predictive Analytics and Modeling prepares students with in-demand technical and analytical skills for a broad range of industries including finance, healthcare, marketing and technology.
• The graduate certificate in Public History prepares students to work in museums, archives, nonprofit agencies and similar entities by developing practical skills in archive management, digital and oral history, grant writing and more.
• The Quantum Information Science and Engineering certificate offers advanced training in quantum computing, sensing and cybersecurity for professionals with undergraduate degrees in closely related fields.
• The graduate certificate in Teaching (introduced in Spring 2025) is designed for current UTSA graduate students to enhance their instructional abilities.